Home > Skills for Health: Workforce competencies.

Skills for Health. (2008) Skills for Health: Workforce competencies. Bristol: Skills for Health.

External website: https://tools.skillsforhealth.org.uk/competence_se...

These short standards were developed in the UK to indicate relevant competencies for staff working in the health sector, including drug and alcohol staff.

• Use recognised theoretical models to provide therapeutic support to individuals who misuse substances Updated: 8th May 2012, Version 2
For this standard you need to provide therapeutic support to individuals who misuse substances. It is intended for those who provide support to individuals within an agreed framework, rather than offering advice and guidance on an ad hoc basis. You should pay particular regard to developing the therapeutic relationship in the earlier stages of working together as the substance user may have experienced a lack of positive regard, lack of empathy and a judgemental attitude from professionals in the past. Attention should also be given in this unit to activities that are not face to face work, but support the therapeutic process such as liaison, research and attending supervision.

• Help individuals address their substance misuse through an action plan, Updated: 8th May 2012, Version 2
For this standard you need to support individuals with substance misuse problems to develop action plans, as part of the therapeutic process and not as an isolated activity.

• Use recognised theoretical models to provide therapeutic support to groups of individuals who misuse substances, Updated: 8th May 2012, Version 2
For this standard you need to provide therapeutic support to groups of individuals who misuse substances by planning, preparing and implementing relevant therapeutic group activities using recognised theoretical models. It is intended for those who provide therapeutic support to individuals as part of group activities. Group activities may be substance use specific, such as relapse prevention techniques, or may be general, such as anger management or social skills training. There should be evidence of establishing and managing the therapeutic process with particular regard to the complexities that emerge when dealing with substance related issues in a group setting.

• Draw up specifications for substance misuse services, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about drawing up detailed specifications of the substance misuse services being commissioned in order to allow providers to produce accurately-costed tenders. It includes gathering and analysing existing information on procuring substance misuse services and developing specifications for substance misuse services.

• Invite tenders and award contracts, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about inviting providers to tender to deliver health and social care services and agreeing the details of contracts with them. It includes inviting and evaluating tenders and negotiating and awarding contracts for the provision of services.

• Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers recognising signs which may indicate that someone - an employee, colleague, co-worker, customer, student or anyone else you come into contact with during your work - may be misusing drugs (illegal, prescription or over the counter), alcohol, solvents or other substances.

• Retain individuals in contact with substance misuse services, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers the development, implementation and monitoring of processes to keep individuals in contact with substance misuse services and prevent them dropping out of treatment. The standard involves using data from your own organisation and local area, together with evidence from national and international research, to identify the reasons for retention and drop-out and to put in place processes to improve retention. It also involves briefing colleagues, supporting them in applying these processes in particular cases, and taking action where an individual is likely to drop out.

• Implement policies to manage risk to individuals and third parties, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about implementing organisational or local/regional policies to help minimise risk of harm to individuals and third parties. The standard involves translating risk management policies into practical guidelines and providing colleagues with advice and support to help them arrive at effective decisions in relation to reducing risk. In some situations, you may have to take timely and effective action to deal with risks or incidents or consult with more experienced colleagues about the situation. You need to work with other agencies in managing risks effectively and make recommendations for improvements to policies and practices, if required.

• Contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to contribute to the prevention and management of abusive and aggressive behaviour. When abusive and aggressive behaviour occurs, you need to deal with, and help in the review of, incidents within statutory and agency frameworks.

• Support individuals who misuse substances Updated: 8th May 2012, Version No 2
For this standard you need to support individuals who misuse substances by enabling them to adopt safe practices, providing care and support following an episode of substance use and supporting individuals' efforts to reduce harm or cease substance use. Substances would include alcohol, opiates, hallucinogenics, amphetamines, cannabis, prescribed medication, solvents and other volatile substances; their use may be experimental, recreational or dependent.

• Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects, Updated: 8th May 2012, Version No 2
For this standard you will need to raise awareness about substances, the use of substances and the effects of substances. The awareness raising may be with children and young people, or with other people who need to know about substances because they use substances themselves, have friends or family who use or may use substances, or work on a formal or informal basis with individuals who use substances.

• Carry out screening and referral assessment in a substance misuse setting, Updated: 8th May 2012, Version No 2
This standard is about recognising substance misuse problems and referring individuals to a substance misuse or other service appropriate to their immediate needs. It includes the assessment of risk to the individual and others, particularly the children of substance users.

• Carry out assessment to identify and prioritise needs in a substance misuse setting, Updated: 8th May 2012, Version No 2
This standard is about referral of individuals with less complex needs directly to less structured substance misuse services (such as drop-in advice services). It is also about identifying when an individual has more complex needs which require referral to a comprehensive substance misuse assessment. It includes: assessment of the individual's substance misuse problem and their understanding of services available assessment of the need for referral to substance misuse services or to a comprehensive substance misuse assessment making referral to a substance misuse service or comprehensive substance misuse assessment.

• Contribute to the development of organisational policy and practice, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers contributing to identifying potential for organisational development and presenting information and ideas on this.

• Support effective governance, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you have to establish your organisation's legal, regulatory, social and ethical responsibilities and ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, social and ethical responsibilities.

• Establish, maintain and use relationships with the media to explain and promote the organisation and its work, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about working with the media to explain and promote the organisation's work. The organisation's work with the media will either be reactive - reacting to requests from the media for information from the organisation in relation to a current or breaking local or national story or feature - or proactive - where the organisation is initiating contact with the media in order to highlight and explain an aspect of its work. For example, the organisation might choose to explain the services which it offers, its role and how it relates to the work of others, or describe the actions it is taking in relation to specific issues, such as how it is responding to new legislation or policy developments. The media with which the organisation has contact may be press (both newspapers and trade/technical journals), radio or television and may be based locally, regionally, nationally or internationally.

• Develop, negotiate and agree proposals to offer services and products, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about developing a proposal to offer services and products. It covers the initial evaluation of specification documents, the actual preparation of the proposals, taking into account the organisation's resources, (such as financial) and finally the negotiation and agreement of terms with the other party. Negotiations must cover costs, quality, quantity, timing and scheduling. They must also take into account opportunities and constraints (e.g. organisation, legal and ethical). The proposals may be to national, regional or local agencies, for example public sector agencies such as local authorities, police or probation services, or to charitable trusts. It is likely that the standard will be most relevant to workers in voluntary or private sector agencies.

• Assure your organisation delivers quality services, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about developing and using systems and standards to ensure that the services your organisation delivers meet the expectations of users and the specifications in formal contracts. Systems and standards may include generic quality systems and standards such as ISO 9001 (2000), Investors in People and PQASSO or systems and standards specific to the area in which you work.

• Manage a service which achieves the best possible outcomes for the individual, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers developing, implementing and reviewing systems which maintain an environment where the best possible outcomes are achieved for all individuals in receipt of care. Certain groups and individuals are particularly vulnerable to abuse of specific kinds, such as neglect or fraud.

• Provide facilities for your organisation, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about identifying the facilities - the premises and equipment - your organisation needs to offer its full range of services, and providing appropriate facilities to meet current and future needs. This includes establishing requirements for facilities, identifying the most suitable options to meet requirements, arranging the provision of facilities and monitoring the provision of facilities.

• Manage your organisation's facilities, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about managing your organisation's facilities - the premises and equipment - so that they are kept in good condition and used correctly, effectively and efficiently. This includes maintaining an inventory of facilities, ensuring planned maintenance and emergency repairs are carried out satisfactorily, and allocating facilities so they are used efficiently to provide the full range of services offered by your organisation.

• Supplying information for management control, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about recognising and providing basic management information. This involves information relating to both costs and income and includes the comparison of actual costs and income against the previous period's data, the corresponding period's data and forecast data.

• Lead teams to provide a quality provision, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you will need to lead teams to enable the best possible provision of services. This includes establishing effective working relationships with team members, establishing and supporting team members to carry out their work activities, roles and responsibilities and assessing and providing feedback on individual and team performance.

• Assist in the transfer of individuals between agencies and services, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers making arrangements for individuals to transfer between agencies and services. This includes all situations where an individual is referred into or out of an agency or service. It can include referral of individuals within an agency (such as to a specialist worker).

• Prescribe controlled drugs for substance users, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about prescribing controlled drugs – e.g. methadone, other opiates or other controlled drugs – to substance users as part of their treatment plan. It covers both reduction and maintenance prescribing.

• Employ techniques to help individuals to adopt sensible drinking behaviour, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about working with individuals to help them recognise drinking behaviour that may be risky or harmful to health and wellbeing. It also involves providing support and guidance to help them cut down drinking (brief intervention). It addresses identifying who may be appropriate to receive brief interventions that help people reduce the harm or risk to their health caused by excessive drinking. This standard is for a wide range of people in health, justice and social care services who may come into contact with people drinking above medically recommended levels or experiencing difficulties relating to their alcohol use. Such staff will not be alcohol specialists, but will be involved with providing advice or support across a range of issues. This will include staff working with adults, children and young people, for example those working in the areas of Health, Social care, Justice, Housing and Employment.

