Closing date: 02 November 2026

Job summary
To participate in providing the successful and effective delivery of the Integrated Substance Misuse Services within Secured Services, delivering best practice psychosocial interventions to support the patients' recovery journey.

To provide high quality patient care with a strong focus towards harm reduction and health promotion / recovery agendas through comprehensive assessment, care-planning, implementation and evaluation of care for people with substance misuse problems.

Please note this post is subject to security vetting. To be considered for this post you will need to have continuously resided in the UK without any breaks for a minimum of 3 years prior to this application and be able to evidence your years of residency. Please note without sufficient evidence your application may not progress.

Main duties of the job

• To carry a psychosocial caseload with responsibility for assessing, care-planning, implementing and evaluating patient care.
• To undertake comprehensive assessment of patients needs following referral to the service and completion formulations to advise patient care.
• To lead/co-facilitate group work relevant to substance misuse and offending behaviour.
• To effectively liaise and develop links with services, both internal and external, within the prison setting and in the community to establish effective through care and after care pathways.
• To act as a second check and signatory in the dispensing of controlled drugs in relation to substance misuse.
• To aid and support the Peer Mentor scheme through supervision of the peer mentors and involvement in recruitment and training.
• To provide information and advice about drugs, alcohol, smoking cessation and related issues, to include blood-borne viruses and safer sex.
• To work in conjunction with the prescriber, attending 13 week reviews and SMS complex case meetings to ensure appropriate patient clinical care.
• To devise care plans, formulating from assessment and implement and review on a regular basis, in-line with patient needs.

About us
NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.

At NHFT we believe that work should be rewarded in every sense which is why we are proud to an accredited living wage employer.

We aim to support financial wellbeing and create an environment where are people feel valued and able to thrive.

Details

• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 5
• Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year pa pro rata
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 270-TH456-HMPRAN

Job responsibilities

• To be responsible for a caseload of patients with a diverse range of substance misuse treatment needs, and to provide a comprehensive package of care that includes reference to both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments including Methadone, Espranor, Buvidal, Naltrexone, Acamprosate and Disulfiram.
• To work within an wider integrated healthcare team to ensure the best standards of care for patients. This includes joint working with primary care, mental health and pharmacy colleagues.
• To ensure continuity of case by effectively plan for patient discharge and prison transfer and/or release in conjunction with community services. To ensure appropriate transfer of patient information and management of highlighted patient risks including facilitating take-home naloxone training.
• To obtain clinical observations on patients to support safer prescribing decisions and monitor withdrawal. This includes obtaining urine drug samples and screening for blood-borne viruses.
• To provide information, advice and guidance on a range of issues relating to substance misuse, including overdose and tolerance, harm reduction, specific substance awareness and safer injecting.
• To plan, deliver and train junior staff in evidence-based psychosocial interventions via one-to-one and group sessions.
• To be actively involved in appraisal systems, clinical and managerial supervision, and be active in identifying aims and objectives for personal development to meet department objectives. This includes remaining up-to-date with any and all mandatory and role-specific training.
• To assess and respond to patients at risk of suicide using the appropriate interventions, including the prison service's ACCT process.

Person Specification
Essential

• The application includes evidence of the required years of UK residency to meet prison vetting standards
• Evidence of equivalent training and experience within in the provision of structured psychosocial and clinical interventions, including CBT, Motivational Interviewing skills, RCGP1, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy etc
• Appropriate years' experience in prison or community related substance misuse multi-disciplinary work. This could include substantial voluntary work
• Experience of delivering structured group-based interventions
• Experience of working in a prison or other secured setting
• Understanding of the clinical guidelines regarding substance misuse treatment in prisons
• Able to assess and evaluate risk in relation to substance misuse and mental health-related needs
• Excellent level of communication skills, including written and verbal communication, record-keeping and accurate documentation
• Able to manage a personal caseload of patients with diverse substance misuse, physical and mental health needs
• Able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including with healthcare, prison and community partners

Desirable

• Experience of supporting administration of medication as a second signatory
• Understanding of a range of treatment options available, including knowledge of evidence-based approaches to Psychosocial Interventions
• Either a current professional registration e.g. O.T, Social Work, Counselling and/or relevant experience in Drug and Alcohol Counselling

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address: HMP Ranby, Straight Mile, Retford, DN22 8EU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Service Manager - Substance Misuse, Laura Matthews, laura.matthews@nhft.nhs.uk, 01777863083

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