Prison Link Worker
(Salary as advertised)
Base Harrow
/Contract hours 37.5
/2 years fixed term
Main purposeof the role
To assess, engage and resettle service users being released from prison, into WDP and other community support services, maximising their engagement with community services on release.
To role will involve working from WDP premises and criminal justice agencies including prisons, probation offices, outreach, treatment agencies, the community, and other appropriate settings.
You will be required to:
- Identify and establish contact with alcohol and drug (mis)users in a variety of settings, primarily local and national prison establishments.
- Offer general information and harm reduction interventions to clients, including provision of relapse and overdose prevention.
- Provide clients with information on differing treatment models and refer them to relevant services.
- Refer clients into key partner services including prescribing services, housing, benefits and ETE services.
- Manage a caseload of service users needing support for their drug and or alcohol issues.
- Manage a spreadsheet of prison link referrals/clients, coordinating sending of key release information, and arranging appointments, and through the gate pickup as appropriate
- Facilitate group sessions
- Undertake a lead area of responsibility as agreed with management
- Supervise a volunteer practitioner
The post holder will be required to have or successfully apply for Metropolitan Police Clearance.
Reporting and working relationships
Reporting relationships:Reports toTeam leader /
Working relationships: /
Role-specific responsibilities
3.1 / To carry out initial screening / assessments, e.g. triage and comprehensive assessments, within a range of criminal justice settings including prisons.3.2 / To be the key point of contact for prison drug and alcohol services, promoting WDPs services and receiving and responding to referrals from CARAT and other such prison services.
3.3 / To attend partnership meetings and Continuity of Care meetings in prisons
3.4 / To deliver appropriate advice, information and guidance to prison referrals prior to their release from prison, facilitating appointments for release and offering and arranging Through The Gate pickup for all referrals as required.
3.5 / To be based in the local prison on 1 day a week or as required, to promote, engage and manage referrals from prison into Harrow.
3.6 / To create initial care plans with clients that address immediate need and provide a basis for further interventions.
3.7 / To manage a caseload of clients for approximately 4 weeks each in order to stabilise, link in with relevant services and then move them on to another worker.
3.8 / To carry out risk assessments in accordance with organisational and local protocols and risk management plans to address and manage identified risks.
3.9 / To keep and manage a spreadsheet of clients who are due for release
3.10 / To identify the needs of carers and significant others, and signpost or refer to appropriate services.
3.11 / To conduct Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) / Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) assessments/ Cannabis Treatment Requirement (CTR) assessments, in prisons where necessary.
3.12 / To write timely, accurate and succinct DRR/ATR/CTR reports (and draw up suitable treatment plans) for court and provide input into Pre-Sentence Reports.
3.13 / To undertake duties in relation to Restrictions on Bail (RoB), Required Assessments (RA) and complete paperwork in a timely and accurate manner, processing breaches in line with protocol.
3.14 / To facilitate group programmes as per the needs of the service in particular the ATR and DRR group programme Evolve.
3.15 / To supervise a volunteer practitioner as per WDP guidelines, to the benefit of the volunteer and service.
3.16 / To develop a lead role, promoting networking with agencies in your lead area and developing specialist knowledge and or interventions as appropriate.
3.17 / To be cover other parts of service delivery as per service needed.
WDP’s commitment to you
WDP works within the following framework and requires all employees to do the same.4.1 / Equal Opportunities
WDP is committed to promoting anti-discriminatory practices within society, its organisation and in the promotion of its services to the community. WDP expects all employees to understand, comply with and to promote its policies in their work and to challenge prejudice and discrimination and where necessary to undertake any appropriate training.
4.2 / Recovery
WDP is a recovery focused organisation. Our staff and volunteers are committed to helping our service users improve their health and wellbeing, and to become free from dependency
4.3 / Career Development and Progression
At WDP we actively encourage career progression from the talent we have from within and we strive to provide not only promotional progression but to develop a specialist and lead responsibility roles with teams and other services within WDP.
4.4 / Safeguarding
WDP is committed to ensuring the safeguarding and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults.
Your commitment to WDP
5.1 / WDP Vision, Mission and ValuesPromoting and understanding the values, vision and mission statement of WDP. To understand what it means to you in your respective role, to your team and to service delivery.
