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DEF key principle:
External contributors should not be used as substitute
teachers, nor should they constitute the entirety of a
drug education programme. When working directly with young
people they should add a dimension to the drug education
programme that the teacher/youth worker etc alone cannot
deliver.
An external contributor who has not had a Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) check should not be left in sole charge of a
children and young person. In all instances, whether or not
the external contributor is CRB-checked, it is strongly
recommended that a teacher/youth worker is present
during each lesson, so that they can maintain responsibility
for group discipline and devise follow-up work to reinforce
young peoples learning.
In order to do this the visitor needs to understand the context
for their contribution and to have been trained in delivering
their message to young people. Note: all the people on the
DEF register have received this training
Roles and Responsibilities
Drug education should be delivered in partnership
with the host organisation and the visitor being clear about
their roles, responsibilities and what is going to be achieved.
This same principle should apply to other health related
topics e.g. sex education, diversionary activities and lifeskills.
In order to support host organisations and visitors in delivery
of drug education the DEF has produced three ‘Drug
Education Request’ forms.
They are:
- Drug
Education within Youth Settings
- Drug
Education with Parents and Professionals
- Events
The forms will help to identify each organisation’s
roles and responsibilities and provide a stronger emphasis
on the importance of good planning. These forms reflect the
following guidelines which will assist both parties to clarify
their roles and responsibilities.
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When involving external contributors, host organisations
should ensure that:
• They are clear about the desired learning outcomes before
deciding who is best able to help achieve them.
• The external contribution is integrated into the organisation
education programme, rather than being an isolated event.
• The external contributors are competent educators and facilitators
and do not provide input outside their area of expertise
• Where possible, pupils are involved in the preparatory
and follow-up work, e.g. writing invitation and thank you
letters
• The content of lessons is negotiated to ensure that it
meets the needs of young people and is consistent with the
overall aims of the education programme
• The contribution is grounded in a child-centred approach
to learning, which may involve assessing educational needs
and take into account existing knowledge, beliefs, experiences,
understanding, religion and cultural backgrounds.
• All external contributors are fully aware of the host organisation
values and approach to health education, the drug and other
relevant policies, including those covering confidentiality,
disclosure and child protection, to ensure that their approach
is consistent with that of the host organisation.
• All external contributors are aware of their roles, responsibilities
and boundaries.
• The value of the external contribution is assessed through
feedback and evaluation from the young people and host organisation.
This information should be shared and used to inform future
work.
NOTE: Involving ex-users in drug education
should be considered very carefully. Without sensitive handling
they may arouse interest or glamorise drug use or describe
experiences, which young people may find it hard to relate
to. In some instances they may unwittingly imply that their
own drug use represents a ‘safe limit’ that can
be copied. If they are to be involved, this should
be because they are skilled in facilitating learning and not
simply by virtue of their status as a former user.
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