Social Care Link Worker Substance Misuse Practitioner
Location: Essex - The Children's Society East of England, United Kingdom
Contract Type: Permanent (Funding ends on 31st March 2026, potential for extension until 31st March 2030)
Hours: 37 hours per week
Salary: £29,855.00 per annum
The Children’s Society is currently undertaking a pay and grading review, with changes to be implemented in April 2025.
The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We run local services that support young people when they are at their most vulnerable and in desperate need of help.
This role sits within our children and families directorate, providing immediate one-to-one and group support for young people who urgently need assistance. Your role will be to help maintain and develop innovative practices in our services within the Essex area.
We wish to recruit a Social Care Link Practitioner to join our established Essex Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Team (EYPDAS), supporting young people aged 8-25 who are using or misusing substances and their families, as well as being a point of contact for Essex Social Care.
You will provide direct therapeutic support to vulnerable young people and families affected by substance use, engaging parents and carers in the drug treatment system where required. Support offered will include one-to-one face-to-face interventions, targeted group work, and online support across the County, as well as consultation with professionals. You will also facilitate training around substances for statutory and voluntary agencies across the County.
The ideal candidate will have experience working with hard-to-reach, vulnerable young people using therapeutic approaches. You should also have experience facilitating groups or delivering training, with knowledge of the issues and legislation affecting young people who are using or misusing substances.
What we are looking for:
* Substantial experience in working with vulnerable young people, either in a paid or unpaid capacity, with evidence of building positive relationships to raise awareness about substance use and its associated risks.
* Experience in carrying out individual and group work interventions with young people and/or adults, in either an intervention or educational capacity.
* Experience using Microsoft Office Applications and other relevant data systems.
* Ability to work independently and contribute to a multi-agency approach to enable effective interventions with young people, including delivering training to a range of professionals.
* A full UK driver’s license and access to your own transport.
We offer a strong commitment to your development, a generous holiday entitlement, a contributory stakeholder pension, childcare vouchers, and flexible working.
The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. All posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks.
The closing date for applications is midnight on 31st March 2025. If we receive enough applications within 14 days, we may close this vacancy early.
Interviews will be held on 8th April in person at our Chelmsford office.
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