Recovery Navigator

The Forward Trust; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading social enterprise is seeking a Recovery Navigator to support adult males on probation in London. This role involves providing assistance for their recovery journey, managing caseloads, conducting assessments, and delivering tailored interventions. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in the criminal justice sector and substance misuse, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work within a flexible, multi-disciplinary team. This is a full-time, permanent position with a salary of £25,154 per annum.

Qualifications

• Ability to work with key partners to deliver outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of risk assessments and action plans.
• Understanding of equal opportunity and GDPR requirements.

Responsibilities

• Support and advocacy for clients including referral assistance.
• Deliver various interventions to empower clients on probation.
• Complete assessments and create collaborative action plans.

Skills

Knowledge of the criminal justice sector

Experience in substance misuse field

Managing high caseloads

Delivering 1:1 and group-work interventions

Strong communication skills

Job description

Recovery Navigator (Harrow & Barnet, Camden & Islington)

Location : London

Salary : £25,154 per annum

Vacancy Type : Permanent, Full Time

Closing Date : 04 Dec 2025

We are recruiting for a Recovery Navigator in Harrow, Barnet, Camden and Islington.

We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward and live fulfilling lives.

We deliver a range of MOJ Commissioned Rehabilitative services (CRS) directly for Probation in three key areas : Accommodation, Personal Wellbeing and Dependency & Recovery. Accommodation is delivered in Wales, Dependency and Recovery in London and Humberside, Personal Wellbeing in East of England, Sussex, Surrey and as a subcontractor in Kent and Cheshire.

These services work with Men 18+ who are under probation supervision, supporting them to navigate through their desired outcomes in order to achieve transformational change, break the cycle of offending and achieve long-term integration into society.

Role Responsibilities

As a Recovery Navigator in the London Dependency and Recovery Service, you will be working within a hybrid model as part of a flexible, multi-disciplinary team, travelling across the probation delivery units in the boroughs of : Enfield & Haringey, Camden & Islington, and Harrow & Barnet. This is an in-person service, and you will be expected to work day-to-day from the locations mentioned above.

The service is designed to improve engagement of Person(s) on Probation into treatment services and bridge the gap between probation and substance misuse services in the community by offering practical assistance and ongoing support through a range of timebound, enforceable and motivational interventions.

You will carry a diverse caseload of adult male prison leavers and those on community orders within the National Probation Service, supporting to implement their action plan and navigate their recovery journey. You will be responsible for completing comprehensive assessments, creating a collaborative action plan and delivering one to one, group work / virtual sessions, whilst maintaining accurate record keeping throughout.

• Support and advocacy e.g. including physical help with referral forms, face-to-face negotiations with a wide range of other providers, attending appointments with them or taking steps on their behalf, for example making phone-calls and onward referrals.
• Advice, guidance and information e.g. Information via a variety of forms (including printed documents, one to one session, group session, online session or a combination of any of the above) but must be provided in a way that enables the Person(s) on Probation to act on the information given and should form part of a wider package of support offered.
• Deliver interventions to empower and upskill Person(s) on Probation to enable understanding and management of their Dependency and Recovery needs.
• This service should not duplicate provision where commissioned Substance Misuse Services are already in place, instead we will work to ensure access and sustained engagement with statutory and existing services to achieve controlled dependent behaviour or abstinence with the aim to reduce re-offending.

Recovery Navigators will be multi-skilled to provide a range of support / interventions across all complexity levels and be able to work across London, providing flexibility and resilience against changing demand.

Some Recovery Navigators will have an opportunity to become subject matter experts (SME) in particular vulnerable groups (e.g. BAME) or needs (e.g. chemsex), providing support to colleagues across the team.

You will be responsible for adhering to the targets set by Forward and the local commissioners. Co‑operating working relationships with other partner agencies and probation staff are vital to this role.

Some degree of flexibility may be required if out of office work is required, but this is a predominantly a Monday - Friday 09 : 00-17 : 00 role.

You may at times be required to attend our head office for training or support in other areas of London.

All probation-based roles will require enhanced DBS and HMPPS security vetting. Please note this process can take up to 3-6 weeks. All offers are subject to receiving both HMPPS vetting and DBS clearances.

The Ideal Candidate

• Knowledge and experience of the criminal justice sector.
• Excellent experience of substance misuse field and / or experience of working in a related field or similar field
• Demonstrable experience of managing high caseloads, carrying out risk / comprehensive assessments, SMART action plans and effective case records
• Experience of delivering both 1 : 1 and group-work interventions using motivational techniques and trauma informed approaches
• Experience of working with treatment and / or healthcare services
• The ability to set and stick to professional boundaries
• Ability to work effectively with key partners in order to successfully deliver outcomes
• Demonstrate the ability to organise workload, ensuring effective time management and prioritisation to meet targets
• Understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of equal opportunity and GDPR requirements including client confidentiality
• Experience of strong communication skills with people from a range of backgrounds in a sensitive, supportive and professional manner

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.