National Alcohol & Drugs Education Conference 2018

Evidence-based best practice in alcohol and drugs education: empowering young people to make healthy choices in the classroom and beyond.

A day for professionals to hear from leading experts on the latest research on alcohol and drugs prevention, attend a choice of workshops on evidence-based programmes and receive planning and evaluation advice for effective PSHE.

On 21st June 2018 two charities, The Alcohol Education Trust and Mentor, are bringing together a group of experts to showcase evidence-based and effective good practice that can be used in education and youth settings across the UK for alcohol and drugs education and prevention.

About the conference

With the likelihood of PSHE becoming a statutory teaching requirement for schools, this conference and selection of workshops will offer teachers, PSHE leads, local authorities and anyone working in the field of alcohol and drugs with young people the opportunity to learn about the most highly trialled and rigorously tested school/youth programmes together with 'hands on' 'how to' workshops hosted by PSHE professionals.

Alcohol and drugs are taught at a basic level through the science curriculum in schools, but the life and resilience skills that young people need to prevent drug use and enable them to make healthy choices about alcohol as they get older can be better developed through Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education or other teaching opportunities. Schools, local authorities and educators in non-formal education settings can benefit from guidance regarding effective, evidence-based alcohol and drugs prevention programmes, as well as support to improve training, content and delivery.

Keynote speaker:

Andy Burnham, Former Health Secretary and Mayor of Greater Manchester

Keynote addresses from:

Rt. Hon Nick Gibbs, Minister of State at The Department for Education

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Victoria Atkins (pre-recorded)

Other speakers and panel members to include:

Panel Chair– Harry Sumnall, Professor in Substance Use at the Centre for Public Health & ACMD Member
Helena Conibear, CEO The Alcohol Education Trust
Dr John McAlaney, Principal Academic in the Department of Psychology at Bournemouth University
Dr David Regis, Research Manager for the Schools Health Education Unit
PCC Amy Fletcher, Cheshire Police
Michael O’Toole, Chief Executive - Mentor UK
Lauren Bond, Behaviour Specialist – Unique Behaviour Consultancy

Workshop options:

Ten top tips for drugs and alcohol education with Louise Pope, Head of PSHE at Chew Valley Secondary School in Bristol. Louise will be providing strategies for active learning and engagement in PSHE.
Talk abut Alcohol double CPD session from The Alcohol Education Trust. A full session on how to implement and deliver the TAA programme to 11-18 year olds of all abilities. NB There is a charge of £90 for this session as attendees will receive a pack including 30 lessons, BAFTA winning DVD 'Just a few Drinks' and 60 activity cards and a CPD certificate to take away.
Targeted approaches for vulnerable populations including pupils with special needs and looked after children, hosted by Kathryn Arnott-Gent, Northern Coordinator for The Alcohol Education Trust.
Social and emotional learning. Lauren Bond will lead a workshop about the impact of social and emotional learning within schools. The discussion will focus on how the social and emotional aspects of learning build resilience and confidence in children which will in turn promote well-being for both pupils and staff. The workshop will provide insight into various models and strategies that practitioners can use and adapt to suit their various codes of practice.
Have You Got The Bottle? - Developing peer-based alcohol interventions for young people.This interactive workshop led by Mentor UK Development Manager Gez James will highlight the development of Mentor’s “Breaking Out Peer Alcohol Project” with young offenders within HMYOI Polmont, and the community based “Bottle Project” delivered with young people in Edinburgh. The workshop will be of interest to anyone planning alcohol-based programmes, peer-based approaches, or those looking for tried and tested resources that engage young people in alcohol education and harm reduction.
Mentor-ADEPIS Quality Standards (Double-Session) The ADEPIS workshops led by AEDIPS Consultant Ian Macdonald will focus on giving an introduction and full review of the ADEPIS Quality Standards, and the related Quality Marks for schools and practitioners. It will start with a presentation and then a surgery-type of session where participants will go through the ADEPIS quality mark self-assessment framework with one of our assessors.

On the day

The morning plenaries will explore drinking and drug use trends among young people in the UK, Government and Public Health priorities for preventative and early intervention work in drugs and alcohol in England and evidenced-based programmes for various settings. The morning will conclude with a Q+A session where delegates will be invited to share their questions and experiences around drugs and alcohol education to a panel of experts.

The afternoon sessions will offer delegates an opportunity to book one double workshop or 2 shorter workshops /taster sessions of their choice

Delegates will leave with resources and have access to training presentations.

Who should attend

The National Alcohol & Drugs Education Conference will be beneficial to anyone working in the field of alcohol and drugs with young people, including:

primary and secondary school teachers
Headteachers
Governors
PSHE coordinators
external education providers
community practitioners
Local Authorities
public health professionals
charities
youth offender teams
social workers
youth workers

Late registration / a note about dietary requirements:

If you register for the conference after June 8th, we cannot guarantee your dietary requirements will be met as we have to confirm with the caterers on the 8th. We will do our best to accommodate your needs on the day and we appreciate your understanding. Thank you.