Addiction Professionals and Adfam have a jointly developed competence-based certification for practitioners supporting families affected by alcohol and other drugs. Adfam brings years of experience of working with families and Addiction Professionals bring their expertise as the professional body and membership organisation for the sector.

Addiction Professionals/Adfam Drug and Alcohol Family Worker Professional Certification is specifically designed for practitioners working with families affected by alcohol and other drugs use, and outlines a unique role profile. It provides practitioners with a number of benefits:

• A professional competency-based certification mapped to National Occupational Standards (NOS).
• A role profile and commitment to the Addiction Professionals Standards of Conduct and Ethics.  

Registration 

To acquire registration:

• practitioners' employers assess their competence in each of the NOS units outlined in the role profile. Practitioners will be required to develop a portfolio of proof of competence which may be asked for as part of random sampling and which will allow them to demonstrate continued professional development in order to become re-accredited at the end of the 3 years.
• Practitioners will be asked to write a 1000 word reflective piece, addressing what is important in work with adult family members affected by a loved one’s substance use, or working with the children of people who use alcohol and other drugs. You should cover areas such as attitude and approach; adapting your skills or knowledge from other fields to this area of work, and what models you use in your work with family members. You should make clear how you have adapted your approach to the family member as the primary beneficiary, and how you may have changed or learned from experience. Please also give us a sense of the kind of topics that you would typically cover with family members and what needs you find yourself supporting them with. THE REFLECTIVE PIECE WILL BE ASSESSED BY ADFAM. 

Role profile

	NOS Unit	Nos code
1	Promote effective communication and information sharing	SCDCPC311
2	Promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the workplace	SFHSS03
3	Either Reflect on, develop and maintain your practice (young people)	SCDLDSS6
	Or Reflect on, develop and maintain your practice	SCDHSC0033
4	Develop practices which promote choice, well-being and protection of all individuals	ASTH416
5	Contribute to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults	CCSCCS17
6	Either Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users	SFHAB5
	Or Work with children and young people with additional requirements to meet their personal support needs	SCDHSC0315
7	Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects	SFHAD1
8	Work with families, carers and individuals during times of relapse or crisis	SFHMH13
9	Assess the needs of carers and families	SCDHSC0427

How to apply

1 Make sure that you have Practitioner Membership or Advanced Practitioner Membership. This can be as an individual, or as an associate member of an organisation affiliated to Addiction Professionals.

2 Fill out the application form.

4 Make sure you provide a Workplace Assessment Report.

5 Make sure you have included a Senior Manager Approval Form with your Workplace assessment report.

6 Make a payment

Checklist

Individual or associate AP Member?
Application form completed?
Workplace Assessment Reports completed?
Senior Manager Approval Form completed?
Payment made?

When making applications please ensure the following steps have been taken. We will respond to applications within 10 working days.

Recertification

Certification is valid for three years. To be eligible for re-certification, a practitioner must provide up-to-date evidence of their on-going competence in the units concerned.

Costs

£75 Certification for 3 years.

SPECIAL OFFER  1 year's free Addiction Professionals membership for those who apply for the Drug and Alcohol Family Worker Professional Certificate. NB applications must submit their application for the certificate within 3 months of joining. 

Apply