Prison Link Worker

Forward Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Training & development

Season Ticket Loan

Cycle to work

Blue Light Card access

25 days Annual Leave (+ Holidays)

Job summary

The Forward Trust is seeking a Prison Link Worker to support men moving from custody back into the community across London prisons. This in-person role focuses on continuity of care, engagement with treatment and probation services, and coordinating pre/post-release support.

You will work in a hybrid model with a predominantly on-site presence in custody settings, handling a diverse caseload and collaborating with partners to reduce reoffending and sustain recovery.

Qualifications

• Experience of working within treatment and/or criminal justice services
• The ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries
• Confidence working autonomously within secure custodial environments
• Strong partnership working skills and the ability to build effective relationships with external agencies and stakeholders
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise workload and meet performance targets
• An understanding of equal opportunities, GDPR requirements, and the importance of client confidentiality
• Experience using electronic case management systems and Microsoft Office applications including Word, Outlook, and Teams
• A proactive and person-centred approach to supporting recovery and engagement

Responsibilities

• Building strong working relationships with prison substance misuse teams, offender managers, probation staff, and partner agencies
• Supporting continuity of care through pre-release planning and post-release engagement
• Providing enhanced support including meet and greet arrangements, appointment reminders, and accompanying clients to key appointments
• Managing risks associated with transition into the community, including treatment drop-out, overdose prevention, and harm minimisation
• Carrying a diverse caseload of adult male prison leavers and individuals on community orders
• Completing comprehensive assessments, collaborative action plans, and maintaining accurate case records using electronic systems
• Supporting service users to build motivation, navigate recovery, reduce reoffending, and achieve positive outcomes

Skills

Experience in treatment and/or CJ

Boundary setting

Autonomy in custodial settings

Partnership working

Organisation & time management

GDPR awareness

MS Office (Word/Outlook/Teams)

Proactive, person-centred approach

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Teams

Job description

Prison Link Worker

Location: London

Salary: £27,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

As a Prison Link Worker within the Dependency and Recovery Service, you will play a vital role in supporting men transitioning from custody into the community, helping to ensure continuity of care and sustained engagement with treatment and support services.

Working predominantly across HMP Brixton and HMP Wandsworth, you will operate within a flexible, multi‑disciplinary team in a hybrid model. This is a predominantly in‑person role and you will be expected to work onsite within prison settings Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00, with occasional travel across London to support wider service delivery, training, and team meetings.

You will work closely with individuals prior to release, supporting them through the gate and into the community post‑release. Your focus will be on engaging prison leavers who may have a history of non‑engagement with services, helping them to access and sustain involvement with probation, substance misuse treatment, and wider statutory and voluntary sector support.

The role involves:

• Building strong working relationships with prison substance misuse teams, offender managers, probation staff, and partner agencies
• Supporting continuity of care through pre‑release planning and post‑release engagement
• Providing enhanced support including meet and greet arrangements, appointment reminders, and accompanying clients to key appointments
• Managing risks associated with transition into the community, including treatment drop‑out, overdose prevention, and harm minimisation
• Carrying a diverse caseload of adult male prison leavers and individuals on community orders
• Completing comprehensive assessments, collaborative action plans, and maintaining accurate case records using electronic systems
• Supporting service users to build motivation, navigate recovery, reduce reoffending, and achieve positive outcomes

You will work autonomously within secure custodial settings as a representative of the Dependency and Recovery Service and will be fully prison vetted to carry keys and work independently onsite.

About You

We are looking for a confident, organised, and compassionate individual who is passionate about supporting people through recovery and reducing reoffending.

You will have experience working within treatment, substance misuse, criminal justice, probation, or related support services, and understand the challenges individuals face when transitioning from prison into the community.

To succeed in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Experience of working within treatment and/or criminal justice services
• The ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries
• Confidence working autonomously within secure custodial environments
• Strong partnership working skills and the ability to build effective relationships with external agencies and stakeholders
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise workload and meet performance targets
• An understanding of equal opportunities, GDPR requirements, and the importance of client confidentiality
• Experience using electronic case management systems and Microsoft Office applications including Word, Outlook, and Teams
• A proactive and person‑centred approach to supporting recovery and engagement

Due to the nature of the role, a full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential, as travel across multiple prison sites and community locations will be required.

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:

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• BHSF 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.