Guidance

New psychoactive substances toolkit: prison staff

Toolkit to support staff to deal with new psychoactive substances (NPS) use, often called ‘legal highs, in prison and secure settings.

Documents

New psychoactive substances or ‘legal highs’: toolkit for prison staff

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Thematic analysis of training for prison staff on new psychoactive substances

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Details

This toolkit supports custody and healthcare staff in prisons to manage the challenge of NPS use in secure environments. This includes young offender institutions and immigration removal centres.

This resource can also be useful for community settings.

The toolkit has information on:

  • the extent of NPS use in prisons
  • the impact of NPS use in secure settings
  • how to manage the problem from a clinical, psychosocial and regime perspective

The analysis document shows the main insights and learning that came out of a national training programme that was set up to support the NPS toolkit. The training programme brought together a wide range of prison-based staff and local substance treatment staff to tackle NPS use in prisons and secure environments.

The analysis shows:

  • prison staff’s first-hand experience, knowledge and understanding of the impact of NPS within secure environments
  • the emerging trends in NPS use and development of good practice
  • the practical realities of using and carrying out the learning given day-to-day challenge

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2017

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