• Careers Site Advertising End DateAdvertising End Date:
    17 Sep 2026
  • Internal Advertising End DateInternal Advertising End Date:
    17 Sep 2026
  • All LocationsAll Locations:
    Brixton
  • All DepartmentsAll Departments:
    Prison Drug and Alcohol Services
  • Vacancy TypeVacancy Type:
    Permanent
  • Advertising SalarySalary Details:
    Competitve
  • Directorate:
    Prisons
  • About The Role

  • Make a difference. Lead a team. Support people to achieve lasting change.

    We are looking for an experienced and motivated Team Leader to join our drug and alcohol service, leading a dedicated team of practitioners who provide high-quality health and wellbeing interventions to adults affected by drug and alcohol use.

    You’ll play a key role in ensuring people receive person-centred, effective and compassionate support, tailored to their individual needs. This includes working across both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches, while also supporting people with low-level mental health needs.

    This is a varied and rewarding role where you’ll combine team leadership, case management, performance oversight and partnership working, while helping to ensure the smooth and effective running of the service.

    What you’ll be doing

    • Leading, supporting and developing a team of practitioners delivering drug, alcohol and health and wellbeing interventions.
    • Allocating and reviewing caseloads to ensure people receive the right level of support.
    • Managing a small caseload of more complex cases, providing advice, guidance and oversight to practitioners.
    • Supporting your team to deliver high-quality, person-centred interventions using both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches.
    • Ensuring the team meets agreed performance targets, deadlines and quality standards.
    • Monitoring team performance and taking appropriate action to address areas for improvement.
    • Supporting the Service Manager to ensure accurate data recording and timely data submissions.
    • Working closely and collaboratively with partner agencies and other professionals to achieve positive outcomes for service users.
    • Building strong and effective working relationships with your manager, colleagues and external partners.
    • Acting as the most senior representative on site when required.
    • Deputising for the Service Manager, helping to ensure the service continues to run smoothly and effectively.
    • Contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of the service.

    What we’re looking for

    • Experience of working within drug and alcohol treatment, recovery, health or wellbeing services.
    • Experience of leading, supervising or managing a team, with the ability to motivate and develop others.
    • A strong understanding of substance misuse, recovery and harm reduction approaches.
    • Experience of working with people with complex needs, including those experiencing low-level mental health difficulties.
    • The ability to manage your own caseload and provide effective oversight of complex cases.
    • Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads, manage deadlines and maintain high standards.
    • Experience of working towards performance targets and quality standards.
    • Good understanding of accurate data recording, monitoring and reporting.
    • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with service users, colleagues and partner agencies.
    • The confidence and judgement to make decisions and provide effective leadership when acting as the senior person on site.
    • A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively as part of a wider partnership network.
    • A commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred services and improving outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use.
    • Resilience, professionalism and the ability to work calmly and effectively in a challenging and rewarding environment.

    This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting people to make positive changes in their lives and who enjoys developing others and making a real difference.

    As Team Leader, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the delivery of the service, support a committed team and work alongside a range of partner organisations to improve outcomes for adults affected by drug and alcohol use.

    If you’re an experienced practitioner ready to take the next step in your career, or an established team leader looking for a rewarding new challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

    All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 8-12 weeks to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

    Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

    Please also see the job description attached for more information.

     

  • About Us

  • We are The Forward Trust, 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 are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits - 
    •  Flexible working
    • Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [email protected] 
    • Training and development opportunities
      • Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
      • 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)
      Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
      Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.
       
      Diversity at Forward Trust
      The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around  years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

      When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

      To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.  

      We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.
       
      Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
      Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

      If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.
      Our Commitment to Safeguarding
      We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

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