Young person 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.

Are you passionate about supporting young people and shaping education-based interventions? We are looking for a Senior Practitioner – Education & Partnerships to lead strategic engagement with schools, colleges, and community partners across Buckinghamshire. This is a unique opportunity to combine frontline expertise with leadership in developing targeted education programmes and partnership work.

Where: Buckinghamshire (Countywide)

Full Time Hours: 37.5 per week

Full Time Salary Range: £32,002.35- £34,214.20*

*Please note: 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

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a practice lead within our Children & Young People’s Service, working with young people with complex needs.
• Drive the development and delivery of substance misuse prevention and early intervention programmes in educational settings.
• Build strong relationships with schools, PRUs, youth services, and voluntary organisations.
• Represent the service at education forums, safeguarding panels, and partnership boards.
• Line manage the Targeted Intervention Coordinator and oversee the Youth Ambassadors programme.
• Provide training and consultation to professionals on issues facing young people around substance misuse.
• Deliver high-quality interventions for young people with complex needs, including assessments, care planning, and psychosocial support.
• Lead education-focused initiatives such as targeted ter 2 workshops and interventions.
• Develop resources and toolkits for schools and youth settings.
• Ensure accurate data collection and reporting for educational interventions.
• Support the Team Leader with case management, audits, and service development.
• Champion safeguarding and trauma-informed practice across all activities.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Experienced in multi-agency working and building strong partnerships.
• Knowledgeable about young people’s substance misuse, safeguarding, and harm reduction.
• Skilled in delivering education programmes and managing staff or volunteers.
• Qualified to Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or equivalent). 
• You will need to work flexibly countywide across Buckinghamshire so must hold a full UK driving license and have access to a car.

 What we Offer 

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays) rising by 1 day for each years’ service “Capped at 30 days” 
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme 
• Contributory pension scheme 
• A great selection of benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc. 
• Opportunity to lead and shape a vital service alongside a friendly and supportive team 
• Training, career development & progression opportunities 
• 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 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

Interview Date

23/1/2026

Closing Date

12/1/2026

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

Play a key role in a pioneering £1m Maudsley funded programme transforming how primary care supports young people. As Research Fellow, you’ll lead research and evaluation activity across four South London boroughs and help build WCC’s growing national evidence and insight function.

This post offers an exceptional opportunity to be part of an innovative and rapidly developing programme that blends real world service change with high quality research. Working across the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) boroughs — Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Croydon — you will document, analyse and demonstrate the impact of new youth friendly primary care approaches as they are designed, implemented and adapted.

Supervised by Dr Ann Hagell (Consultant to The Well Centre Charity) and Professor Johnny Downs (King’s College London), you will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary partnership that includes KCL’s CAMHS Digital Lab, primary care teams, youth workers and community stakeholders. This is a rare chance to contribute foundational insight to a charity entering its national scaling phase.

About The Well Centre Charity

The Well Centre Charity exists to ensure every young person has access to health support that is holistic, youth friendly and free from barriers. Our model brings together GPs, Health and Wellbeing Practitioners and mental health practitioners to deliver integrated care in a way young people value.

Rooted in Lambeth, the Well Centre model has inspired services across South London and beyond. We are now building the research, learning and system infrastructure required to scale this approach nationally. Joining us now means shaping our evidence base and strengthening our role as an innovation partner to local and national systems.

This post is funded by the Maudsley Charity, but the employment contract will be held by Herne Hill Group Practice, the home of the original Well Centre.

About the Role

As Research Fellow, you will lead research and evaluation for the Maudsley programme and contribute to the wider evidence and insight function of WCC. You will use both qualitative and quantitative methods, support digital innovation with KCL, and help ensure that young people’s experiences, outcomes and priorities shape service development.

Your work will inform commissioners, clinicians and system partners working to reduce health inequalities and strengthen support for adolescents across South London and beyond.

What You’ll Do

You will:

• Design and deliver research and evaluation that tracks the rollout of new Well Centre–style services

• Use mixed methods to understand how services improve young people’s outcomes and experiences

• Analyse quantitative and qualitative data and translate findings into actionable recommendations

• Work closely with the CAMHS Digital Lab to support digital innovation and data capture

• Contribute to co production and engagement with young people and community voices

• Prepare protocols and support ethical approval processes

• Produce high quality reports, presentations and publications

• Synthesise evidence for commissioners, clinical partners and funders

• Champion evidence led practice within WCC and the wider programme

About You

We are looking for a thoughtful, curious and motivated researcher who wants to make a tangible difference to young people’s lives. You’ll value collaboration, bring intellectual rigour and enjoy working in a small team where flexibility, initiative and shared purpose matter more than hierarchy.

Essential Criteria

• Postgraduate degree (e.g., MSc) in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, social sciences or related discipline

• Experience setting up or supporting research studies, ideally in adolescent or population health

• Ability to translate complex findings into accessible insights for diverse audiences

• Strong literature synthesis and critical appraisal skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities

• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams

• Knowledge of ethical research practice and GDPR compliance

• Ability to form effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders

• Experience of qualitative research with young people

Desirable

• PhD (completed or near submission) in a relevant field

• Experience in adolescent health, youth development, primary care or CAMHS

• Familiarity with NHS datasets and publicly available health and mapping data

• Understanding of SNOMED, Read Codes or clinical phenotyping systems

• Experience with ethical approval and information governance processes

• Strong quantitative or analytical skills using R, Python or STATA

• Experience of co design with young people

What We Offer

• The chance to be part of a pioneering programme improving adolescent health

• A supportive, collaborative and values led culture

• Opportunities for publication, innovation and professional development

• Hybrid working and flexibility

• Autonomy to contribute creatively to a growing organisation

Benefits

(Herne Hill Group Practice employment terms)

• Company pension

• Cycle to Work scheme

• On site parking

• Referral programme

• Sick pay

• Generous annual leave

Job Details

• Job type: Full time or part time

• Hours: Up to 37.5 per week

• Salary: £34,960.82 – £40,000 per year

• Location: Hybrid remote, London SW2 3UP, with travel across the four SLaM boroughs