Senior substance misuse practitioner jobs

Overview

Change Grow Live are a charity dedicated to the belief that we can make a difference to our Service Users lives, offering support and respect in a safe environment, treating each user as an individual and working with them to find the right treatment and care options. 

Our core values are ‘Be open, be compassionate and be bold’ and our team members apply these daily to achieve our mission of helping people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.

Due to a funding increase we are expanding our recovery team and are looking for a senior practitioner with experience and knowledge of recovery services within prison settings.

Working as a Senior Worker/ Practitioner with Change Grow Live is a rewarding role where you can utilise your people skills to make a real difference in the lives of those suffering with substance misuse problems. Supporting our service users from point of entry into the service and through their recovery journey, helping with social re-integration and enabling them to lead purposeful and meaningful lives.

Our ideal candidate will have the skills and experience to assess and engage with our service users, ensuring that they access the right intervention at the right time, in a way that best meets their needs.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience of substance misuse issues, looking to take the next step in their career with a charity that will support your continued personal and professional development.

 Where: HMP Erlestoke, Devizes

Full Time Hours: 37.5 per week 

Contract Type: Permanent 

 Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours.

Responsibilities

About the Role:

• Provide unwavering support to service users from their initial contact with our service throughout their treatment and recovery journey.
• Implement tailored interventions aimed at reducing the harm caused by substance use, either through group sessions or one-on-one engagement.
• Ensure service users receive a comprehensive, recovery-focused detoxification plan, including pre-detox preparation and post-care support.
• Collaborate with other organisations and the community to enhance the recovery resources available to service users by referring them to mutual aid groups and other networks.
• Advocate for the involvement of family members, service users, and the community.
• Serve as a voice for service users in accessing partnership services and support the team lead in driving successful partnership relationships.
• Work closely with service users to facilitate their social (re)integration, enabling them to lead fulfilling and purpose-driven lives. This includes promoting recovery, resilience, peer support, and self-determination.
• Lead on our mentoring and volunteer programmes, expanding the mentor offer, supervising and developing skills of our peer mentors and volunteers.
• Deputise for the Team Lead when required

About you:

• Have a strong understanding of substance misuse issues and experience of working within a similar field ideally within prison/criminal justice
• Be an excellent communicator, both verbal and written with good IT skills
• Proactive and able to work on own initiative with excellent time management and prioritising skills
• Have a good working knowledge of mental health interventions, services, and good practice
• Be a supportive team player with strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work in partnership with a wide range of professionals, agencies, and internal/external stakeholders
• Ability to manage change successfully in a way that prioritises the needs of service users
• Understand the importance of information governance processes and commit to follow and apply all necessary safeguards
• Seek out learning opportunities to improve and broaden your professional knowledge and skills and to contribute and oversee the learning and development of others
• Ability and experience of delivering mentoring training and supervision sessions to mentors and volunteers 

What we will give to you: 

• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays. Additionally, you'll receive one extra day of annual leave for each year of service during your first five years, therefore you will enjoy 30 days of leave after five years with us

• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme 
• Contributory pension scheme 
• Several benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc. 
• A friendly and supportive team 
• Training, career development & progression opportunities 
• Generous Refer-a-Friend Scheme 

Please ensure that when completing your application form and supporting statement, you reflect on the details outlined in the job description. This will help us understand how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the role. 

Direct applications only we will not be engaging agencies for this vacancy.

 Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Salary is subject to review in line with the 2025/26 pay award.

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 28 to 30 (£32,002.35 - £34,214.20)

ILW / OLW /Fringe

N/A - Outside London Weighting Area

Closing Date

3/6/2026

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.

Title: Active Recovery Practitioner
Place of work: The Southmead Project, BS10 6AS and various locations around Bristol and Somerset
Interview date: Tuesday 9th June

The Southmead Project:

The Southmead Project is an equal opportunities employer providing free specialist trauma counselling and support for adult survivors of abuse across Bristol and surrounding areas. Our recruitment is done in line with safer recruitment practices. We welcome people of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability, language, religion and cultural background. We value the differences between people and affirming each person as an individual.

We value our team very highly and pride ourselves on being a supportive employer. We provide the following benefits to encourage every staff member to have a supported, well-rounded and enriched working experience:

● Paid supervision for 1.5 hours per month, with an external clinical supervisor
● Line management for 1 hour per month
● Training budget of £500 per year to spend on relevant training of that person’s choice
● Employer pension contribution of 5%
● Generous annual leave allowance and paid sick leave
● Cycle to work scheme
● Optional private counselling for up to 12 sessions per year with an external counsellor of that person’s choice

We also support employees with reasonable adjustments through the Access to Work scheme.

The Active Recovery Project gives adult survivors of abuse the opportunity to take part in community-based activities. It provides a safe and supportive space for clients to participate in a variety of group activities with others who share or understand their experience and develop peer relationships, resulting in increasing confidence and reduced isolation.

