Prison Link Worker

Location: London - Hybrid (Mainly covering HMP Pentonville and HMP Wormwood Scrubs)

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 will you be doing?

As a Prison Link Worker in the Dependency and Recovery Service, you will be working within a hybrid model as part of a flexible, multi-disciplinary team, working across designated Prison and Community locations within London.

Prison link workers will be the Dependency and Recovery single point of contact within their designated prisons, working closely with substance misuse services and resettlement teams

• 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.
• Providing through the gate, meet and greet/enhanced support for releases and successful transition to the community
• 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 be responsible for adhering to the targets set by Forward and the local commissioners. Co-operative working relationships with other partner agencies and probation staff are vital to this role.
• 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.

Some degree of flexibility may be required if out of office work is required, but this is a predominantly a Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 role.

You may at times be required to attend our head office for training or support in other areas of London. On occasions you may be required to support different sites across London.

What we are looking for?

We are looking for motivated, self-driven and passionate individuals to work with our client group and support them on their way to recovery. If you do not have the direct skills and experience listed below you will need to demonstrate relevant transferable skills .We offer robust induction and an ongoing training programme to develop our workforce.

A thorough understanding and knowledge of the needs of clients within custody and upon release and/or experience of working in a related or similar field

• 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
• Ability to adhere 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
• Level 3 substance misuse related qualification/working knowledge of substance misuse services or relevant experience in a comparable role
• Knowledge and experience of the criminal justice sector.
• We welcome applicants with lived experience of addiction and/or imprisonment

What we offer

• Extensive training, development and career opportunities
• Flexible working subject to buisness needs
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (Optional)
• Monthly group clinical supervision
• Season Ticket Loan 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
• 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.