The Family Workbook is a gentle, supportive, and easy-to-use resource for families where a parent or carer is affected by drug or alcohol use. It is designed to help children and their parents or carers talk honestly, build understanding, and make plans to feel safer and more supported.
Through simple explanations, creative activities, and emotional check-ins, the workbook helps families recognise feelings, learn about addiction in child-friendly language, and make practical plans for safety and care.
What’s Inside This Drug and Alcohol Support Workbook for Families?
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Understanding addiction – Explains in simple terms what drugs and alcohol are, why some adults use them, and how this affects behaviour.
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Honest conversations – Encourages open discussion between children and parents about things they enjoy and things that worry them.
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Normalising feelings – Includes pages for children to express emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, or loneliness, and reassures them these feelings are normal.
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It’s not your fault – Clearly tells children that a parent’s addiction is never their fault and that they are not responsible for the problem or the solution.
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Making safety plans – Helps families create plans together for food, warmth, communication, and emergencies.
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Trusted adults – Children are supported to build a ‘helping hand’ of five trusted adults they can turn to when feeling unsafe or worried.
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Emergency awareness – Provides space to practice what to say in an emergency and understand how to use a phone to call 999.
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Celebrating progress – A certificate and celebration ideas are included for when families complete the workbook together.
How Can the Resource Be Used Practically?
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At home with children and parents – Families can work through a few pages at a time, using the activities to support honest conversations and bonding.
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By social workers and family support workers – A valuable tool to use during visits or sessions with families affected by parental substance use.
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In schools or pupil support services – Can be introduced by pastoral staff or safeguarding leads working with children who show signs of worry or distress at home.
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In therapy or group settings – Ideal for family-focused therapeutic work, especially when exploring trauma, addiction, or disrupted attachment.
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To build resilience – Helps children gain confidence in expressing their needs, building safety plans, and identifying people who care.
This family-focused addiction workbook is an important tool for breaking the silence around drug and alcohol problems, helping children feel heard, and supporting adults to rebuild trust and routines.
