Drug and Alcohol Support Worker - Multi Disciplinary Team

Essex County Council; Basildon; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council is seeking a Drug and Alcohol Support Worker to join their new Multi-Disciplinary Team in Basildon. The role involves engaging high-risk families, conducting assessments, and providing specialist support to improve outcomes for children. This fixed-term position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to work alongside dedicated professionals in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Strong experience of working within substance misuse services.
• Experience of working with high-risk families.
• Demonstrable experience of being a catalyst for change.

Responsibilities

• Engage high risk families with substance/alcohol misuse problems.
• Carry out risk assessments and develop recovery plans.
• Work within the Multi Agency Team for comprehensive assessments.

Skills

Motivational interviewing

Cognitive behavioural techniques

Engagement strategies

Education

Relevant Qualifications relating to substance misuse

Job description

Drug and Alcohol Support Worker - Multi Disciplinary Team

Fixed Term, Full Time

£31,931 to £36,423 per annum

Location: Basildon

Closing Date: Monday 9th June 2025 at 11.59pm

Please note that this position is being offered as a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment until end of February 2026, with a possibility of extension.

Interviews will take place on 18th June 2025.

Come and join our new Multi-Disciplinary Team in Basildon, Essex!

Are you ready for the challenge of being at the forefront of innovative practice?

This is an exciting time for children's Social Work in Essex. We are seeking an experienced, motivated and passionate individual to join our team. Being led by the Team Manager, you will be working to create the conditions for success within a new and dynamic multi-disciplinary team; a team providing specialist support to families. The MDT team will be based within frontline social work teams and provide bespoke specialist intervention within the community or in the families' homes.

We want you to be a part of our vision and making this a reality. If you have the drive, creativity and enthusiasm to enhance and improve the lives of Children and Families, we want to hear from you.

If you join our team, we will support you to develop an understanding of a systemic theoretical framework and embrace the excellent models of practice which underpin our interventions. You will have the opportunity to work alongside dedicated Subject Matter Experts to help those most in need.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, but we are also delighted to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years.

If you think you have what it takes, we would love to hear from you.

Role Description

Working alongside Social Workers, promote family members involvement to improve outcomes for children.

Engage high risk families who have substance/alcohol misuse problems and provide them with advice about, screening and clinical interventions to address their substance/alcohol misuse.

Carry out risk assessments, risk management plans and comprehensive assessments, and to contribute to the development of individual recovery plans with those who express a wish to access community treatment/support services. Work within the Multi Agency Team in order to complete an assessment with an impact and outcome analysis.

Utilise interventions such as, motivational interviewing, ITEP, cognitive behavioural techniques and brief interventions in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services, encourage self-esteem, well-being, self-responsibility, enhanced motivation and therefore improve their parenting capacity.

Review ongoing care and treatment, liaising closely with partner agencies and provide support in engaging with the right services at the right time.

Accountabilities

• Work and liaise with other agencies involved with the client's broader care plan including health services, hospitals and GP's.
• In fulfilling these aims the post holder will use recognised, up to date evidenced based interventions and will have specific responsibility for the development, delivery and coordination of a recovery focussed model.
• The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that parents / carers and their children consistently receive high quality services that adhere to best practice guidelines and achieve high professional standards.
• The post holder will be responsible for contributing to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved and will be required to record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative and financial requirements.
• The post holder will be required to work flexibly across the operational site as required and within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision.
• The post holder will be expected to take responsibility for personal development, identifying personal training needs and participate in regular supervision and appraisal.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• Strong experience of working within substance misuse services.
• Experience of working with high-risk families where children are subject to Child Protection or Child in Need Plans.
• Working effectively to support adults with a history of substance misuse with demonstrable outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of being a catalyst for change in families' lives.
• Relevant Qualifications relating to substance misuse.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of local services and issues.
• Motivational interviewing techniques.
• Training in ITEP/BTEI or other structured psychosocial interventions.