The activities are based on ideas from our members and include water-based activities (such as rowing, canoeing, sailing and kayaking), surfing, trips to community spaces and creative sessions (such as arts and crafts). Activities take place every week. Each activity will last approximately 2.5 hours each. Members can attend the group sessions for up to 18 months.

The current Practitioner has said:

“The decision to leave this role has been so difficult, the team are so lovely, caring and supportive. In the role I have got to go surfing, walk alpacas and make a bowl on a pottery wheel. Sometimes I honestly can’t believe it’s my job. I have learnt so much and got to work with some of the most wonderful and inspiring people. There are countless moments at groups that I will never ever forget - some of my most amazing moments in life have come at work and that doesn’t happen very often!”

Job Purpose:

The Practitioner role requires working as part of a small team and they will help prepare and deliver two Active Recovery sessions per week, in Bristol and Somerset. The Somerset group runs on a Tuesday and the Bristol group runs on a Wednesday. During the sessions, the Practitioner will be responsible for using a trauma-informed approach to support clients who become dysregulated or need emotional support.

Principal Tasks:

1. Together with the rest of the Active Recovery team, to provide initial trauma-informed assessment phone calls and/or meetings with potential members as part of the registration process for Active Recovery. This includes assessing need, risk and suitability for the service using a trauma-informed approach.
2. To support the Active Recovery Lead in creating safety plans and tailoring activity sessions where appropriate. These will be informed through relationships with members and the initial assessment phone calls.
3. Support the Active Recovery Lead in planning trauma-informed sessions for members.
4. Support the setting up, delivering and debriefing about activity sessions with members and volunteers. Ensuring members are clear on each session's ground rules and safeguarding processes, using the Member’s Agreement.
5. Provide trauma-informed face-to-face support to members at sessions who may become overwhelmed or require help dealing with flashbacks and dissociation.
6. To support volunteers with safeguarding queries and ensure safeguarding procedures are followed, including being the Safeguarding Lead at activity sessions if the Active Recovery Lead is not there and escalating any onward safeguarding referrals and queries to the Southmead Project Designated Safeguarding Lead.
7. Support the Active Recovery Lead with management of volunteers for the project.
8. Develop and maintain an Active Recovery community through email, phone calls, texts and in person.
9. Be the key person in ensuring that members have all the information and resources needed to get to the sessions - building a relationship of trust with members, using Spond, email, texts and calls, creating Canvas, figuring out transport logistics.
10. Support the project’s aim to have the members’ voices at the heart of the project.
11. Contribute to the development of outcome processes in line with the Southmead Project and its funders’ requirements.
12. Maintain positive relationships with partnership organisations for the project.
13. The Practitioner will not have budget responsibility but will ensure that their own personal expenses (mileage/parking) is within the budget for the project, keeping accurate records.
14. Record data accurately and in a timely manner on Oasis.
15. Attend monthly one-to-one line management meetings with the Head of Active Recovery.
16. To attend monthly one-to-one clinical supervision with a Supervisor who is approved by the Southmead Project. Supervision is a requirement of this charity as an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
17. To work within the framework, spirit and ethos of the Southmead Project’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and actively engage in promoting the policy within the charity and in all dealings with clients and other agencies.
18. Follow the Southmead Project policies, procedures and professional code of conduct as outlined in the Staff Handbook.
19. All members of staff, paid and unpaid, are required to undergo the enhanced level of Disclosure and Barring Service check

Please see documents for full job description and person specification.

Description:

Job Title: Physical Health Connector 

Responsible to: Senior PHC

Location: Community based across Birmingham and Solihull with flexible outreach and hybrid working (work from home 3 to 4 days a week expected)

Contract: Fixed term to 31st March 2027

Working Hours: Fulltime 37.5 (9 day fortnight every other Monday-non working)

Salary: £26,227.50 

The Active Wellbeing Society

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working with communities to identify, mitigate and remove barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives. 

 As part of our approach, we are excited to be working in partnership to develop a health connector service which will focus on improving health outcomes for people with severe mental illness.

We are working in collaboration with Primary Care Networks (PCN) and The Primary Care Mental Health Teams who are delivered as part of a partnership between Forward-Thinking Birmingham (FTB) and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT).

Job Purpose:

The Physical Health Connector will work within TAWS to support people experiencing mental health challenges, severe mental illness (SMI), and health inequalities to improve their physical health and wellbeing.

The role focuses on relationship based support, community engagement, and system navigation, helping people overcome barriers to accessing physical healthcare and wider support. The post holder will act as a trusted, nonclinical bridge between individuals, communities, and statutory services, particularly primary care. 

