Reconnect substance misuse worker

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Living wage employer

Job summary

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is recruiting a Reconnect substance misuse worker to support people leaving prison with assessment, planning and linked community care. You will work within a team to manage risk, provide brief interventions and coordinate with substance misuse services and Recovery support workers.

The role requires a registered qualification or related degree and a full driving licence due to countywide coverage.

Qualifications

• Experience in substance misuse and alcohol services or related fields.
• Awareness of recovery-based approaches and complex needs.
• Understanding of interface with mental health, criminal justice, and custodial settings.
• Hold a professional registration or relevant degree and substantial experience.

Responsibilities

• Increase access to healthcare and services for people leaving prison.
• Reduce health inequalities among prison populations.
• Ensure health needs of individuals leaving prison are met.
• Support safe transition from prison to community care and maintain engagement.
• Facilitate liaison with community services for coordinated responses.
• Provide specialist assessments to identify referrals and care pathways.
• Deliver brief interventions while awaiting access to services.

Skills

Substance misuse experience

Recovery-based models

Custodial environment experience

Interagency liaison

Team leadership

Assessment and needs planning

Education

Registered nurse

Social worker (SW)

Occupational therapist (OT)

Related degree

Job description

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Reconnect substance misuse worker

The closing date is 20 November 2026

Reconnect seeks to improve the continuity of care of vulnerable people leaving prison by supporting their transition to community-based services, thereby safeguarding health gains made whilst in prison and working to improve the wellbeing of people in prison, reduce inequalities and address health related drivers of offending behaviour.

The role of the Band 5 substance misuse worker is to undertake assessment and needs planning for those leaving prison, having a particular focus on those who have either current or historical substance misuse or alcohol difficulties. The post holder will build strong links with specialist substance misuse services, provide additional support and assistance to colleagues working with substance misuse and complex cases and be an expert within the team in relation to drug and alcohol difficulties and provide support to Recovery support workers/ peer workers when developing plans that include substance misuse issues and safety planning around these.

We are looking for applications from people who have either a registered qualification(Registered nurse/SW/OT) or a degree in a related field/ and or substantial experience of working with people with substance misuse/alcohol difficulties.

Due to the post covering countywide a full driving licence and access to a vehicle is required.

Prison clearance will be prerequisite prior to any unconditional offer of employment due to requirement to work both within custodial settings and the community.

Main duties of the job

To liaise and communicate effectively with statutory and non-statutory agencies to enable early identification of those leaving prison who may require additional support to access community healthcare services.

To work independently under the guidance of the team leader

To build robust working relationship with local substance misuse services to aid joint working and referral processes.

Act as a point of contact to junior colleagues to provide support and advice where appropriate.

The ability to analyse multi-agency partnership information as well engage with individuals to inform delivery and manage risk/harm.

Provide specialist mental health/ substance misuse assessments for individuals with potentially complex and multiple needs to identify and inform onward referrals and care pathways.

To provide brief interventions to service users whilst awaiting commencement with identified referred services

To maintain own caseload, being mindful of own capabilities and working within the scope of practice, escalating concerns to a team leader as appropriate

To work collaboratively with service users to identify onward community needs and referrals.

To develop knowledge of third sector support agencies and be aware of referral procedures and develop effective relationships with key agencies.

About us

NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.

At NHFT we believe that work should be rewarded in every sense which is why we are proud to an accredited living wage employer.

We aim to support financial wellbeing and create an environment where are people feel valued and able to thrive.

Job responsibilities

To increase access to and uptake of healthcare and relevant services for people leaving prison

To reduce health inequalities for prison populations

To ensure that the health needs of individuals who are leaving prison are met.

To ensure a safe transition from prison to community healthcare and support services in England and to provide ongoing support so that engagement is maintained.

To facilitate engagement and liaise with community healthcare and / or other services and enable delivery of a coordinated response.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant experience of working within Substance misuse services and/or registered practitioner (nursing/allied health professional)
• Demonstrates good knowledge of recovery-based models within drug/alcohol use
• Understanding of the interface within other services including mental health services and the criminal justice system
• Experience of working within a custodial environment

Skills

• Experience of working and leading interventions for individuals with substance misuse

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust