Recovery Worker

The Forward Trust; United States; Remote; USD 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Simply Health Cashback Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Annual leave 25 days rising to 30

Pension scheme with employer matched

Job summary

The Forward Trust is recruiting a Recovery Worker to join the team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. This full-time role (35 hours per week) supports adults 18+ affected by substance misuse within a secure environment, delivering psychosocial interventions and recovery-focused care.

You will manage a caseload, complete assessments, and work with healthcare and partner services to help service users progress toward their recovery goals. A DBS check and safeguarding knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting people with substance misuse, health, or complex needs.
• Ability to build effective, trusting relationships with service users.
• Confidence delivering structured interventions and facilitating group work.
• Understanding safeguarding, risk management, and multi-agency working.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of service users, providing 1:1 interventions and group sessions.
• Complete assessments, risk management plans, and personalised care plans.
• Deliver drug and alcohol interventions using harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches.
• Provide motivation and support to help individuals recover.
• Collaborate with healthcare teams and partner agencies (housing, employment, probation, community services).
• Support access to additional services and positive pathways beyond treatment.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to outcomes and performance targets.

Skills

Experience with substance misuse

Trusting relationships

Structured interventions

Safeguarding & multi-agency

Organised & proactive

Job description

We are looking for a Recovery Worker to join our team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, working full time, 35 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference by supporting individuals affected by drug and alcohol use within a secure and supportive environment. Working as part of an integrated healthcare team, you’ll provide high-quality psychosocial interventions to adults aged 18+, helping service users work towards recovery through personalised support, practical guidance, and evidence-based approaches. As a Recovery Worker, you will:

• Manage a caseload of service users, providing structured 1:1 interventions and group sessions
• Complete assessments, risk management plans, and personalised care plans
• Deliver tailored drug and alcohol interventions using harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches
• Provide advice, motivation, and support to help individuals achieve their recovery goals
• Work collaboratively with healthcare teams and partner agencies including housing, employment, probation, and community services
• Support service users to access additional services and build positive pathways beyond treatment
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to service outcomes and performance targets

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience supporting people with substance misuse, health, or complex needs
• Can build effective, trusting relationships with service users
• Is confident delivering structured interventions and facilitating group work
• Understands safeguarding, risk management, and multi-agency working
• Is organised, proactive, and committed to improving people’s lives

This is a rewarding opportunity to join a dedicated team where your work will directly support individuals on their recovery journey. This role includes a cost of living payment of £250 per month. If you’re passionate about recovery and want to be part of a service that makes a lasting impact, we’d love to hear from you. All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks. Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives for more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Flexible working
• Support for Families - We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks’ continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you’d like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata’d for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme - Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with 'Lived Experience' of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around years). This is assessed on a case-by‑case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances. When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles. To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click . We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview. If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the 'Eligibility to Work in the UK' requirements. Our Commitment to Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.