Young person substance misuse practitioner jobs

Are you ready to guide and inspire a skilled team delivering life changing mental health and wellbeing support to children, young people and families? 

This is your opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our amazing Central and West Lancashire Mental Health Support Team (MHST).

You will work closely with the Service Manager to lead high quality services that deliver on our promises and make a real difference in schools, communities and family homes. This is a role where every decision you make can create lasting change, from setting service priorities and building strong partnerships to ensuring safe, effective and compassionate care for the people we support.

You will take responsibility for service performance, staff leadership, safeguarding, contract management, risk management and building meaningful relationships with partner organisations.

With the freedom to innovate and the support of a dedicated leadership team, you will ensure our services not only meet but exceed expectations.

Doing the best we can do can go a long way in building brighter futures for children, young people and their families, we need your help to make this happen!

Please note - this role is expected to start in September 2026
 

We are looking for someone who brings proven leadership experience in mental health or community services, with the confidence to manage contracts, people, performance and change whilst ensuring that values lie at the heart of everything they do. You will need:

• Experience of leading services delivering evidence based interventions for children and young people
• Strong skills in contract, risk and performance management
• Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships
• Understanding of safeguarding, governance and quality assurance
• Experience in managing teams with varied professional backgrounds

It would be great if you also bring experience of working in education settings, developing/implementing new services or delivering training. More than anything, you will be driven by the belief that every child and young person deserves to feel safe, heard, supported and valued.

If this opportunity sounds like something you`d grab with both hands…we`d like to hear from you!

 

Compass is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. Established for over 30 years, Compass is a national charity which works in communities across the UK providing services spanning substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation, early interventions for vulnerable young people, school-aged health programmes and associated prevention as well as treatment and health promotion initiatives.

All Compass posts are subject to appropriate level DBS checks.

We positively encourage applications from all members of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and encourage applications from people who have experiences in life which enrich skills and empathy. This is part of our commitment to equality and developing a truly inclusive and representative workforce.

We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments individuals may require in the recruitment process, on commencement, or once in post.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits including:

• 27 days holiday + bank holidays, rising to 32 days over time (pro rata)
• Life assurance at 2 x basic salary
• Competitive contributory pension scheme
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and OH service
• Enhanced sick pay
• Excellent learning & development opportunities and career progression
• Annual salary review

Help us to make a positive change to the lives of children and young people!

Closing Date: 17.05.2026

Interview Date: 03.06.2026

Advert

Substance Misuse Practitioner MATERNITY COVER (North Essex)

Fixed Term contract from 1st March 2026 to 31st January 2027

35 hours per week 

£29,855 per annum 

Essex - You would be based in Colchester and expected to travel within that quadrant.

The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We run local services that support young people when they are at their most vulnerable and in desperate need of help. We're there for young people, every step of the way. 

This role sits within our children and families directorate, which works to provide immediate one-to-one and group support for young people who urgently need support. Your role will be to help us maintain and develop innovative practice to support our work in our services within the Essex area. 

We wish to recruit 2 Substance Misuse Practitioners to join the established All Age Recovery Co-ordination Service (AARCS), which we deliver in partnership with Open Road, supporting young people, adults and families affected by substance misuse.

You will undertake individual assessments and risk assessment with young people up to the age of 25, developing a person-centred care plan specific to that young person and their needs and supporting them through their recovery journey with the service. This will be delivered through a range of tailored interventions, in both a one to one and/or targeted group work capacity.

-You will have substantial experience in working with vulnerable young people either in a paid or unpaid capacity.

-You will have experience of carrying out individual and group work interventions with young people & adults.

-You will have experience in using Microsoft Office Applications and other relevant data systems.

-You can demonstrate the ability to work on your own initiative as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

As well as a strong commitment to your development, we offer a generous holiday entitlement, a contributory stakeholder pension, childcare vouchers and flexible working.

The Children's Society runs over 100 local services that help thousands of young people who desperately need our support, and we campaign to get laws and policies changed to make young people's lives happier and safer. 

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with.  As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.  We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across our services.

Candidates applying for work in our Children and Young People Directorate will be required to complete an “Employment history" form, which will be emailed to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. 

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 19th May 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive enough applications.

Interviews will be held in person at our Chelmsford Office - 114 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6LF.