5.2 / Vulnerable children and adults
Demonstrating an understanding of and commitment to best safeguarding practice. Taking immediate and appropriate action as required.
5.3 / Boundaries and behaviours
Observing professional integrity in relationships with service users, peers and other relevant professionals.
5.4 / Health & Safety
Being responsible for your health and safety and that of colleagues and service users. Employees should co-operate with management and follow established systems of work, use protective equipment where necessary and report defects and hazards to management.
5.5 / Confidentiality
Treating all information acquired through the course of your employment as confidential and complying with all the appropriate policies, systems and procedures.
5.6 / Information Governance
Applying information governance processes to ensure all necessary safeguards are in place regarding personal information – and its appropriate use –about our service users, workforce and members of the public.
5.7 / Continuous Professional and Personal DevelopmentWorking within a learning organisation, seeking learning opportunities either by attending learning and training events either externally or internally to improve and broaden their knowledge and skills and develop the personal qualities required in their professional lives.
The above is an outline of the post holder’s duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time in order to meet the changing needs of WDP.
Person specification
Essential and desirable requirements (ED) for the role and assessing and testing the necessary level of competence required for this role either via the application form (A); interview (I); and/or exercises (E).Please note - applicants are asked to evidence their ability to meet each aspect of the person specification below, e.g. by highlighting relevant key achievements and duties held within roles. / E/D / Measured by
4.1
1. /
Education, knowledge and experience
1.1 / The post holder will be required to work towards or have attained a QCF/RCF Level 3 Health & Social Care. / E / A/I1.2 / An understanding of prison link work and experience of working in Criminal Justice Settings. / E
1.3 / A minimum of two years’ experience of working in substance misuse field or relevant health & social care position and an understanding of different agencies’ roles in addressing the needs of clients involved in criminal activity. / D / A/I
1.4 / As part of your Continuous Professional Development you will be expected to attend learning events and training on a regular basis and to reflect on your learning so as to build and develop best practice within your team and across the organisation. / E / A/I
1.5 / Experience of delivering harm reduction interventions and using motivational interview techniques. / E / A/I
1.6 / Experience of establishing partnerships with other professions to achieve good outcomes for the client group, e.g. criminal justice agencies, community groups, treatment services. / E / A/I
1.7 / Experience of conducting assessments and developing, implementing and evaluating care plans. / E / A/I
2. /
Abilities and skills
2.1 / An understanding of drug and alcohol misuse and related issues such as offending behaviour and demonstrable experience of working with this client group. / E / A/I2.2 / A proven commitment to anti-discriminatory practices and an understanding of Equal Opportunities policy and practice. / E / A/I
2.3 / Ability to work with clients at different stages of behaviour change, make appropriate assessment of need and draw up appropriate support packages. / E / A/I
2.4 / A demonstrable commitment to the ongoing development and evaluation of services. / D / A
2.5 / The ability to accurately record statistics for data purposes and to work to deadlines for the submission of information, e.g. reports. / E / A/I
2.6 / Excellent time management skills, ability to work on own initiative, manage competing priorities and consistently maintain high standards. / E / A/I
2.7 / Proven commitment to working flexibly in order to respond to service needs, i.e. working hours, work settings. / E / A/I
2.8 / Excellent team working and interpersonal skills, maintaining a highly cooperative approach to supporting colleagues in delivering service objectives. / E / A/I
3. /
Working within WDP’s framework of commitments to employees
3.1 / A commitment to engaging with, understanding and promoting WDP’s values, vision and mission. / E / A3.2 / An understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best practice. / E / A/I
3.3 / An understanding of the importance of professional integrity in relationships with service users, peers and other relevant professionals. / E / A/I
3.4 / A responsibility for your own health, safety and wellbeing as well as those around you (e.g. colleagues and service users). / E / A/I
3.5 / An understanding of and commitment to treating all information acquired through the course of your employment as confidential. / E / A/I
3.6 / An understanding of information governance processes and a commitment to follow and apply all necessary safeguards. / E / A/I
3.7 / A commitment to seek learning opportunities to improve and broaden yourown professional knowledge and skills and to contribute to and where relevant oversee the learning of others. / E / A/I
Authors
Version number / Initials / Initials / Initials
1.0 / Date 15/3/15 / SD
1.1 / 6/5/2016 / CW
1.2 / 27.4.2017 / CW
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