Drug and Alcohol Recovery Worker

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic person who has experience of working with people with substance use problems and/or experience of working with complex mental health presentations in a community, inpatient, or forensic setting. We are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have experience working with third sector/charity substance misuse organisations, and those who are representative of the diverse population we serve.

The post holder will be part of a dynamic clinical team across the medium and low secure inpatient service working with service users with forensic histories and severe and enduring mental health problems. The primary role of the post holder will be to offer assessment and intervention to forensic service users who have difficulties with substance use who are in our inpatient services. The post holder will also provide consultation to other professionals across the clinical teams to enable them to understand and manage the risks and needs associated with service users’ substance misuse. The post holder will be embedded within the forensic directorate’s Drug and Alcohol Service, a multi-disciplinary, specialist team, with access to rich supervision and CPD opportunities.

Main duties of the job

  1. Under supervision, to undertake specialist assessment and formulation of forensic service users’ substance use problems.
  2. Under supervision, to deliver psychosocial interventions for substance use in both individual and group format.
  3. To provide consultation, support, and advice in relation to substance misuse issues to the forensic service, including ward multidisciplinary teams and relevant health professionals and other agencies as appropriate.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Minimum of 1 year’s clinical employment within a forensic service, substance misuse team or dual diagnosis team
  • Clinical risk assessment and management of vulnerable service user groups
  • Working with service users with co-existing mental health and substance use problems
  • Experience of developing and delivering training to multidisciplinary audiences
  • Clinical practice that is aligned with the principles of Trauma Informed Care

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of the principles and practice of Trauma Informed Care, and of how trauma relates to both substance misuse and mental
  • To apply recovery values and principles in day to day work.
  • To empower service users to draw from their strengths and assets, and identify solutions
  • Ability to implement local policy and procedure
  • Ability to manage incidents of verbal and physical aggression

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Undergraduate degree/diploma or equivalent years of experience would also be considered
  • Professional Qualification e.g. Nursing, Social Work, or Counselling.
  • Evidence of professional development

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 12 July 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.