IN1

Our amazing team at Alana House are looking for a Women’s Centre Team Leader to join the team. 

Would you like to make a lasting difference to women facing multiple disadvantages? Our award winning trauma recovery service empowers and enables women to access the support they need.  

Position: Women’s Community Project – Alana House Team Leader

Location: The role is based in our Reading office with hybrid flexible working arrangements to provide for working at home and in the office

Contract: Permanent full time – 37 hours per week Monday to Friday.  Working pattern to be agreed within the hours of: Monday to Tuesday 8.30am-5pm | Wednesday 8.30am-7pm | Thursday 8.30am-5pm | Friday 8.30am-4pm

Salary: Starting salary in the range of £35,502  to £43,389 per annum 

Alana House is PACT’s flagship community project that uses a holistic approach to support and empower women. We offer a confidential, women-only, non-judgemental space and our services are delivered for women by women to ensure a safe, comfortable and trauma informed environment for those accessing support.

About the role:

As the Women’s Centre Team Leader, you will be responsible for leading a team of Key Workers to achieve the positive engagement of service users which leads to positive outcomes.  Your responsibilities will include:

· manage a team of Key Workers: monitoring performance and progress to ensure KPIs and goals are met

· contribute to identifying, training and supporting service user representatives and peer mentors

· act as the first point of contact for women referred to our service and conduct structured assessments to understand needs

· regularly meet with women to provide dedicated emotional and practical support

About you:

As the Key Worker Team Leader, you’ll bring highly demonstrable people management skills to encourage, motivate, support and develop a team and monitor and manage performance, along with an in-depth knowledge of issues facing justice involved women and those at risk of entering the justice system.

If this sounds like you please visit our website and apply today to join a collaborative and dedicated team who are part of something truly meaningful.

For an informal discussion about the role please visit the advert on our website for contact details for Sabina, Alana House Manager.

Early applications are encouraged as we may review and appoint on an earlier basis if a successful candidate is secured.

Closing date: 9am, Monday 11 May 2026

All opportunities with PACT are based in the UK, and you must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Senior Family Support Worker, Family Key Work Leader, Senior Key Worker, Women’s Support Worker Leader, Women’s Key Worker Manger, Domestic Abuse Support Worker Manager, Domestic Abuse Key Worker Leader, IDVA, ISVA, Probation Services Manager, etc.

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at PACT. We have robust measures and best practices in place to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we take pride in maintaining outstanding safeguarding standards.

Anyone joining our team is subject to PACT’s safer recruitment pre-appointment enquiries, including a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS). The role description provides information on what our safer recruitment enquiries include and the level of DBS required to work in the role.

Our Purpose

Unlocking Potential is the charity that supports schools and communities to ensure no child or family struggles alone with their social, emotional and mental health needs. We provide flexible, over-time, multi-disciplinary therapeutic support that meets children and families where they are, and enables them to feel safe, understood and the best version of themselves.

Vision

Everyone feels supported, equipped and able to achieve their potential.

Mission

Our mission is to provide tailored therapeutic support to more children, while training the practitioners of the future to build holistic, resilient social systems that equip children and their families with the confidence, tools, and skills to thrive at school and within their communities.

Values

Individual: Everything we do is about the individual and what is right for them – no two children, families or schools are the same.

Innovative: We look for new solutions, evolving our thinking and approach – ensuring the use of bold, co-designed practice.

Collaborative: We choose to work with others to find the best solutions – we are stronger together.

Overview

We launched our new programme in September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this. This service will offer flexible, relationship-based support to families facing a range of challenges, helping them navigate systems, strengthen protective factors, and improve outcomes for children. Operating across extended hours, the service will be accessible and responsive, with a strong focus on early intervention, collaboration, and building trust with families.

The role

This is a unique opportunity to take on a senior, hands-on role within an innovative early help service working within a small, dynamic team to make a tangible difference to the lives of children and their families. As a Senior Family Support Worker, you will deliver flexible,and therapeutically minded support to families often facing multiple and complex challenges, drawing on your experience to provide guidance and mentorship to less experienced colleagues. You will build trusted relationships through home visits, school meetings, and provide practical support—facilitating parents and carers to feel empowered to strengthen routines, manage behaviour, improve attendance, and access services. Your work will be informed by detailed needs assessments and focused on achieving meaningful outcomes with each family.