Recovery Worker Substance Misuse – Multi-Disciplinary Team

Recovery Worker Substance Misuse – Multi-Disciplinary Team

Fixed Term, Full Time | £31,931 to £36,423 per annum |

Location:

Chelmsford | Working Style:
Community-based worker | Closing Date: 27th January 2026.

The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) brings together experts in housing, domestic abuse, education, drug and alcohol support, youth work, and mental health for adults and children. MDT workers provide specialist knowledge and therapeutic insight to re‑engage families, restore hope, and foster sustainable change. The team operates within frontline social work, delivering interventions in the community or families’ homes.

Working alongside Social Workers, you will promote family members’ involvement to improve outcomes for children, engage individuals with complex presentations and substance/alcohol misuse challenges, and provide support and clinical interventions. Your responsibilities include risk assessment, safety planning, developing recovery plans, applying motivational interviewing, ITEP, cognitive behavioural techniques, and brief interventions to enhance engagement in treatment, self‑esteem, well‑being, and parenting capacity. You will review ongoing care, liaise with partner agencies, and support families in accessing appropriate services.

• Work and liaise with agencies involved in the client’s broader care plan (health services, hospitals, GP’s).
• Deliver and coordinate a recovery‑focused model using up‑to‑date evidence‑based interventions.
• Ensure parents and carers receive high‑quality services that meet best practice guidelines and professional standards.
• Contribute to overall service performance, meet contractual output targets, and record client data to fulfil administrative, financial, and contractual requirements.
• Maintain flexibility across the operational site and within agreed hours of service provision.
• Take responsibility for personal development, identifying training needs, and participating in supervision and appraisal.

• Strong experience in substance misuse services.
• Experience working with high‑risk families where children are under Child Protection or Child in Need Plans.
• Demonstrable outcomes supporting adults with a history of substance misuse.
• Ability to act as a catalyst for change in families’ lives.
• Experience handling challenging presentations such as resistance, minimisation, and denial and achieving positive outcomes.
• Knowledge of local services and issues.
• Training in ITEP/BTEI or other structured psychosocial interventions.
• Qualifications related to substance misuse.

The role requires travel across Essex and beyond, transporting service users and belongings in emergencies. A driving licence and own vehicle or alternative means of travel are essential.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will attend a face‑to‑face interview at an Essex County Council office around the week commencing 9th February 2026. If successful, the anticipated start date is April 2026.

Essex County Council is a Disability Confident Leader and commits to interview disabled applicants who meet the role’s minimum requirements under the Job Interview Scheme. We also interview all veterans and care leavers who meet these requirements. Please contact Recruiters for reasonable adjustments.

Employment may require a DBS check. Successful applicants must register with the DBS update service and maintain annual subscriptions. The council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to uphold this commitment.

For further details on our Multi‑Disciplinary Team vacancies, visit Working for Essex – Multi‑Disciplinary Team Vacancies. We have a ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video, and you can support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements as employee benefits. Contact  for queries. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In.