Drug and Alcohol Practitioner

About the Role
Working within an integrated healthcare framework, you will provide person-centred support to individuals aged 18 and over who are experiencing drug and alcohol misuse issues within a custodial setting.

The service delivers a range of psychosocial drug and alcohol interventions and accredited treatment programmes for individuals entering prison who have been identified as experiencing substance misuse issues. Our approach combines harm reduction and abstinence-based treatment, tailored to the individual needs, circumstances and recovery goals of each person.

As a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Practitioner, you will manage a caseload of service users, undertaking assessments, developing and reviewing SMART care plans, providing harm reduction advice and guidance, and delivering structured one-to-one and group interventions. You will also facilitate therapeutic groups and structured treatment programmes, where appropriate to the service you are working within.

A key part of the role will be supporting individuals to develop the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to address their substance misuse, build resilience and make positive changes. You will promote recovery through evidence-based interventions, practical counselling skills and an understanding of the 12-step approach to addiction recovery.

Working collaboratively with partner agencies is essential to ensuring individuals receive coordinated support throughout their time in custody and as they prepare for release. You will develop effective working relationships with transitional services, housing, employment, gym services, healthcare, probation and external Drug Intervention Teams to promote continuity of care and successful resettlement.

You will contribute towards service delivery objectives and performance targets set by Forward and local commissioners, with a particular focus on achieving positive outcomes for service users. This will require effective partnership working, accurate recording and a commitment to monitoring and evidencing progress.

To complement the clinical provision within the service, you may also be required to undertake second signatory responsibilities and oral swab testing.

Flexibility is essential, as the role may involve occasional evening and weekend working. With reasonable notice, you may also be required to travel to other projects within your service cluster to support service delivery and ensure continuity of care.

About You
We are looking for a compassionate, motivated and recovery-focused practitioner who is passionate about supporting individuals affected by drug and alcohol misuse to achieve positive and sustainable change.

You will have experience working within substance misuse services and possess a recognised counselling qualification, alongside a sound understanding of counselling theory and practical counselling approaches.

You will be confident in engaging individuals with complex needs, building positive therapeutic relationships and delivering structured interventions that support people to understand and address the challenges associated with their substance misuse.

You will have a good understanding of the criminal justice environment and the issues faced by individuals involved in the justice system. You will also demonstrate a strong knowledge of the 12-step recovery process and the role of 12-step fellowship meetings in supporting long-term recovery.

Essential Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice sector and the issues faced by individuals experiencing substance misuse.
• Knowledge and understanding of 12-step fellowship meetings and their role in supporting recovery.
• A sound understanding of counselling theory and its practical application.
• The ability to guide and support individuals in developing the skills and strategies needed to manage their problems and overcome barriers to recovery.
• A thorough knowledge of, and commitment to, the 12-step process of recovery from addiction.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience working within substance misuse services.
• Experience undertaking assessments and developing, implementing and reviewing SMART care plans.
• Experience delivering structured psychosocial interventions to service users.
• Experience facilitating therapeutic groups and supporting group-based recovery work.
• Experience applying practical counselling skills to support individuals with drug and alcohol-related issues.
• The ability to build effective working relationships with service users and partner agencies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage individuals in a supportive, empathetic and non-judgemental manner.
• The ability to work independently, manage a caseload and contribute effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Essential Qualifications

• A recognised counselling qualification.

Above all, you will share our commitment to helping individuals overcome the challenges associated with substance misuse, develop meaningful recovery goals and build the skills and confidence needed to sustain positive change both in custody and following release.

About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Flexible working
• Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [email protected]
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years' service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

Diversity at Forward Trust
The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with 'Lived Experience' of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forward's commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the 'Eligibility to Work in the UK' requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

Advertising End Date: 07 Dec 2026. Internal Advertising End Date: 07 Dec 2026. Directorate: Community. Department: Community Drug and Alcohol Services.