Substance Misuse Worker

The Families First Model (FFM) is an innovative approach to safeguarding children and young people experiencing or at risk of harm. The model is underpinned by a strengths‑based ethos to identify and elicit positive changes for families. Multi‑agency workers will be co‑located within the Safeguarding Service to ensure collaborative, personalised delivery of whole family interventions to improve the lives of children and families.

Multi‑agency workers will undertake direct, specialist work with families, with a distinct focus on the Trio of Vulnerabilities (domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health). Workers will share specialist advice and guidance with social workers, through effective group supervision and timely consultations.

The Families First Substance Misuse Worker role will sit within the Families First Service working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary Team. Key responsibilities of this role include:

• The post holder will be an experienced professional who can positively engage and form relationships of trust with parents when they are identified as substance misuse issues.
• The post holder will have experience of direct work with people with alcohol and substance misuse, either on a 1:1 or group basis.
• To work directly with clients to support the reduction of substance use related harm and increasing parental capacity.
• To support clients within a 1:1 setting with making changes around their substance using behaviours, enabling them to lead meaningful and purposeful lives: promoting recovery, resilience and self‑determination.
• To co‑deliver structured content within the parenting recovery programme group setting to clients at various stages of recovery.
• Engaging with debriefing and evaluations with co‑facilitators after groups/pods have taken place, reviewing progress and identifying concerns with service users.

• Educated at level 4 or above professional qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. youth work, children and youth, social care, education, substance misuse qualifications) and some experience in a related field.
• Experience of positively engaging and forming a relationship of trust with families that have faced early childhood adversity resulting in challenges with parenting.
• Experience of providing support to adults affected by problematic alcohol or drug misuse through a home visiting and an outreach approach.
• Experience of providing targeted support to adults experiencing substance misuse, utilising evidence based interventions, and harm reduction techniques to improve sustainable recovery outcomes for families.
• Experience in directly delivering interventions on a 1:1 basis and ability to identify when parents need further advice, support and effective treatment interventions.

We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:

• 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (for term‑time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non‑working periods in your contract)
• Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
• Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
• Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work‑life balance
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• A range of staff benefits and discounts
• An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway