Drug and alcohol awareness session delivered at Birmingham Business Park

 SIAS, Solihull Integrated Addiction Services, has delivered a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session on drug and alcohol awareness to companies at Birmingham Business Park, as part of its ongoing programme to work closely with businesses across the borough.

Around 17 million working days are lost due to alcohol-related illness each year, resulting in an economic loss of £7 billion while drug misuse is estimated to cost UK businesses £1.4 billion annually, so it has become a significant issue to tackle for both employers and employees.

SIAS has developed a ‘Stay Safe, Stay Smart’ wellbeing support package for Solihull businesses to help promote responsible choices for alcohol and drugs.

Its experienced team can help employers to identify the signs that an employee or colleague could be struggling, to understand the issues involved and how to support them. Ultimately, the aim is to support employees so that they stay well and enjoy their job while also helping businesses protect productivity.

Delivered by Mark Pemberton, service manager-engagement at SIAS, the session at Birmingham Business Park was informative and engaging and covered:
- How to spot the signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol misuse
- The impact on individuals, families, and workplaces
- How to approach conversations with someone who may be struggling
- Support services and resources available through SIAS

It was followed by a Q&A session and open discussion.

Lori McDonagh of Birmingham Business Park commented: “We recognise that this is an important topic to address, and the session was aimed at employers, employees, colleagues and friends, in fact all those who wanted to find out more. Our experienced facilitators from SIAS provided practical insights and guidance in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

Mark Pemberton of SIAS added: “We were delighted to be invited to deliver this session at Birmingham Business Park and would welcome enquiries from any organisation who would like to extend their HR toolkit with our wellbeing programme. Raising awareness with open and honest communication and early intervention makes an enormous difference, with the main objective being a healthy and productive workforce.”

Further information is available on the website or call 0121 301 4141.

Pictured (L-R): Helen Forman, IPS Employment Service and Mark Pemberton from SIAS at the Lunch and Learn session