Young People’s Specialist Substance Use Worker

Early Break; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

Early Break is recruiting a Young People’s Specialist Substance Use Worker in Salford to deliver one-to-one casework with young clients facing varied issues, including substance use and risk factors. You will engage with clients and families, plan care, and coordinate with partner services.

Role may include evening and weekend sessions. You will assess needs, develop SMART care plans, provide targeted interventions, and follow Early Break safeguarding policies while maintaining accurate records.

Qualifications

• Complete a full assessment of each client’s needs.
• Deliver 1:1, face-to-face work with young clients and their parents/carers as appropriate.
• Develop, monitor and review SMART care plans for each client.

Responsibilities

• Offer structured treatment interventions, including substitute prescribing if required.
• Work in community-based settings to engage and deliver services.
• Liaise with agencies to provide best meeting of treatment needs.
• Record and report client information using the company database.

Skills

Case management

Engagement with youth

Assessment

Care planning

Multi-agency collaboration

Tools

Database systems

Job description

• Thursday 15 October 2026 12:00
  Thursday 12 November 2026 12:00

Application Deadline: Thursday, 12th November 2026 @ 12 Noon
Location: Salford
Contract Type: Part-time, 28 hours per week Contract Duration: Permanent
Renumeration: Early Break Salary Points 5-9, £28,589.60 to £31,812.56 FTE, pro-rata
Interview Date: Thursday, 25th November 2026

Key Focus

The advertised role is as a Young People’s Specialist Substance Use Worker delivering a one-to-one case work role with young people who have a range of issues and who may be at risk of or involved in primarily substance use, criminal activity, be exploited, may have learning difficulties or other vulnerabilities.

To deliver 1:1, face-to-face work with young clients and their parents/carers as appropriate and manage the appointments to best meet clients’ needs in accordance with Early Break Policies and Procedures. This may include evening and/or weekend sessions.

Complete a full assessment of each client’s needs and develop, monitor and review SMART care plans for each individual client using agreed systems.

Offer structured treatment interventions, including substitute prescribing, if required and appropriate.

Making Alternative therapy interventions part of client care planning as appropriate, upskilling yourself to offer this within the course of your role.

Work in community-based settings in order to engage and deliver services to potential clients.

Liaise and develop partnerships with a range of agencies in seeking out the provision which best meets the treatment needs of the young clients identified through referrals.

Offer drop-ins, as required and/or appropriate, in relevant young people’s settings.

Contribute to a range of multi-agency meetings, acting as key worker/advocate for the young client.

Support young clients into inpatient treatment, if available/as appropriate, and maintain contact with them, preparing and arranging for appropriate after-care provision back in the community where this is required.

Adhere to Early Break policies on Safeguarding, linking to local and national policies and guidelines, contributing as the role of Lead Professional as and when required.

Record and report all required client information, using the Company’s agreed database system in line with service expectations and the legal framework of Data Protection.

Maintain and update levels of knowledge and understanding of issues relevant to young people through training offered by Early Break and other agencies, as opportunities arise.

Contribute to the charitable aspect of the service, including social media and charitable fundraising activity.