Criminal Justice Engagement Worker

NHS; Cannock; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization in Cannock is seeking a dynamic Criminal Justice Engagement Worker. The role involves engaging with individuals within the criminal justice system to provide evidence-based interventions for substance misuse recovery. Ideal candidates will possess strong counselling skills, an understanding of the recovery agenda, and the ability to collaborate with various agencies. This is an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals in the community.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

Comprehensive wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Experience engaging individuals within the criminal justice system.
• Understanding of the recovery agenda and harm reduction approaches.
• Ability to carry out physical health checks.

Responsibilities

• Engage service users in treatment and support their recovery journey.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams for positive outcomes.
• Facilitate harm reduction initiatives.

Skills

Understanding of substance misuse effects

Counselling skills

Ability to work under pressure

Knowledge of recovery-based interventions

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic and motivated Criminal Justice Engagement Worker to join our team, working with individuals within the criminal justice system to deliver high-quality, evidence-based interventions. This is an exciting opportunity to make a tangible difference by addressing substance misuse and supporting individuals on their journey to recovery.

In this role, you will engage with service users across Custody Suites, Prisons, and Probation services, facilitating harm reduction initiatives, promoting visible recovery, and collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team to achieve positive outcomes. Your work will focus on reducing drug and alcohol-related harm, building recovery capital, and ensuring continuity of care through scheduled appointments and partnership working.

This position is ideal for someone passionate about making a difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals while contributing to a safer and healthier community.

Main duties of the job

• To work with service users in attendance and manage day today issues which arise upon release from custody or prisons etc
• To signpost to local services and empower service users to build their community networks and recovery capital.
• To promote visible and contagious recovery to service users within the criminal justice systems.
• To work collaboratively with all service users/partner agencies/stakeholders to identify the barriers that prevent people from all communities accessing a full range of services, including substance misuse mental health wellbeing and primary mental health services.
• To create and maintain a local Recovery Assets Register suitable for service users within the criminal justice systems
• Ensure all clients have scheduled appointments according to their needs and discern when issues are/are not an emergency which requires immediate action.
• Empower service users to develop their networks and recovery capital.

About us

Inclusion, created in 2002 is part of the Specialist Services Care Group of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). We provide caring and effective services across England, including, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, West Mercia, Thames Valley, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Thurrock, Essex. We support individuals, families and communities who are affected by addiction, crime, mental health or need treatment for their sexual health.

We believe that the individuals and families who use our services should receive high quality, committed and inclusive care, realising all the benefits a modern NHS organisation can provide. We work with patients and our staff teams to achieve the best outcomes we can. We invest heavily in training and development, and the wellbeing of our people, both staff and service users is central to who we are.

Here at MPFT, we are proud of the comprehensive wellbeing and lifestyle support offer available, in addition to in-house training and coaching support. Our services are robustly governed, evidence-based, inclusive, and designed and provided in conjunction with service users. We are committed to providing the best service we can, and if you share our values, we want you on our team!

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for the full list of duties and responsibilities. Here is a summary:

• Engage service users into treatment and through their Recovery Journey
• Complete screening and asset based mapping to identify appropriate recovery focused interventions.
• Complete recovery plans with service users that are SMART goal focussed.
• Identify and effectively manage risk with service users
• To develop and sustain links with multi-disciplinary services including statutory and non-statutory providers of Tier 2,3,4 drug services, criminal justice services and providers of wrap around services.
• To keep up to date records and information for the purpose of internal and external evaluation.
• To provide information and statistics consistent with Inclusions requirements.
• To prepare and present reports when required to do so.
• To participate in regular supervision.
• To take part in annual appraisal and review based on the NHS knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF)
• To attend relevant internal and external meetings.

Person Specification

Experience

• Understanding and awareness of the effects of substance misuse on an individual and the community
• A commitment to and understanding of the recovery agenda
• A commitment to recovery based interventions and harm reduction approaches to working with drug users.
• Counselling skills, case management experience & the ability to work under pressure
• A sound experience of working with techniques such as CBT, Motivational interviewing and Solution focused therapy

Skills and Knowledge

• A thorough knowledge of substances and their effects
• Ability to work with drug/alcohol users in a community environment
• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure
• Demonstrate an understanding of a patients physical health needs and be able to carry out blood pressure checks, infections control checks and ensure the service is in line with COSHH
• The ability to work flexibly across the county to meet the needs to the service

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to work within the framework of the recovery agenda
• Reliable and punctual

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.