Connections Coach - HMP Millsike

Forward Trust; Hull and East Yorkshire; Remote; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and development opportunities

Cycle to work scheme

Pension scheme

Job summary

Forward Trust is seeking a passionate Connections Coach to deliver a relationship-led service in a rural prison setting, supporting visits, family work, and wellbeing to help people rebuild connections and move towards lasting desistance.

This role involves managing a varied caseload of Prisoner Service Users, delivering 1:1 coaching and group work, and contributing to the ISFL recovery model and wellbeing interventions.

Qualifications

• Experience working with vulnerable people in a coaching, support, or key working role.
• Strong relationship-building, motivational, and communication skills.
• Confidence managing caseloads, assessments, and structured plans.
• Ability to work collaboratively across health, substance misuse, and prison teams.
• Commitment to recovery, desistance, and person-centred support.
• Flexibility to work in a rural, secure setting (driving essential).

Responsibilities

• Deliver the core Connections offer: visits, family work, and desistance & wellbeing support.
• Manage a varied caseload of Prisoner Service Users (PSUs) through 1:1 coaching and group work.
• Support delivery of the ISFL model and recovery wing approach.
• Contribute to a whole-prison recovery culture and multidisciplinary reviews.
• Develop tailored recovery and desistance plans that build motivation and sustain change.
• Chair community meetings and contribute to reviews as needed.

Skills

Vulnerable people experience

Relationship building

Caseload management

Cross-agency collaboration

Recovery & desistance

Driving essential

Job description

We’re looking for a passionate Connections Coach to join Forward Trust (Full Time, 35 Hours) at HMP Millsike, a rural prison location where access is limited and a full driving licence with use of a car is essential. You’ll deliver a relationship-led service that helps people rebuild connections, strengthen wellbeing, and move towards lasting desistance.

This role sits at the heart of our Connections Service, covering Visits, Family & Relationship support, and Desistance & Wellbeing interventions. You’ll play a key part in building a strong recovery ecosystem across the prison, working in partnership with health, substance misuse, and prison colleagues to deliver truly integrated support.

What you’ll be doing

• Delivering the core Connections offer: visits, family work, and desistance & wellbeing support
• Managing a varied caseload of Prisoner Service Users (PSUs) through 1:1 coaching and group work
• Supporting delivery of the Incentivised Substance Free Living (ISFL) model and recovery wing approach
• Contributing to a whole-prison recovery culture, including designated recovery/ISFL areas
• Chairing community meetings and contributing to multidisciplinary reviews where required
• Developing tailored recovery and desistance plans that build motivation and sustain change

The approach you’ll support

You’ll help deliver the Supporting & Sustaining Recovery (SSR) model, supporting people through:

• Stabilisation and preparation
• Structured recovery development
• Long-term sustainment through ISFL, peer support, employment pathways, and wellbeing interventions

You’ll also work with innovative recovery resources including:

• Forward Connect – a national recovery community of 1,000+ members
• Group programmes, resilience workshops, and 1:1 interventions
• Lived experience materials, campaigns, and recovery-focused content

What we’re looking for

• Experience working with vulnerable people in a coaching, support, or key working role
• Strong relationship-building, motivational, and communication skills
• Confidence managing caseloads, assessments, and structured plans
• Ability to work collaboratively across health, substance misuse, and prison teams
• Commitment to recovery, desistance, and person-centred support
• Flexibility to work in a rural, secure setting (driving essential)

This is a chance to help shape a whole-prison recovery culture, where people are supported not just to change, but to sustain that change long after release.

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

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 -

• Training and development opportunities
• BHSF 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)

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‑based 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.

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 at interview.

We are 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.