Snapshot of the Sector: Support for families affected by substance use
Earlier this year Adfam published results from the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken into the support provided to the families and carers of people with drug or alcohol problems.
Local authorities are required to help residents who are harmed by substance misuse and receive funding from central government to ...
What does ‘good’ look like in support for families affected by substance use?
In 2025, Adfam conducted a short survey to understand, from both those who use and deliver family support services, what, in their opinion, makes the best possible family support. We know that properly funded family support can improve outcomes for those affected by a loved one’s substance use, including . This ...
Kinship has today launched its 2025 annual survey. The survey is open to all kinship carers who are raising the child of a relative or friend when their parents are unable to.
As the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales, Kinship has undertaken an annual survey of kinship carers each year since 2016. These surveys are the largest of their kind and offer ...
This week (7-13 July 2025) is #AlcoholAwarenessWeek a campaign by Alcohol Change UK to raise awareness of alcohol harm, and this year the focus is all about 'alcohol and work'.
Whether it's long hours, stress, blurred lines between work and home, or peer pressure to drink alcohol at workplace socials, there are many ways work and alcohol are linked.
This #AlcoholAwarenessWeek, ...
Adfam’s East Sussex family support service is entering a new chapter. From Tuesday 1st July 2025 our service will be delivered remotely, offering online support to families affected by substance use living across East Sussex.
This change has been made in collaboration with the East Sussex commissioning team, through the support of a Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Recovery and Improvement ...
Adfam Online Training 2025
Adfam's range of CPD accredited training courses provide professionals and practitioners with the skills they need to better support families affected by substance use.
Our training is delivered online, via Zoom and we have a number of new training dates scheduled, running right up until the end of 2025. Find our latest dates and courses ...
Congratulations to Omar, Adfam's Director of Finance, who completed the 54-mile London-Brighton bike ride on Sunday 15th June, raising £1300 for Adfam in the process!
An amazing effort from Omar, and there's still time to show your support and donate via Omar’s Justgiving page. Every contribution, big or small, will make a meaningful difference to families who need it most.
Take ...
Liverpool John Moores University School of Psychology is leading on a study which explores experiences of discrimination faced by different groups of people, including those affected by substance use.
They are looking for individuals who care for somebody with an alcohol / substance use problem to take part in a short survey (between 5 - 10 minutes). The survey will ask about your every ...
The Centre for Justice Innovation has published an important new research report, “To be listened to… And actually heard” - Women's perspectives on effective substance use treatment and support. This research, funded by the JABBS Foundation for Women and Girls, explores what a better system of substance use treatment would look like from the perspective of women in treatment.
For ...
University of Edinburgh is leading on a new study: Exploring the effects of attachment and care experience on intergenerational substance use, and are looking for people with experience of their own or a parent’s substance use, and participants with care experience.
There is a chance to win a £50 voucher for completing the 20-30 minute survey.
Find out more and take part in the survey here
We’re excited to share that Adfam's Director of Finance, Omar Amin, is taking on the challenge of the London to Brighton bike ride on Sunday 15th June to raise money for Adfam! Omar will be braving the 54-mile cycle to help support families affected by substance use, a truly inspiring effort!
Donate via JustGiving
You can show your support by making a donation of any amount via Omar's ...
Adfam is delighted to be working with the charity Kinship, to provide a number of free in-person and online workshops for kinship carers, on understanding the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on kinship families.
Kinship carers are family or friends who step up, often during an unexpected crisis, to care for a child when their parents aren’t able to. Many children are in kinship care as ...
Adfam is thrilled to announce its new service for families affected by substance use living in Coventry, delivered in partnership with Change, Grow, Live. The service, officially launched today, provides remote 1:1 support for people living in Coventry that are affected by a loved one's substance use.
This new service service helps people to find ways of coping with their loved one's ...
Start counting.
The Government spends many millions tackling drug and alcohol abuse but when it comes to families, sadly they don’t seem to count.
We estimate that five million family members and friends are affected by someone else’s substance use. Their support is crucial to their loved one’s recovery, providing emotional, financial, and psychological aid, while potentially alleviating ...
Adfam is proud to promote Beloved, a new exhibition by artist Antonia Rolls, after her two incredible previous works, 'Addicts and those who love them' and 'A graceful death'.
Antonia sadly lost both of her sons to suicide following many years of addiction. Beloved seeks to provide solace for those who have experienced these tragic losses, while telling the stories of those ...
In 2024, Adfam marked its 40th anniversary, and throughout the year we published a series of 10 articles featuring key individuals who have been instrumental in supporting families through substance misuse. We recently released the final edition of ‘Adfam at 40’, bringing the reflective series to a close.
The first article features Chief Executive Vivienne Evans OBE, who has led the ...
What does 'good look like'?
For the past 40 years Adfam has been advocating for and supporting people that are negatively affected by a family member or loved one's substance use.
Over that time we’ve learnt that no two families are the same and that no one approach suits everyone.
However, we've also found that there are guiding principles that many families value, along with ways ...
To mark our 40th anniversary, Adfam has published a report that reviews the progress made in public policy and research relating to families, drugs and alcohol over the past forty years.
The report documents key changes in national policy over that period and underscores some of the key research conducted by Adfam and others, improving recognition and understanding of the challenges, ...
John Taylor’s new book ‘Dear… A book of letters from the forgotten families of addiction’ is a heartfelt collection of letters written by family members, expressing their experiences and emotions of the turmoil caused by a loved one’s addiction.
“I remember you stealing from my piggy bank when I was small. It made me feel just kinda rubbish. I remember when you came home and passed out in ...
Adfam is pleased to publish a literature review which explores the stigma experienced by children affected by parental substance use.
Children of parents with alcohol or drug addiction often face severe stigma, leading to feelings of shame and isolation. Societal perceptions can make these children feel different or “abnormal”. This stigma leads to alienation, both at school and within ...