Essex RECONNECT Trainee

The Forward Trust; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a compassionate team dedicated to empowering individuals transitioning from prison back into the community. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of vulnerable adults, providing essential support and guidance as they navigate their reintegration. As a trainee, you will gain valuable experience through a structured apprenticeship while working closely with a dedicated team to deliver high-quality care. Enjoy flexible working arrangements and a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing and professional growth. If you are passionate about making a difference, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Simply Health Cashback Scheme

Season Ticket Loan Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Crisis Loan Scheme

Electric Car Scheme

3 x Wellbeing Days

25 days Annual Leave

Contributory Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience supporting vulnerable adults through volunteering or previous employment.
• Strong IT and admin skills for project management.

Responsibilities

• Support service users in accessing health and wellbeing services post-release.
• Conduct needs assessments and maintain contact for up to 6 months.

Skills

Experience of supporting vulnerable adults

Strong IT skills

Admin Skills

Ability to work as part of a team

Ability to receive feedback

Commitment to personal development

Professional boundaries

Education

Level 2 apprenticeship

Job description

Job Description

Essex RECONNECT Trainee

Location: Essex

Salary: £22,383 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

We are recruiting for a Reconnect Trainee in Essex

We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward and live fulfilling lives .

RECONNECT is a care after custody service that seeks to improve the continuity of care of people leaving prison or an immigration removal centre (IRC) with an identified health need. We operate a hybrid model of support where we work with individuals up to 12-weeks before their release and up to six months post-release in order to support the transition to community-based services, thereby safeguarding health gains made whilst in prison or an IRC.

Our East of England RECONNECT service is available for adults over the age of 18 with a designated healthcare need and who are due to be released from prison or an IRC in the next 12 weeks. We also accept referrals up to 28 days post release.

Role Responsibilities

The successful candidate for the trainee position will enrol onto a 12-18 month Level 2 apprenticeship in a relevant qualification of your choosing, to be completed alongside your role within the RECONNECT Team.

You will gain first-hand experience and training around the RECONNECT Service and will support your colleagues providing a comprehensive, inclusive and bespoke RECONNECT service, including advice and guidance to Forward Trust clients across HMP Chelmsford and for those being released into Essex.

RECONNECT enables service users to access and sustain supportive interventions upon release from prison, whether that be around substance use needs, physical health or mental health services in addition to general well-being support. The service will offer mentor link in, sign-posting, GP referrals, aftercare support and a connection to the wider Forward community. Following a referral 12-weeks prior to release, the service is to identify the Service User's needs via a robust assessment via a robust assessment with a bespoke care plan then created with the client at the centre.

Some of the Key duties of the role are as follows:

• Process referrals and provide updates to referrer on assessment outcome.
• Learn to conduct in-depth needs assessment for all suitable referrals.
• Maintain contact and support to Service Users for up-to 6 months post-release with health and wellbeing needs as identified during assessment.
• Ensure that a holistic service is delivered safely to our clients in line with individual and team targets.
• Working closely with your colleagues you will discuss and share best practice and fully engage with risk assessment processes to deliver a high-quality service safely.
• To make referrals to Forward Trust Meet and Greet service and support with Meet at the Gate referrals as required.
• Ensuring that service users are fully connected with local services in preparation for release into the community.
• To demonstrate high level admin skills, including keeping clear and concise case notes as well as completing detailed assessments, care plans and risk assessments.
• To support Team Leader with the recruitment and training of prison peer supporters as applicable.

All prison based roles will require enhanced DBS and HMPPS security vetting. Please note this process can take up to 3-6 weeks. All offers are subject to receiving both HMPPS vetting and DBS clearances.

Checks will require you to provide information on the below:

• Yourself (personal information, financial information, police information, criminal history)
• Your family (parents, parents' partners, siblings, partner(s), children)
• Co-residents
• Associations that may cause a conflict of interest with your role or the prison service.
• Background checks across police information systems on you, your family and other associates
• Credit reference checks
• Social media and Open-Source checks (these are checks on content about you that's publicly available on the internet to ensure there's nothing linked to you that could undermine public trust and confidence in the prison service)
• Other government and overseas agency or police checks.

The Ideal Candidate

This role requires an individual who is caring compassionate and who is passionate about supporting vulnerable people.

Please also see below a list of skills and experience needed for this role;

• Experience of supporting vulnerable adults (this may come from volunteering, student work placements or previous employment)
• Aptitude for working with vulnerable clients
• Ability to receive feedback
• Commitment to own learning and personal development
• Ability and willingness to learn
• Ability to work as part of a team
• An ability to set and maintain professional boundaries.
• Strong IT skills and Admin Skills to support project and caseload management

About Us

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
• 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)

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.