Understanding the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on kinship families: Durham

Join our free workshop about drug and alcohol misuse, how it can present itself, and the impact it can have on children being cared for by kinship carers, as well as the wider kinship family. Our free workshops are a place where you’ll meet other kinship carers just like you and where you can connect and learn together.
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About the event
This workshop is for kinship carers whose families have been affected by drug and/or alcohol misuse, or who want to learn where to get support around this topic.
The workshop covers different types of alcohol and substance misuse and abuse, as well as what the impact of this behaviour can be, and how to support the child/ren you’re caring for who might be affected.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
- understand how drug and alcohol misuse directly and indirectly impacts family life and child wellbeing
- identify potential safeguarding risks of drug and alcohol users to children, and how to keep them (and other family members) safe
- consider practical strategies to employ when encountering drug and alcohol misuse and related issues like neglect, contact issues
- understand child experiences, including the impact of parental substance misuse
- find and explore further information and support
You are invited to stay after the workshop to have a free lunch and connect with the other kinship carers. Please make a note of any dietary requirements in the booking form below.
After the workshop you will receive information and the presentation slides by email, along with a feedback survey.
About the venue
Our Kinship workshop takes place at Ritson Hall, Alington House Community Association, 4 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.
For details on how to get to the venue, visit the Alington House Community Association website.
The closest car park to the venue is Prince Bishop Multi Storey (postcode: DH1 3UJ), which is a 5-minute walk from Alington House.
You can also use the Park and Ride service from car parks on the edge of the city. For more details about the Park and Ride service, visit the Durham County Council website.
Visit the First Bus website to plan your journey.
The nearest train station is Durham, which is a 15-minute walk from the venue. You can also take the Durham Cathedral Bus from the station to the cathedral, which is a 5-minute walk from the venue.
To plan your journey and buy train tickets, visit National Rail or Trainline.
For more details about the train station and its location, visit Durham Station on National Rail.
Accessibility
The venue is fully accessible with step-free access. If you have any additional accessibility needs, you will be asked about this on our booking form. Please let us know so we can make this event as comfortable as possible for you.
Who will be there?
Our events are a warm, supportive space to learn about this topic, as well as meet and connect with other kinship carers.
This event is open to up to 25 kinship carers. Unfortunately, we ask that children do not attend this event. Local authorities will not be in attendance.
What happens if you need to cancel your place?
We understand that life gets in the way sometimes, so if you need to cancel your place please do try and let us know as soon as possible.
You’ll be able to do this through:
- the email confirmation you received when you first booked
- or by filling out our training and support enquiries and complaints form
Who runs this workshop?
The workshop is run by Adfam, England’s leading families and addiction charity. They support millions of children, parents, friends, partners, siblings and grandparents, affected by someone else’s drinking, drug use or gambling addiction. They want family members affected by substance use or gambling to be heard, valued and have access to support.
The workshop facilitator will be Lauren Booker.
About Lauren Booker
Lauren has over 20 years’ experience of working with adults and young people affected by their own (or someone else’s) substance use. She has a BHSc in Addiction Studies and an MSc in Health and Wellbeing. An experienced counsellor, coach and addictions therapist, she is also a passionate advocate for families affected by addiction, working to reduce stigma and improve access to treatment and support. Lauren delivers training and consultancy services throughout the UK on a wide range of related topics. She is the author of Try Dry, The Official Guide to a Month off Booze – the book that accompanies Dry January.

Book your place
When you book your free place, we’ll ask you about your experience as a carer, your gender, age, ethnicity and other demographic information. This helps us make sure that the services and experiences we offer are as inclusive as possible and that our advice is relevant to your locality.
We will also ask about your accessibility needs. This is to ensure that you have a comfortable experience on the day.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or concerns about this or any other event, our team can help. Just fill in our training and support enquiries and complaints form and someone will get back to you.
Did you know we run workshops and events for kinship carers all over England? Browse our upcoming workshops and events now.
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