Substance Intervention Worker WMF3201e

Westmorland and Furness Council; Kendal; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Westmorland and Furness Council is recruiting a Substance Intervention Worker to join our Child Protection Team. You will bring specialist knowledge on substance use and recovery to support social workers and families in safeguarding children.

You will work directly with parents and carers, help them understand how substance use affects parenting and collaborate with partners to develop effective safeguarding plans. Experience in safeguarding and engaging families is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in safeguarding children and working with families affected by substance use.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice to social workers on substance use, risks and impact on parenting capacity.
• Support safety planning with clear, measurable plans to reduce substance-related risks and safeguard children.
• Engage with parents and carers to explore substance use and link to available support services.
• Engage resistant or ambivalent parents using a relationship-based approach with safeguarding as priority.
• Facilitate access to treatment and recovery services to promote sustained engagement.
• Promote multi-agency collaboration in assessments, planning and interventions.
• Share specialist knowledge and evidence-informed approaches to substance use and parenting within the team.
• Support lasting change by helping families reduce risk and improve parenting outcomes.

Job description

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.

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.