Trainee Substance Misuse Recovery Worker - Cheshire

This is an exciting opportunity to begin your career in substance misuse recovery within a structured traineeship at HMP Stoke Heath, Market Drayton. This full-time role (35 hours per week) offers the chance to develop hands-on experience while working towards a recognised qualification (subject to criteria), supported throughout by experienced practitioners. You will be embedded within a supportive team, shadowing a member of staff and receiving tailored guidance, supervision, and regular reviews to help you build confidence and competence in the role. A key part of the traineeship also includes undertaking compulsory therapy alongside your professional development. This is a balance of practical learning and study, designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a qualified recovery worker role.

What you will be doing:

• Managing and planning a caseload with support and supervision
• Carrying out initial, risk, and comprehensive assessments to guide treatment and interventions
• Delivering 1:1 sessions and supporting group work/programme facilitation
• Co-facilitating structured recovery programmes
• Working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams and community partners
• Supporting recovery planning and throughcare for service users
• Assisting clients to access clinical and recovery-focused interventions
• Recording and maintaining accurate data for audit, reporting, and research purposes
• Taking on additional reasonable duties as required by your line manager

What we are looking for:

A motivated and resilient individual who is keen to learn and develop within a challenging but highly rewarding environment. You do not need previous experience in substance misuse work, just a commitment to supporting others and a willingness to develop your skills.

What you will get:

A structured traineeship with full training, supervision, and mentoring, plus the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification while building real-world experience in recovery work. If you are ready to develop a meaningful career supporting recovery and rehabilitation, we would 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 5 months 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.

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 of the employees who work for us are also important.

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

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• BHSF 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.

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 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 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.