Health & Wellbeing Practitioner

Forward Trust; Hemel Hempstead; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Simply Health Cashback Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

The Forward Trust is hiring a Health and Wellbeing Practitioner in Hertfordshire to support prisoners in making positive changes. You will provide client-centred support for those with substance misuse and low-level mental health needs, using harm reduction and abstinence approaches and managing a caseload with thorough assessments and SMART care plans.

You will deliver 1:1 and group sessions, apply psychosocial interventions and motivational interviewing, and assist clients in achieving

Qualifications

• Significant experience in substance misuse and/or mental health services.
• Ability to build trusting, professional relationships with clients and deliver effective interventions in both 1:1 and group settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide harm reduction advice, guidance and interventions.
• Complete comprehensive assessments, risk assessments and SMART care plans.

Skills

Harm reduction

Motivational interviewing

1:1 counseling

Group-work facilitation

Tools

SMART care plans

Job description

Health & Wellbeing Practitioner

Location: Hertfordshire

Salary: £26,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 13th of September 2026

We are looking for a committed and compassionate Health and Wellbeing Practitioner to join our team, supporting people in prison to make positive and sustainable changes to their lives.

Working within an integrated healthcare framework, you will provide client-centred support to prisoners experiencing substance misuse, low-level mental health and wider health and wellbeing needs. You will use both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches, tailoring your interventions to the individual needs, circumstances and goals of each client.

You will manage a caseload and take responsibility for completing comprehensive assessments, risk assessments and SMART care plans, ensuring that clients receive appropriate, personalised support throughout their journey.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Providing harm reduction advice, guidance and interventions.
• Completing comprehensive assessments, risk assessments and SMART care plans.
• Delivering structured 1:1 and therapeutic group-work sessions covering substance misuse and low-level mental health.
• Using psychosocial interventions and motivational interviewing techniques to support positive behaviour change.
• Supporting clients to develop their recovery goals and build the skills and resilience needed for life beyond prison.

Partnership working is central to this role. You will work collaboratively with a range of services, including Transitional Services, Housing, Employment, Gym, Healthcare, Probation and external Drugs Intervention Teams. By building strong relationships with these services, you will help ensure that clients have the practical and emotional support they need to successfully transition from prison back into the community.

Please note: this is a bridge description of the job role, for further information.

About You

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people affected by substance misuse and low-level mental health needs and who understands the challenges faced by individuals within the criminal justice system.

You will have significant experience of working in substance misuse and/or mental health services, with the ability to build trusting, professional relationships with clients and deliver effective interventions in both 1:1 and group settings.

You will be confident undertaking assessments, identifying and managing risk, developing SMART care plans and delivering structured psychosocial interventions. You will be able to use motivational interviewing techniques effectively to engage clients, encourage positive change and support their individual recovery journeys.

We are particularly looking for someone with:

• Knowledge of the issues affecting people who misuse substances and those experiencing low-level mental health difficulties.
• Excellent experience of working in a related substance misuse and/or mental health field.
• Demonstrable experience of completing risk assessments and comprehensive assessments, alongside designing and implementing SMART care plans.
• Significant experience delivering psychosocial interventions using motivational interviewing techniques in both 1:1 and therapeutic group settings.

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 -

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.
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• And more

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