Health and social care

Volunteering and training with Health Trainers

Alcohol and smoking brief advice training

See details of the practitioner training that Health Trainers offer around giving advice and support.


Identification Brief Advice - alcohol brief advice training

Identification Brief Advice (IBA) is training aimed at line managers and staff working directly with members of the public.

Reasons to attend this training

  • York has higher than the national and regional average alcohol-specific hospital admissions rates
  • alcohol is the UK's third biggest killer after obesity and smoking
  • alcohol increases the risk of developing over 200 different conditions
  • it's estimated that there are just under 2,500 people in York with severe alcohol use disorder

How we can change this narrative

Through attending Brief Conversations About Alcohol and having short but powerful conversations, we could prevent or reduce alcohol related illnesses and preventable death. These conversations have been shown to be effective in helping people to think about their alcohol consumption and gain the necessary support.

What we will cover

  • the harm caused through alcohol consumption
  • recommended guidelines for low level alcohol consumption
  • understanding units of alcohol and what this means
  • brief motivational interviewing skills to support behaviour change
  • information about the local services in York offering various levels of support and where to refer for clinical assessments and intervention

For more information or to book onto a course contact us on email: healthandwellbeingtraining@york.gov.uk.

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Very Brief Advice - stop smoking brief advice training

Very Brief Advice (VBA) is a training aimed at line managers and staff working directly with members of the public.

Course outline

Smoking is the primary cause of preventable illness and premature death. There is 1 hospital admission every minute from a smoking related disease.

This training offers an introduction to the skills and information needed to have initial brief conversations about stopping smoking and signpost to stop smoking support in York. Applying Very Brief Advice (VBA) has been shown to be effective in helping people attempt to stop smoking. Be part of helping York become a smoke free city!

What we will cover

  • why quitting smoking is so important
  • skills to deliver VBA to support behaviour change
  • increase confidence and motivation to have VBA conversations
  • information about the stop smoking support available in York, including e-cigarettes and how to signpost to/access this support

For more information or to book onto a course contact us on email: healthandwellbeingtraining@york.gov.uk.

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Also see

Health Trainers

West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

Telephone: 01904 553377