Sexual Exploitation Worker in Witton Gilbert

Make a real difference in your community. Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

As a Sexual Exploitation Worker, you will provide specialist support to individuals experiencing co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse issues. You will work closely with people we support, as well as drug and alcohol recovery services, sexual exploitation services, sexual health, social care and other partner agencies across County Durham. This is an exciting opportunity to help develop effective pathways between services, improve access to support and reduce the harms associated with substance misuse and sexual exploitation.

About the service

Our County Durham Drug & Alcohol service provides support to people affected by drug and alcohol use, helping individuals make positive changes, reduce harm and work towards recovery. As a Sexual Exploitation Worker, you will have a specialist role within this wider service, supporting people whose substance misuse is linked to, or occurs alongside, experiences of sexual exploitation. You will work across County Durham, helping to identify people who may benefit from support and ensuring they can access the right services at the right time. You’ll build strong relationships with partner organisations and help develop a whole-system approach to supporting people with complex and co-occurring needs.

Key duties will include:

• Manage your own caseload, devising, implementing and reviewing ongoing person-centred support plans.
• Carry out assessments, one-to-one work and group work with people we support.
• Identify individuals experiencing sexual exploitation who may also require support from drug and alcohol recovery services.
• Promote understanding and raise awareness of co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse issues across sexual exploitation and recovery services.
• Link with drug and alcohol recovery services to promote the identification of people affected by sexual exploitation and ensure appropriate referral pathways are in place.
• Support sexual exploitation services across County Durham to identify people requiring support from drug and alcohol recovery services.
• Provide outreach to external partner organisations to promote recovery and increase opportunities for people to access Waythrough services.
• Work closely with sexual health services and social care within County Durham to target interventions in areas with higher rates of sexual exploitation and help reduce inequalities.
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies to undertake shared assessments, keyworking and interventions.
• Support individual progression from engagement through structured treatment towards self-sustained recovery.
• Develop and implement a whole-system approach to working with people affected by sexual exploitation and co-occurring substance misuse.
• Support people leaving treatment to access community resources and continue their recovery.
• Support people and their families within their local communities where appropriate.
• Promote visible recovery across the service and ensure peer support opportunities are relevant and accessible.
• Reduce drug and alcohol-related harm and the impact of sexual exploitation on individuals, families and the wider community.

Keywork and case management

You will take responsibility for allocated people we support and ensure they receive effective, coordinated and person-centred support. This will include:

• Leading effective case management for your allocated caseload.
• Developing and reviewing meaningful support and recovery plans.
• Working with individuals to identify their needs, goals and aspirations.
• Completing and regularly reviewing risk assessments and risk management plans.
• Completing safeguarding assessments and plans.
• Identifying and responding appropriately to potential risks and harm.
• Following local and organisational safeguarding procedures, including referral to and engagement with relevant safeguarding authorities.
• Maintaining accurate, timely and confidential records using our online case management system.
• Monitoring individual progress and ensuring appropriate referrals and onward support are in place.
• Promoting positive family involvement where appropriate.
• Supporting improved outcomes for children and adults affected by substance misuse and sexual exploitation.

Working with partners across County Durham

Partnership working will be a key part of this role. You will build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of services and organisations, including:

• Drug and alcohol recovery services
• Sexual exploitation services
• Sexual health services
• Social care
• Safeguarding services
• Community and voluntary sector organisations
• Other statutory and community partners

You will provide outreach and awareness-raising to partner organisations, helping professionals recognise the links between sexual exploitation and substance misuse and understand how to access appropriate support. You will also help develop and maintain support pathways across sexual exploitation and drug and alcohol recovery services, ensuring people with co-occurring needs receive timely and high-quality support.

County-wide working

Although the role is based at County Durham Drug & Alcohol – Whinney Hill, Durham, this is a County Durham-wide position. You will regularly travel across the county to:

• Meet with people we support.
• Undertake outreach and community-based work.
• Visit partner organisations.
• Attend multi-agency meetings.
• Build relationships with local services.
• Support the development of effective referral pathways and interventions.

You will therefore need to be comfortable working across different locations and managing your workload across a county-wide area.

Manage your own workload

You will:

• Plan and prioritise your own workload effectively.
• Manage your caseload and ensure support is delivered within agreed timescales.
• Travel across County Durham as required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic records and reports.
• Provide written and verbal reports as required.
• Contribute positively to team working, meetings, handovers and service development.
• Participate in supervision, performance reviews and relevant training.
• Monitor and manage your own wellbeing through supervision, debriefing and discussions with your manager and colleagues.
• Keep up to date with relevant legislation, policy and professional developments.
• Work in accordance with all relevant legislation, policies, procedures and professional guidelines.

About you

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people affected by sexual exploitation, substance misuse and complex needs. You will have:

• An NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or above/equivalent, or a willingness to work towards this in post.
• Knowledge and understanding of co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse.
• An understanding of a whole-system approach to supporting people with complex and co-occurring needs.
• Experience of multi-agency working and bringing different agencies together to improve responses and outcomes.
• Knowledge of sexual exploitation systems and the support available.
• Experience of working with people who may have experienced trauma, exploitation or other significant challenges.
• The ability to build trusting, respectful and professional relationships.
• Experience of working in a person-centred way and supporting people to make positive changes.
• The ability to undertake assessments, develop support plans and manage risk effectively.
• Strong communication, partnership-working and organisational skills.
• The ability to manage your own caseload and workload effectively.
• The ability to work independently while contributing positively to a wider team.
• A willingness and ability to travel across County Durham as required.

A relevant professional qualification, such as addiction studies, counselling, social work or another therapeutic qualification, would be desirable.