Requirements:

• Build trusting relationships with individuals through outreach, community presence and one-to-one telephone support (predominantly phone support from home), with people who are underserved or disengaged from statutory services.
• Educate through practical, emotional and motivational support using strengths-based, trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to support engagement with physical health.
• Engage and encourage individuals to access physical health checks and screenings, helping them understand what to expect and how to prepare for appointments. Driving individuals towards attending their appointments is key to success.
• Identify and address barriers to engagement such as stigma, access issues or past negative experiences of healthcare. Over the phone, coordinate appointments, send reminders, follow up disengagement and advocate for reasonable adjustments and person-centred care.
• Drive stakeholder and partner organisation engagement as a link between TAWS, primary care, mental health services and community partners to support joined-up working. Build effective relationships with GP practices, PCNs, mental health teams and VCFSE organisations, representing the VCFSE perspective when required.
• Work collaboratively with partners to avoid duplication and champion community-led solutions. Map, promote and refer into local community assets and VCFSE services that support physical and emotional wellbeing.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements for funders and partners. Share learning, insight and community feedback to support service improvement and evaluation.

Experience, Knowledge and Values:

1. Experience of working in a voluntary, community, faith, social enterprise (VCFSE), community or outreach setting is essential.
2. Experience of supporting people with mental health needs, including Serious Mental Illness (SMI), health inequalities or social exclusion is required, with experience of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or addiction being desirable.
3. A sound understanding of trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, with the ability to apply these approaches in day-to-day work.
4. Experience of working in connector, navigator, link worker, peer support or advocacy roles would be an advantage.
5. Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with experience of engaging individuals through a range of methods including telephone (primarily), digital and face-to-face contact.
6. Ability to build trust with service users and develop effective professional relationships across health and community networks.
7. Good organisational and data management skills, with experience of maintaining accurate records and working towards agreed targets and KPIs.
8. Experience of using health or case management systems (such as Rio, SystmOne, EMIS or bespoke systems), alongside strong verbal, written and IT skills.
9. Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including primary care, mental health services and community partners.
10. Resilient, flexible and able to remain calm in challenging situations, including when working with individuals affected by substance misuse, offending behaviour or homelessness.
11. A proactive, adaptable approach to managing competing demands and complex needs.

Additional Requirements

1. A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle would be desirable.

Benefits:

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:

• 9 Day working week - every other Monday is Non-working!
• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays.
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week

Shift Pattern: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm 

Work Base: Office Based

We have an exciting opportunity available within our Warwickshire Young People Services for the role of Service Manager.

In this role, you will lead and oversee our accommodation sites based in Rugby and Nuneaton, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred support to individuals with complex needs.

Our accommodation supports young people providing short‑term, accommodation‑related support that helps them build independence and move forward positively.

As Service Manager, you will champion best practice, provide effective leadership and supervision to colleagues, and build strong, collaborative partnerships with local authorities and housing providers. You will ensure that services consistently meet contractual requirements, performance targets, and organisational standards.

The role will also involve maintaining positive working relationships with partner agencies and producing accurate, timely reports for both internal and external stakeholders.

The successful candidate must hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle. Please note, this post is subject to an enhanced check made by the Disclosure & Barring Services, paid for by P3. 

P3 reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the stated closing date.

P3 is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to combating all forms of discrimination.

P3 have committed to achieving ‘Net Zero’ Carbon emissions by 2050. Our Carbon Reduction Plan is available via the P3 website.

In partnership with Treeapp, for every new employee, we plant a tree at one of their planting sites worldwide.

Our Charity

Established in 1972, P3 Charity is a modern, forward-thinking organisation providing support services to people facing social exclusion across the UK.

We offer a wide range of services, including homelessness prevention, supported housing, mental health support, community advice, hoarding support and services for young people.

We’re a person-centred organisation who works alongside people to improve lives. We do this by strengthening communities, unlocking potential and creating new possibilities. We tackle challenges others won’t and we go the extra mile. We believe in collaboration – both within our teams and with the local community – to achieve the best outcomes. Our values-driven approach means we recruit for values and train for skills.

What we Offer

Enhanced Annual Leave Entitlement – 27 days annual leave per year, plus bank holidays.

Commitment to Mental Health and Wellbeing – people are at the heart of what we do; you’ll also have access to our National Wellbeing Lead and Regional Wellbeing Champions.

EDI Focus - an opportunity to join other colleagues to raise awareness and steer initiatives, contributing to our inclusive culture. 

Paycare Health Cash Plan – you can claim back costs for a wide range of everyday health expenses, including optical, dental, physiotherapy, and more, within an annual limit.

Employee Assistance Program – access to 24/7 GP appointments, 1-1 counselling and health assessments.

Bike2WorkScheme - the Bike2Work Scheme is part of the Government’s Green Transport Plan, designed to encourage healthier, more sustainable travel.

Discounts – access to Paycare Perks and Tickets for Good.

Reward and Recognition  – such as team away days, P3's Annual conference and Colleague Awards Ceremony.

Personal Development Opportunities – including mentoring, training, secondments, job shadowing, and more.

Colleague Volunteering Programme –one day paid leave per year to volunteer in the community

Enhanced Sickness Pay – based on your length of service.

Earning Potential – optional overtime and refer a friend bonus scheme. 

Additional Equipment Provision – some employees may be provided with additional equipment including workwear, tools and use of a company van or car.