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Working in Drugs & Alcohol Services in the Social Services Sector in Scotland

 

Who is it for?

This Skills Set has been devised to provide guidance towards the units that best fit the key tasks of the Addiction Services Worker. The units have been selected from the premise that the worker is in a situation where their responsibilities include providing support to individuals at risk through substance misuse.

In addition to the units listed here, there are other units that staff may find relevant to their job roles (e.g. HSC 399 “Develop and sustain effective working relationships with staff in other agencies”). Whilst these are not included in the Skills Set, staff may wish to undertake these units as part of their ongoing CPD.

This skills set is for support workers in substance misuse services and for staff transferring to work in this area of practice.

List of Skill Areas & Knowledge
Staff should select and complete 4 units from the following list. Unit selection should be based on job role and candidate need.
HSC 340   Carry out comprehensive substance misuse assessment
HSC 341

Help individuals address their substance use through an action plan
HSC 342 Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users
HSC 363 Test for substance use
HSC 365 Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects
HSC 379

Support individuals who are substance users
HSC 380 Supply and exchange injecting equipment for individuals
HSC 381 Support individuals through detoxification programmes
HSC 3100

Participate in inter-disciplinary team working to support individuals
HSC 325 Contribute to protecting children and young people from danger, harm and abuse

The HN Unit: “Working with problematic substance use” (available as a distance learning Unit from SQA) and the City & Guilds Certificate in Substance Misuse Work will provide useful underpinning knowledge for this area of work and may cover some of the underpinning knowledge for the units listed above. The programme of Courses offered by STRADA would also offer valuable underpinning knowledge training.
SCQF Credit Rating & Level:
The HN Unit, “Working with problematic substance use” is set at SCQF Level 7. The SCQF level for the SVQ units will be published at a later date.
Links & Progression Routes:
This skills set links with the  SVQ3 in Health and Social Care and to the HNC Health & Social Care.
Assessment:
The units in this skills set must be assessed in accordance with the SVQ assessment guidance published SQA/City & Guilds for the SVQs in Health & Social Care. The HN unit must be assessed in line with the guidance published by SQA for the HNC Health & Social Care


 

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