Addiction and recovery awareness at work
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Start date
March 2026
Duration
One-day workshop
Learning mode
In-person
Overview
Build recovery-aware leadership capability without stigma, guesswork, or harm.
This one day workshop is designed to close that gap with a psychologically informed, stigma aware approach that protects both people and performance. Designed for managers, HR, and people professionals looking to build the confidence to recognise addiction early, respond safely, and support recovery at work without stigma or guesswork.
The workshop employs a psychologically informed approach to help organisations protect people, performance, and duty of care.
Delivery
This one-day course is delivered in person by Madeleine Mansfield, with optional hybrid delivery.
Why choose UEL?
UEL’s Royal Docks School of Business and Law and Noon Centre for Equality and Diversity in Business are recognised for advancing inclusive leadership and organisational excellence. This course supports UEL’s Vision 2028 by equipping managers to create equitable workplaces that deliver innovation, engagement, and social impact.
Who is this course for
The course is designed for professionals with people responsibilities, including:
- Line managers
- HR and people professionals
- Equality, diversity, and wellbeing leads
- Trade union representatives
- Mental health first aiders
- Senior leaders
What you'll learn
By the end of the day, you will understand:
- What addiction is, including key biopsychosocial risk and protective factors
- How early-stage substance misuse can manifest in behaviour, attendance, safety, and performance
- What recovery looks like in practice, and how work can support it
- Your responsibilities and boundaries, including confidentiality and when to raise concerns
- How addiction and recovery awareness connect to the Keep Britain Working Healthy Working Lifecycle and broader wellbeing strategy
What you will take back to your organisation (ROI)
After one day, participants will be able to:
- Use clear, non-stigmatising language and challenge common stereotypes
- Recognise early signals and distinguish supportive actions from disciplinary processes
- Apply a simple framework to ask questions, listen, document, and signpost appropriately
- Clarify escalation routes, safeguarding considerations, and documentation procedures
- Create a practical personal action plan with mapped support pathways
How the workshop is delivered
The workshop is delivered through four practical sessions:
- Setting the scene and psychological safety
- Understanding addiction and recovery
- How addiction can manifest at work
- Conversations, signposting, and action planning
Indicative schedule includes:
- psychological safety and language norms;
- trauma-informed and biopsychosocial models;
- policies, confidentiality, and reasonable adjustments;
- compassionate conversations and reflection.
Progression pathways
After completing this workshop, participants can progress to:
Compassion Practice at Work (2 days)
Develop compassionate leadership, psychological safety, and stigma-reducing practices.
Policy, Practice, and Implementation (2 days)
Build organisational frameworks, governance, training, and implementation plans.
About the facilitators
Madeleine Mansfield
Dr Madeleine Mansfield is Strategic Development Lead at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, University of East London and a counsellor within a charity and private practice. Her work sits at the intersection of employment, education, mental health and social justice. As an academic, she has led large scale initiatives on student wellbeing, enterprise and inclusive education, and has worked with employers on culture change, leadership and organisational development. As a therapist, she specialises in trauma, addictive behaviours, depression and loss. Madeleine has lived experience of addiction and is working with colleagues across the university to deliver the Recovery Ready Workplaces Professional Pathways suite to bring together evidence, insight and organisational practice, helping employers and practitioners to respond more confidently and compassionately to addiction, substance use and recovery at work.
Professional recognition
Aligned with Association for Talent Development (ATD)’s Talent Development Capability Model, the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4, 8, 9 & 17), the course supports responsible, human-centred leadership in Industry 4.0 workplaces.
Partners
International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a wellbeing workshop or a leadership workshop?
Both. It builds leadership capability and organisational confidence to respond consistently and safely, rather than focusing only on individual wellbeing.
Do I need specialist clinical knowledge?
No. The course is designed for workplace leaders and people professionals. The focus is practical, stigma-aware and psychologically informed.
Will we cover legal duties and confidentiality?
Yes. You will clarify responsibilities and boundaries, including confidentiality, legal duties, and when or how to initiate a concern.
Will we use real workplace scenarios?
Yes. Case studies and realistic scenarios are used to practise recognising and responding at work and to distinguish supportive action from disciplinary action.
Can this be delivered for an organisation as an in-house workshop?
Yes. This workshop can be adapted for organisational delivery, including sector-specific considerations (subject to scheduling and scope).
To be confirmed at booking.
What happens after the workshop?
Participants can choose to progress into two-day specialist workshops: Compassion Practice at Work or Policy, Practice and Implementation, depending on role and organisational needs.
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