• Prepare prescriptions for controlled drugs, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about preparing prescriptions for controlled drugs for substance users under the direction of, and for signature by, a registered medical practitioner.

• Enable individuals to take their medication as prescribed, Updated: 21st Sep 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about helping individuals understand the effects and benefits of the medication prescribed for them and the importance of complying with their treatment regime. This standard is for all practitioners who are required to advise individuals about their medication and the importance of taking their medication as prescribed:

• Supply and exchange injecting equipment for individuals, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard covers establishing the extent and type of individuals' injecting behaviour, providing harm minimisation advice, providing injecting equipment and exchanging used injecting equipment. You also need to maintain records of the supply and exchange of injecting equipment in order that the service can be monitored and evaluated.

• Support individuals through detoxification programmes, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to work with individuals to achieve stabilisation and/or withdrawal from substance use through a planned programme of treatment and care. Detoxification programmes involve a range of interventions to address individuals' physical, psychological, emotional, social and legal problems and in many cases include the prescribing of substitute medication.

• Supervise methadone consumption, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to provide methadone for consumption by individuals. It covers checking the authenticity and validity of methadone prescriptions, preparing and labelling of required doses and supervising consumption by individuals.

• Help individuals address their offending behaviour, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about helping substance misusers, including alcohol misusers, who have offended, or are likely to offend, to understand and change their behaviour positively. The worker needs to challenge individuals' behaviour and provide support and encouragement for change. They need to recognise the complex range of factors which may lead to offending and be able to help individuals value themselves and others. The substance misusing offender will lose something in making changes and they should be assisted in dealing with this. Such work may take place as the opportunity arises during ongoing contact with the individual or may occur during more formal interventions.

• Enable individuals to change their offending behaviour, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about working with substance misusers, including alcohol misusers, to change their offending behaviour. It includes planning how to undertake the work, and identifying the overall aim of working with individuals and the specific purpose of each intervention. A variety of methods and approaches may be used. The worker has to record what has been achieved, evaluate the interventions and work out how the process can be improved.Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies.Version No 1

• Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you will need to assess the immediate risk of danger to individuals who have used substances, act upon the immediate risk of danger and support the individual once the immediate risk of danger has passed.

• Provide services to those affected by someone else's substance use, Updated: 6th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to provide services to those affected by someone else's substance use. This includes enabling those affected by someone else's substance use to explore and select options, supporting those affected by someone else's substance use to put selected options into practice and empowering those affected by someone else's substance use to review the effectiveness of selected options.

• Contribute to the development of the knowledge and practice of others, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about contributing to the development of the knowledge and practice of colleagues, either in your agency or other agencies, enabling them to solve problems and tackle issues. Here you use your knowledge and experience to guide others towards solutions. The problems and issues may be interpersonal, organisational or practice based. It also covers enabling colleagues to learn and benefit from your own experience. A key focus of this standard is continual professional development which provides teams and individuals with added interest, information and motivation to undertake their work. It also captures those situations where you may be asked to provide colleagues with a different perspective on a particular problem, drawing on your different experience or background.

• Develop and disseminate information and advice about substance use, health and social well-being, Relevance: 100%, Updated: 9th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to develop a range of information and advice materials to promote substance misuse services, and raise awareness of substance use, health and social well-being. This includes planning, design, production, and dissemination of information and advice materials.

• Test for substance use, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you need to test individuals to see if they have been using substances, such as alcohol and controlled drugs. This includes preparing to test for substance use, taking samples for testing, communicating and recording the results of testing.

• Carry out comprehensive substance misuse assessment, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard is about assessing the needs of substance misusers with complex requirements and/or those people who require more intensive and/or structured care programmes. It covers assessment that is on-going throughout the contact with the substance misuse service and the wider treatment system. It includes:- preparing for a comprehensive substance misuse assessment- assessing possible risks and the individual's understanding of services available- assessing the individual's substance misuse and related problems.

• Develop, implement and review care plans for individuals, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
For this standard you will be expected, with the support of other staff, to develop, implement and review care plans.

• Contribute to care planning and review, Updated: 5th May 2011, Version No 1
This standard, you will be expected to contribute to the assessment of individual needs and preference and to the development, implementation and review of care plans.


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