RECONNECT Practitioner: Transition & Community Support

The Forward Trust; Bletchley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Simply Health Cashback Scheme (opt.)

Season Ticket Loan Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Family support policies

Job summary

The Forward Trust is seeking a dedicated RECONNECT Practitioner to support people leaving prison or immigration removal detention to access healthcare, wellbeing and community services. You will assess needs, develop tailored care plans and connect individuals with health and wellbeing services, from 12 weeks before release through six months post-release.

You will collaborate with prison teams, healthcare professionals and community partners to ensure timely, person-centred support.

Qualifications

• Compassionate, empathetic and non-judgemental approach to supporting people with complex needs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and engage positively with a diverse range of people.
• Ability to identify individual needs and provide tailored advice, guidance and practical support.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage referrals, maintain accurate records and prioritise a varied workload.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with external agencies, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach, working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Managing referrals: Process referrals, assess suitability and provide timely updates to referrers on assessment outcomes.
• Assessing individual needs: Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify each service user's physical health, mental health, wellbeing and wider support needs.
• Providing ongoing support: Build positive relationships with service users, offering guidance and practical support before release and for up to six months afterwards.
• Developing tailored care plans: Work collaboratively with service users and partner agencies to create personalised plans that support a successful transition into the community.
• Connecting people to services: Facilitate GP referrals, healthcare access, mentoring, aftercare support and signposting to appropriate local and community services.
• Building partnerships: Develop and maintain effective working relationships with prison staff, healthcare teams, Offender Management in Custody, external agencies and other key stakeholders.
• Coordinating referrals: Maintain clear and effective referral pathways involving prison teams, healthcare services, Offender Management in Custody, families and self-referrals.
• Supporting safe transitions: Ensure service users are connected with relevant community services and support networks before their release.
• Delivering a high-quality service: Provide inclusive, holistic and person-centred support in line with service standards, safeguarding requirements and individual and team targets.
• Managing risk: Participate in risk assessments and work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure support is delivered safely and effectively.
• Sharing best practice: Work closely with colleagues to share knowledge, strengthen partnership working and continually improve service delivery.

Job description

The Forward Trust is seeking a dedicated RECONNECT Practitioner to support people leaving prison or immigration removal detention to access healthcare, wellbeing and community services. You will assess needs, develop tailored care plans and connect individuals with health and wellbeing services, from 12 weeks before release through six months post-release.

You will collaborate with prison teams, healthcare professionals and community partners to ensure timely, person-centred support.