Understanding Ketamine and Cocaine: Prevention, Awareness and Early Intervention

🏷️ From £90
🎧 All those involved in safeguarding
📍 Online
🎥 Watch live or on catch up
✅ Included in BSA CPD Pass

Course Outline

This ketamine and cocaine awareness training course is designed for school staff, teachers, and safeguarding professionals to increase understanding of the risks these substances pose to young people. The session explores what ketamine and cocaine are, how they appear, and the ways they are distributed and used among youth populations. It examines the legal implications, the short- and long-term physical and psychological effects, and the growing influence of social and peer culture on drug experimentation. Participants will also gain awareness of the dangers associated with contaminated (bulked or cut) drugs, harm reduction strategies, and appropriate safeguarding responses when drug use or possession is suspected in an educational environment. The course promotes a proactive, informed approach to protecting and supporting children and young people at risk.

Training Topics:

• Understanding Ketamine and Cocaine: composition, classification, and key facts
• What they look like and how they are distributed at street and community level
• The Law: criminal implications for possession, supply, and use — including young people under 18
• How these drugs are used and their short- and long-term physical and psychological effects
• Current youth culture: trends, availability, peer pressure, and online influence
• The dangers of bulking and cutting agents used by dealers to increase profit
• Recognising the signs and symptoms of possible substance misuse in children and young people
• Safeguarding responsibilities: responding to disclosures or suspected use in schools
• Harm reduction and early intervention: how to talk to young people safely and effectively
• Support services and resources for young people, families, and professionals

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what Ketamine and Cocaine are, how they are used, and the associated health risks
• Identify the legal implications for both adults and young people involved with these substances
• Recognise the signs and indicators of substance use or exposure among students
• Gain insight into the influence of current youth culture and social factors contributing to experimentation
• Understand the risks associated with adulterated (bulked or cut) substances
• Apply appropriate safeguarding protocols when drug use is suspected in an educational setting
• Use effective communication and harm reduction approaches to support young people safely
• Access and share reliable resources, professional guidance, and support networks for prevention and intervention

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Speaker:

Asha Fowells, Head of Education and Engagement at the DSM Foundation

Asha Fowells is Head of Education and Engagement at the DSM Foundation, a drug education charity. This role reflects her background as a pharmacist – she qualified in 1998 – and journalist and drugs educator.  Asha is involved in the whole breadth of delivery, from students to parents, school staff and other professionals working with young people, as well as training and mentoring drugs educators. She also does a lot of work behind the scenes at the Foundation, including dealing with press enquiries, writing resources, and managing the charity’s communication channels. Asha is passionate about the aims of the DSM Foundation, which is to help young people make safer choices about drugs – everyone should be able to get home safely.