Alcohol Treatment Outreach Recovery Worker - STARS Southend

We are The Forward Trust (formerly RAPt and Blue Sky), the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with 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.

We believe and are committed to providing opportunities to all people including those with ‘Lived Experience’ we encourage applications from all background including those in recovery from addiction, co-dependency or gambling, have experience of previous offending or homelessness.

• To engage with a range of people who have adopted ‘street-based living’ including rough sleepers and beggars who have an alcohol treatment need with a view to engaging them in appropriate services and moving them into more settled lifestyles.
• To bring the alcohol treatment pathway to those in need in the community, by providing assessments and psychosocial interventions.
• Increase service user choice, service user involvement and empower service users to maintain sustainable change; working collaboratively and proactively to ensure that services are fully co-ordinated and are working collectively towards the achievement of goals and positives outcomes for each individual client.
• To build and develop service users’ personal strengths and social networks in the UK and/or in the individual’s country of origin. To provide a range of flexible and effective interventions to engage with hard to reach service users.
• To identify and establish contact with rough sleepers and beggars who have an alcohol treatment need, working within protocols to rapidly assist service users through street outreach shifts at a variety of times and a range of locations.
• To provide assertive outreach where required to those who are entrenched in lifestyle of drinking and street based living.
• To assist homeless service users to be discharged from hospital at an appropriate time by moving them into appropriate accommodation as quickly as possible.
• To work closely with the drug and alcohol teams within the service to ensure that substance misusers and problem drinkers are able to access treatment.
• To advise service users regarding their alcohol use, using recognised theoretical models (e.g. Motivational Interviewing), supporting them to identify and explore concerns before deciding on a possible course of action.
• To work with Mental Health Agencies to ensure that where appropriate, service users have access to address their mental health issues.
• To work proactively to ensure that service users have access to ongoing healthcare.
• To work closely with the Housing Strategy Team and Supported Housing Providers across the local area in order to maximise accommodation opportunities for the service user group.
• To convene and contribute to service user case conferences where appropriate.
• To work closely with all partner services, sharing appropriate information and ensuring that action plans are carried through.
• To represent the team at external forums where appropriate and requested to do so.
• To participate in the ongoing statistical analysis of rough sleepers, as part of the MHCLG ongoing monitoring programme.
• To participate in street counts when requested.
• To maintain accurate and comprehensive service user records in line with Forward's procedures and protocols and the requirements of the local authority, maintaining confidentiality and sharing information with appropriate agencies.
• To participate in patterns of shift work to enable the team to maximise potential contact with service users, which will include working unsociable hours and sometimes in severe weather conditions.

• Understanding of the needs of people who are rough sleeping
  and/or begging.
• 
  In-depth knowledge of at least one of the following: substance misuse, alcohol misuse, mental health.
• 
  Understanding the importance of multi-agency working.
•  
  Experience of and a commitment to, working positively in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies.
• 
  Knowledge of safeguarding procedures applicable to children and vulnerable adults.
• 
  Knowledge of Supported Housing
• 
  The ability to work with confidence and patience with clients unwilling to engage with services and those that exhibit challenging behaviour.
• 
  The ability to work unsociable hours as and when required. 
  
  
  

We value the dedication and commitment of our employees by rewarding them with market-leading pay and benefits.  We provide comprehensive training  and opportunities for career progression. 

We also offer: 

• Flexible working 
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• £90 per month - External Therapy Allowance
• 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)

Job Specification

*Please note, we reserve the right to close this role early