D&R Team Leader - South East London Cluster 5

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.

As a Team Leader in the Dependency and Recovery Services, you will be working within a hybrid model as part of a flexible, multi-disciplinary team, working in person and travelling across the probation delivery units: Greenwich and Bexley, Lewisham and Bromley. You will be based in a variety of probation offices: Greenwich, Bexleyheath, Lewisham, Orpington. Some work may be delivered virtually, however this is an in-person service, and your role is key in supporting staff and developing stakeholder relationships.

The service is designed to improve engagement of clients into treatment services and ‘bridge the gap’ between probation and substance misuse services in the community by offering practical assistance and ongoing support through a range of timebound, enforceable and motivational interventions.

You will be managing a team of practitioners who will be delivering Dependency and Recovery Services to adult males under probation supervision, supporting to implement their action plan and navigate their recovery journey. Just like you, they will build and maintain positive working relationships with their probation practitioner colleagues and all stakeholders involved in their Service User’s care. You will need to be fully embedded within probation offices to promote the work we do.

You will provide visible team leadership, travelling across the locations you are responsible for, attending essential meetings and ensuring smooth project delivery so that your team are providing a high quality service.

Our service success is dependent on appropriate staff recruitment, development, retention and practice. You are responsible for ensuring that you are highly people focused, providing coaching and all practical supports that enable your staff to thrive in conjunction with service manager.

On a daily basis you will be allocating referrals, managing a small number of complex cases, supporting and developing your team,  ensuring deadlines and quality standards are met. You will be responsible for delivering on performance targets set by Forward Trust and Commissioners. You will support the Service Manager to ensure data accuracy and data submission deadlines are met and services are promoted across the areas you are responsible for to ensure contract volumes are met.

You will have close relationships with Probation Delivery Units, Prisons, Partners, Service Users, Stakeholders, Volunteers and all parts of Forward Trust. You will make every contact matter and keep excellent records.

At times you will be the most senior representative available and will be required to deputise for the Service Manager to ensure the smooth running of the service. You will be in a position of trust and building an excellent relationship with your manager will be a priority, as well as collaborative working relationships with partner agencies.

Some degree of flexibility may be required if out of office work is needed, but this is a predominately Mon -Fri 09:00-17:00 role.

You will at times be required to attend our head office for training and essential meetings.

• Demonstrable experience in the management of teams, performance and development.
• Genuine interest and experience in motivating and developing people
• Experience in key relationship management both internally and externally
• Knowledge and experience of implementing formal procedures and policies
• Excellent problem solving and negotiation skills
• Project and time management skills
• Knowledge of the issues facing service users in the criminal justice sector.
• Demonstrable experience of managing high caseloads, carrying out risk/ comprehensive assessments, SMART action plans and effective case records
• A qualification in Management at Level 3/working towards or demonstrable experience in a comparable role

A full person specification can be found on the Job Description below.

We value the dedication and commitment of our employees by rewarding them with market-leading pay and benefits.

We also offer:

• Flexible working
• 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)
• 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)

DR Team Leader JD - South East London Cluster 5