About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Team Leader to join our community-based treatment service, supporting adults aged 18 and over who are experiencing difficulties related to drug and/or alcohol use.
Our services provide a person-centred, integrated approach to treatment, combining clinical, psychosocial and wellbeing interventions to meet the holistic needs of people in the community. We use both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches, tailoring treatment and support to the individual needs and circumstances of each service user.
As Team Leader, you will play a key role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective services. You may hold a small caseload and will support practitioners to deliver high-quality assessments, SMART care plans, structured one-to-one interventions, group work and structured treatment programmes. You will also provide appropriate harm reduction advice and guidance and, where required, undertake urine and oral swab testing to support clinical treatment.
A key aspect of the role will be supporting and developing your team. You will provide supervision, training, guidance, constructive feedback and professional development to direct reports, helping practitioners, peer mentors, volunteers and apprentices to develop their knowledge and skills and maintain high standards of practice.
Rough Sleepers Initiative Lead
As the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) Lead, you will take responsibility for managing a team of frontline workers, predominantly within the RSI team, while working collaboratively across the wider service.
You will develop and maintain effective working relationships with partner agencies involved in the initiative and ensure that services work together effectively to achieve positive outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and substance misuse.
Partnership working will be central to the role. You will work closely with organisations and professionals including GPs, hospitals, mental health services, housing providers, employment services, health trainers, probation, police and social services. Through effective collaboration, you will help service users navigate changing circumstances, make positive lifestyle changes and prepare for the future.
Working alongside the Service Manager, you will help ensure the service meets the KPIs and outcome indicators set by the commissioner and The Forward Trust, while maintaining compliance with relevant CQC standards and quality requirements.
You will have a particular focus on monitoring outcomes, supporting effective partnership working and ensuring that the service consistently delivers high-quality, person-centred interventions.
Flexibility is an important part of the role, and depending on the service, you may be required to work evenings and/or weekends.
About You
We are looking for an experienced and motivated substance misuse professional who can combine strong clinical and therapeutic knowledge with effective team leadership.
You will have:
- Experience of managing or leading within a community-based substance misuse service.
- Experience of carrying out comprehensive assessments and designing and implementing high-quality SMART care plans, as well as supporting staff to deliver these to the required standard.
- Experience of delivering structured interventions to service users and the ability to share your knowledge and expertise with direct reports.
- Strong knowledge and experience of psychosocial interventions and their application within substance misuse services, with the ability to develop the knowledge and practice of practitioners, peer mentors, volunteers and apprentices.
- Experience of using motivational interviewing techniques effectively in both one-to-one and group settings.
- Strong IT skills and confidence using IT systems to support case management, record keeping and service delivery.
- Previous experience of providing supervision, appraisals, guidance and constructive feedback to staff.
- Experience of working with people who are rough sleeping or experiencing homelessness.
- Experience of providing counselling or therapeutic support to people experiencing drug and/or alcohol problems.
- Previous experience of working within a community-based treatment setting.
- Knowledge and experience of a range of therapeutic approaches, including both abstinence-based treatment and harm minimisation approaches.
- The ability to build positive, professional relationships with service users, colleagues and external partner agencies.
- A commitment to person-centred, inclusive and recovery-focused practice.
- The ability to lead, motivate and support staff while maintaining high standards of practice and accountability.
You will be an excellent communicator who can work confidently with a wide range of professionals and agencies. You will be able to balance operational responsibilities with direct work and will be committed to achieving positive outcomes for service users.
Most importantly, you will share our commitment to treating people with respect, dignity and compassion, recognising their individual strengths and supporting them to make meaningful and sustainable changes.