Health & Wellbeing Practitioner

Forward Trust; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 27,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and development opportunities

Simply Health Cashback Scheme

Season Ticket Loan Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing Days

Blue Light Card

25 days annual leave (rising to 30)

Job summary

Forward Trust is seeking a committed Health and Wellbeing Practitioner to support people in prison, addressing substance misuse, mental health, and broader wellbeing needs. You will manage a caseload, deliver 1:1 and group sessions, and tailor interventions to individual goals, using harm reduction and recovery-focused approaches.

You will conduct comprehensive assessments, risk assessments and SMART care plans, document progress clearly, and collaborate with internal and external services to

Qualifications

• Experience in substance misuse and/or mental health services.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with clients.
• Experience delivering 1:1 and group psychosocial interventions.
• Ability to assess and manage risk, develop SMART care plans.

Responsibilities

• Provide harm reduction advice and interventions.
• Complete comprehensive assessments and risk assessments.
• Deliver 1:1 and group sessions on substance misuse and mental health.
• Develop SMART care plans and progress reports.
• Maintain accurate case notes and records.
• Collaborate with internal and external services.
• Support transitions for release into the community.

Skills

Substance misuse support

Mental health support

Harm reduction

Motivational interviewing

Risk assessment

Care planning

1:1 and group work

Record keeping

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Health/social care qualification

Job description

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.
• Providing effective transitional and throughcare support to prepare clients for release into the community.
• Working closely with internal and external services to ensure continuity of care and effective integration.
• Maintaining accurate, timely and high-quality case notes and records.
• Contributing to service targets and outcomes set by Forward and local commissioners.
• Producing high-quality progress reports for clients where required, tailored appropriately to the intended audience.

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.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a genuine difference to people’s lives, supporting individuals to address substance misuse, improve their mental health and wellbeing, and take positive steps towards recovery and resettlement.

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.
• Knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice sector.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Recovery Agenda.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to maintain accurate records and produce clear, high-quality reports.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals and partner agencies.
• A client-centred, non-judgemental and recovery-focused approach.

Above all, you will be compassionate, resilient and motivated to make a difference. You will understand that every client is an individual and will be able to adapt your approach to meet their needs, whether that means supporting harm reduction, working towards abstinence, addressing mental health concerns or preparing someone for release and life in the community.

If you are passionate about recovery, believe in the potential for positive change and want to play a key role in supporting people to build a healthier and more positive future, we would love to hear from you.

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 -

• 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. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [e-mail]
• 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)

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

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

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‑by‑case 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.

To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here .

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 with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be 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 follows safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.