Substance Intervention Worker WMF

Job reference REQ Date posted 29/10/2026 Final date to receive applications 26/11/2026 Location KENDAL Salary 35,570.00 TO 36,581.00 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Location:

Kendal Contract Type:
Fixed term – 24 months.

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and supporting parents and carers to make positive, lasting changes to their lives?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Substance Intervention Worker to join our multi-agency Child Protection Team, working at the heart of our commitment to safeguarding children and strengthening families.

This is a unique opportunity to bring specialist knowledge of substance use, recovery and its impact on parenting into child protection practice, helping social workers and families work together to reduce risk and achieve better outcomes for children.

You will work directly with parents and carers whose children are subject to Child Protection Plans where substance use is identified as a safeguarding concern. You will help families understand the impact of substance use on parenting, children’s safety and wellbeing, while supporting social workers to identify risks, challenge concerns and develop effective plans to safeguard children.

Working collaboratively with social workers and multi-agency partners, you will provide specialist advice, guidance and practical intervention to ensure substance use is recognised, understood and appropriately addressed within child protection planning.

Your role will include:

• Provide specialist advice and guidance to social workers on substance use, associated risks, and the impact on parenting capacity and children’s lived experiences.
• Support effective safety planning, helping develop clear, measurable plans that reduce substance-related risks and promote children’s safety.
• Work directly with parents and carers to explore substance use, increase understanding of its impact on children, and encourage engagement with support.
• Engage parents who are resistant or ambivalent to change, using a relationship-based approach while maintaining a strong focus on safeguarding.
• Facilitate access to treatment and recovery services, supporting sustained engagement and positive outcomes.
• Promote multi-agency working, contributing to coordinated assessments, planning and intervention.
• Strengthen child protection practice by sharing specialist knowledge and evidence-informed approaches to substance use and parenting.
• Support lasting change, helping families reduce risk, improve parenting capacity and achieve better outcomes for children.

We are seeking an experienced substance use practitioner who is passionate about safeguarding children and improving outcomes for families facing challenges with substance use. The successful candidate will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to work effectively with families where substance use impacts on parenting, family functioning and children’s safety and wellbeing.

You will bring a strong understanding of substance use, addiction and recovery, alongside insight into the effects these can have on parenting capacity, family relationships and children’s development. Working as part of a multi-agency team, you will provide specialist advice, guidance and constructive challenge to social workers and partner agencies, helping to inform assessment, planning and intervention.

You will be skilled in building effective relationships with parents and carers, including those who may be ambivalent about change, resistant to professional involvement or experiencing barriers to accessing support. With a solution-focused and strengths-based approach, you will work alongside families to promote…