Prison Link Worker - The Forward Trust : Job Details

Prison Link Worker

Location: London D&R (Predominantly covering HMP Highdown, HMP Wandsworth and HMP Brixton)

Salary: £25,154 - £30,742 per annum

We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime or addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been helping people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends, and a sense of community.

Forward Trust deliver Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), directly for HMPPS. Currently we deliver Accommodation, Dependency and Recovery and Personal Wellbeing. Accommodation is delivered in Dyfed-Powys, South Wales and Gwent. Dependency and Recovery in London and Yorkshire and The Humber. Personal Wellbeing in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Sussex, Surrey; and as a subcontractor in Kent and Cheshire.

What you will be doing

As a Prison link worker in the Dependency and Recovery Services, you will be working within a hybrid model as part of a flexible, multi-disciplinary team, working across a cluster of delivery sites covering mainly custodial settings across London, with some work required in mandated community locations.

Prison link workers will be our single point of contact with the prison, including substance misuse (SMU)/healthcare teams, supporting engagement, targeting boroughs with low continuity of care by providing meet and greet/enhanced support for releases that have a history of non-engagement, with daily calls/appointment reminders and accompanying People on Probation (POP) to appointments. You will need to manage risks associated with transition to community, e.g. treatment drop-out, overdose, and mitigations e.g. naloxone.

You will need to understand the barriers and opportunities to improve continuity of care (pre-release contact, reviewing release plans, developing disengagement plans, identifying alternative points of contact for the SU on release (e.g. family/friends), meet and greet service).

You will need to be fully prison-vetted and carry keys to work in custodial settings to build relationships with referred People in Prison (PIP), Key Workers, and prison SMU, for in-depth understanding of each prisoner’s pre/post release needs. Our model is a blended approach of 1:1 and group work, face-to-face and virtual

You will carry a diverse caseload of mainly adult male prison leavers (pre/post) and those on community orders within the Probation services, supporting to implement their action plan and navigate their recovery journey, building trust, and providing support/continuity of contact and signposting. You will be responsible for completing comprehensive assessments, creating a collaborative action plan, whilst maintaining accurate record keeping throughout

You will deliver services which enhance access to treatment as well as providing additional support and guidance meeting the needs of those whose substance use disorders often co-occur alongside other mental illnesses and other complex needs

The Dependency and Recovery Service will not duplicate provision where Commissioned Services are already in place, instead we will work to ensure access and sustained engagement with statutory and existing provision to include building motivation, practical assistance and ongoing support and/or achieve controlled dependent behaviour or abstinence with the aim to reduce re-offending

What we are looking for

• Understanding needs of our client group upon release
• A thorough knowledge of, the needs of clients within custody and who are engaged in Criminal Justice services, together with knowledge of addiction approaches
• Demonstrable experience of managing high caseloads, carrying out risk/ comprehensive assessments, SMART action plans and effective case records
• Experience of delivering both 1:1 and group-work interventions using motivational techniques and trauma informed approaches
• Experience of working with treatment and/or healthcare services
• The ability to set and stick to professional boundaries
• Ability to work effectively with key partners in order to successfully deliver outcomes
• Demonstrate the ability to organise workload , ensuring effective time management and prioritisation to meet targets
• Understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of equal opportunity and GDPR requirements including client confidentiality
• Experience of strong communication skills with people from a range of backgrounds in a sensitive, supportive and professional manner
• Driving licence and access to a car ( the role will require visits to all prisons in and provide meet and greet for release)

What we offer

• Training opportunities and career development
• Flexible working
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme - Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.