We are Forward, a social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction so they can move forward and live fulfilling lives. Our services focus on supporting individuals to make positive and lasting change through compassionate, person-centred support.
The RECONNECT service is a care after custody programme that improves the continuity of care for people leaving prison or an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) who have identified health needs. We work with individuals up to 12 weeks before their release and for up to six months post-release, ensuring they can successfully transition into community-based health and wellbeing services while maintaining the progress made while in custody.
Our East of England RECONNECT service supports adults aged 18 and over who are due to be released from custody within 12 weeks, or within 28 days post-release, and who require ongoing healthcare or wellbeing support.
About the Role
As a RECONNECT Practitioner, you will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive, inclusive and bespoke RECONNECT service to individuals preparing for release from HMP Bedford, HMP Woodhill and Yarl’s Wood IRC.
Working closely with service users prior to release and throughout their transition back into the community, you will identify individual needs through robust assessments and develop personalised care plans. These plans will ensure individuals are connected to appropriate health, wellbeing and community services to support long-term recovery and stability.
You will work collaboratively with prison staff, healthcare professionals, community organisations and other partner agencies to ensure that individuals receive seamless support. The role requires strong relationship-building skills and a proactive approach to coordinating services that safeguard and sustain health and wellbeing outcomes.
Key responsibilities include:
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Processing referrals and providing updates to referrers on assessment outcomes
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Conducting in-depth needs assessments for all appropriate referrals
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Developing and implementing personalised, SMART care plans centred on the needs of the service user
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Maintaining regular contact and support with service users in preparation for release and for up to six months post-release
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Ensuring service users are effectively connected to GP services, healthcare support, mentoring, aftercare and wider community services
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Building and maintaining strong partnerships with prisons, healthcare providers and external agencies
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Implementing clear referral pathways including Offender Management in Custody, Prison Healthcare, and Family or Self-referrals
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Delivering structured interventions and using motivational interviewing techniques in both one-to-one and group settings
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Supporting the safe delivery of services by actively engaging with risk assessment and safeguarding processes
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Maintaining accurate records and using databases to collect and report data for audit, research and service monitoring
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Working collaboratively with colleagues to share best practice and continuously improve service delivery
This role requires travel across the service area. A full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle is essential.
About You
We are looking for a compassionate and motivated professional who is committed to supporting individuals as they rebuild their lives after custody. You will have experience working with people facing complex challenges and be confident in delivering person-centred support within multi-agency environments.
You will bring strong assessment, communication and organisational skills, along with the ability to build trust and maintain professional relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
To be successful in this role you will have:
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Experience working within mental health, emotional wellbeing or substance misuse services
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Experience conducting comprehensive assessments and developing tailored SMART care plans
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Experience delivering structured interventions with service users
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Experience using motivational interviewing techniques in both one-to-one and group settings
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Strong IT and database skills to support case management and reporting
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Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with service users and partner agencies
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Experience working collaboratively with partner organisations to achieve positive outcomes
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Good organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage a varied caseload
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Flexibility to respond to the evolving needs of the service
Desirable experience includes:
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Experience working within the criminal justice sector
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Experience facilitating group interventions
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Experience implementing new projects within required timeframes
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Experience using clinical supervision to support practice
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Experience collecting and analysing service data for audit, research and reporting purposes
You will be passionate about empowering people to move forward, representing The Forward Trust in a positive and professional manner, and contributing to a supportive team that works together to create meaningful change.
A full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle is essential for this role.