About Us

Early Intervention Substance Misuse Worker
£35,094 - £42,525 per annum
Permanent
Full Time (36 Hours)
Wandsworth, London
Ofsted Rating: ‘Good’
 
Are you a proactive, experienced and children centred Substance Misuse Outreach Worker who is an excellent communicator adept at partnership working? Based across our communities, schools, and early help services to ensure young people receive harm reduction advice, targeted interventions and substance misuse treatment; you will be working with young people up to the age of 18 or 25 if they have identified vulnerabilities and learning difficulties. Can you demonstrate a ‘can do’ attitude to finding creative ways of working with and helping these young people?

About the role 

Outreach: You will be supporting young people with their alcohol and drug use, vaping and smoking based across a number of council hub sites and youth organisations in the borough depending on need, with attendance to team meetings and network meetings when required.

Multidisciplinary Team: You will be working in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team and join a network of proactive substance misuse workers across children’s social care and youth justice.

Interventions: You will use your existing skills and experience in delivering specialist treatment and support using evidence-based techniques such as counselling, motivational interviewing, CBT and harm reduction.

Ofsted Rating: You will contribute to maintaining our 'Good' rating from Ofsted for children's services, reflecting the high quality of care provided.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Qualified in counselling, psychology, teaching, social work, youth work or substantial experience in a relevant field.
• Certified substance abuse counsellor with a specific focus on youth treatment.
• Specialised training or certification in addiction counselling, smoking cessation, and interventions for young people.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills tailored to effectively engage and motivate young clients facing multiple challenges.
• Experience of working with young people experiencing trauma, and substance misuse, and their families
• Experience of delivering targeted substance misuse interventions, tier 3 treatment, harm minimisation and support to young people.

Contact Details

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Jennifer Stapleton, Early Help Service Manager at jennifer.stapleton@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

If you have the passion and drive to work closely with young people in their community alongside community partners, possess the required qualification, skills and experience, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity. Join our team and play a crucial part in supporting young people to reduce their substance misuse and make a difference.

Closing Date: Monday 1st April 2024

Shortlisting Date: Week commencing 1st April 2024

Interview Date: Week commencing 8th April 2024

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. 

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils