Hertfordshire RECONNECT Worker - Hertfordshire

Are you passionate about helping people rebuild their lives and access the support they need to make a positive transition from prison back into the community? As a RECONNECT Practitioner at The Forward Trust, you will play a vital role in supporting people leaving prison to access and maintain engagement with health, wellbeing and recovery services in the community. Working across HMP The Mount and the wider Hertfordshire area, you will deliver a comprehensive, inclusive and person-centred service, ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time. This may include support with substance use, physical health, mental health, emotional wellbeing and wider social needs.

You will begin working with individuals approximately 12 weeks before their release, completing comprehensive assessments and developing personalised care plans that reflect their individual needs and goals. You will then provide ongoing support for up to six months following release, helping individuals navigate services, overcome barriers and establish positive connections within their local community.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing referrals, completing comprehensive needs assessments and providing feedback to referring agencies.
• Developing and implementing personalised care plans and risk assessments in collaboration with service users.
• Managing a varied caseload, providing practical advice, guidance and ongoing support before and after release.
• Supporting individuals to access and engage with local healthcare providers, including GPs, mental health services and substance misuse treatment.
• Delivering structured one-to-one interventions using motivational interviewing and other person-centred approaches.
• Supporting individuals to access aftercare, wellbeing support and wider Forward Trust services.
• Coordinating referrals to the Meet and Greet service and supporting Meet at the Gate arrangements where appropriate.
• Helping individuals establish strong connections with community services and support networks ahead of release.
• Supporting the Team Leader with the recruitment and training of prison peer supporters.
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with prison staff, healthcare providers, probation services and other external partners.
• Maintaining accurate and timely case records, assessments, care plans and other essential documentation.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues and partner agencies to ensure individuals receive safe, consistent and holistic support throughout their transition into the community. This is an opportunity to make a real difference at a critical point in someone's life, helping to reduce barriers to healthcare, improve wellbeing and support successful reintegration into the community.

We are looking for a compassionate, proactive and motivated individual who believes in people's ability to change and understands the importance of providing support without judgement. You will be confident building trusting relationships with people who may have experienced significant challenges, including substance use, mental ill health, physical health difficulties and involvement with the criminal justice system. Lived experience of the criminal justice system, substance use and/or physical or mental ill health is essential for this role. We value the insight, understanding and empathy that lived experience can bring when supporting others through their own journeys.

You will also bring:

• Experience of completing comprehensive assessments and developing and implementing SMART care plans.
• Experience delivering structured interventions and supporting individuals to achieve positive outcomes.
• Confidence using motivational interviewing techniques in both one-to-one and group settings.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Good IT and administration skills, including the ability to maintain accurate records and manage a busy caseload.
• The ability to build positive working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• A flexible and adaptable approach, with the ability to respond to changing service needs and priorities.
• The confidence to represent The Forward Trust professionally and positively when working with service users, colleagues and partner organisations.

Experience working within mental health, emotional wellbeing or substance misuse services would be desirable, as would experience facilitating groups. Above all, you will be someone who is empathetic, resilient and committed to helping people access the support they need to move forward positively with their lives.

If you believe everyone deserves the opportunity to make a fresh start and want to use your skills and experience to make a meaningful difference, we would love to hear from you.

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.

Joining us as an employee, we will offer you the following benefits:

• Flexible working
• Support for Families
• 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.

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 3 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 Forwards commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy, please contact us.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

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.

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.