Substance Intervention Worker WMF3201e

Westmorland & Furness Council; Kendal; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pension scheme

Enhanced annual leave

Job summary

The Cumbria County Council in Kendal is recruiting a Substance Intervention Worker to join the multi-agency Child Protection Team. You will use specialist knowledge of substance use and recovery to support safeguarding children and help families achieve lasting change.

The role focuses on direct work with parents and carers, coordinating with social workers and partners to reduce risk. You will engage resistant families with a strengths-based approach, promote engagement with treatment services,

Qualifications

• Knowledge of substance use, addiction and recovery in a parenting context.
• Experience safeguarding children and working with families.
• Ability to work within a multi-agency team to inform assessment and planning.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice to social workers on substance use, risks and impact on parenting.
• Support safety planning with clear, measurable plans to reduce risk.
• Work with parents to explore substance use and engagement with support services.
• Engage parents who are resistant to change using relationship-based approaches.
• Facilitate access to treatment and recovery services for families.
• Promote multi-agency working across assessments and planning.
• Share specialist knowledge to strengthen child protection practice.
• Support lasting changes to reduce risk and improve parenting capacity.

Skills

Substance use knowledge

Safeguarding children

Multi-agency collaboration

Education

Experience in children's services

Job description

Job reference REQ00000020511 Date posted 29/10/2026 Application closing date 26/11/2026 Location KENDAL Salary 35,570.00 TO 36,581.00 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Job description

Location: Kendal Contract Type: Fixed term – 24 months.

About this opportunity

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and supporting parents and carers to make positive, lasting changes to their lives?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Substance Intervention Worker to join our multi-agency Child Protection Team, working at the heart of our commitment to safeguarding children and strengthening families.

This is a unique opportunity to bring specialist knowledge of substance use, recovery and its impact on parenting into child protection practice, helping social workers and families work together to reduce risk and achieve better outcomes for children.

You will work directly with parents and carers whose children are subject to Child Protection Plans where substance use is identified as a safeguarding concern. You will help families understand the impact of substance use on parenting, children’s safety and wellbeing, while supporting social workers to identify risks, challenge concerns and develop effective plans to safeguard children.

Working collaboratively with social workers and multi-agency partners, you will provide specialist advice, guidance and practical intervention to ensure substance use is recognised, understood and appropriately addressed within child protection planning.

Your role will include:

• Provide specialist advice and guidance to social workers on substance use, associated risks, and the impact on parenting capacity and children’s lived experiences.
• Support effective safety planning, helping develop clear, measurable plans that reduce substance-related risks and promote children’s safety.
• Work directly with parents and carers to explore substance use, increase understanding of its impact on children, and encourage engagement with support.
• Engage parents who are resistant or ambivalent to change, using a relationship-based approach while maintaining a strong focus on safeguarding.
• Facilitate access to treatment and recovery services, supporting sustained engagement and positive outcomes.
• Promote multi-agency working, contributing to coordinated assessments, planning and intervention.
• Strengthen child protection practice by sharing specialist knowledge and evidence-informed approaches to substance use and parenting.
• Support lasting change, helping families reduce risk, improve parenting capacity and achieve better outcomes for children.

Who we are looking for…

We are seeking an experienced substance use practitioner who is passionate about safeguarding children and improving outcomes for families facing challenges with substance use. The successful candidate will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to work effectively with families where substance use impacts on parenting, family functioning and children’s safety and wellbeing.

You will bring a strong understanding of substance use, addiction and recovery, alongside insight into the effects these can have on parenting capacity, family relationships and children’s development. Working as part of a multi-agency team, you will provide specialist advice, guidance and constructive challenge to social workers and partner agencies, helping to inform assessment, planning and intervention.

You will be skilled in building effective relationships with parents and carers, including those who may be ambivalent about change, resistant to professional involvement or experiencing barriers to accessing support. With a solution-focused and strengths-based approach, you will work alongside families to promote engagement, reduce risk and support sustainable change.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)

Please note: If the Post Specification for this vacancy states that a UK driving licence is required, non-UK driving licences with entitlement to drive vehicles in the UK will also be accepted.

Safer Recruitment & DBS

At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and requires an enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check.

Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with Children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with Children.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old (someone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point, for any length of time, e.g. foster care, residential care, or under the guardianship of a local authority) that meet the essential criteria for the role.