Practitioner

You have an understanding of drug, alcohol, and health related issues, and experience of working with adults in an addictions, criminal justice, housing or social care setting? All you need is the perfect environment to put your skills to great use. Welcome to Aquarius as a Practitioner (Criminal Justice Outreach Worker).

Aquarius is a charity that helps people and communities overcome the harm caused by alcohol, drugs and gambling. We are part of ‘One Recovery Buckinghamshire’ (ORB), a partnership between Inclusion (MPFT NHS Trust), Aquarius, and Build on Belief providing support for alcohol and drug issues across Buckinghamshire.

We are looking for a Practitioner (Criminal Justice Outreach Worker) to join our team in Aylesbury.

Your challenge? To provide advice, assessments, brief and structured interventions and group programmes. As a Practitioner (Criminal Justice Outreach Worker) in this role you will be the initial contact for referrals into the service from the courts and probation for clients who are being considered for a community sentence treatment requirement, conducting initial assessments via telephone, face to face and offering relevant and appropriate advice, harm minimisation, family interventions risk assessment and management, actioning onward referrals to partner agencies. Facilitating comprehensive assessments and interventions for people who are attending court or have recently been released from prison to encourage engagement in services. You will also be required to manage a caseload.

An energetic and confident self-starter, you have a qualification in health/social care, youth and community work (e.g. NVQ Level 3 or above, DipSW, Mental Health Nursing, Counselling, Addiction Studies). Alternatively, we’ll consider candidates with experience of working in the substance misuse field with a commitment to complete NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care. As well as good knowledge of alcohol/drug and health related issues, you're used to liaising with voluntary and statutory agencies and health professionals and comfortable engaging with clients in a variety of service delivery settings. You will also have the ability to collaborate and work professionally with service users, families and external agencies to provide a service which maximises outcomes for service users. What’s more, you have a flexible approach, a commitment to the principles of confidentiality and excellent record keeping and Microsoft Office.

This is a permanent full-time role requiring the post holder to work 37 hours per week.

We are committed to increasing our diversity and we would welcome applications from those with lived experience and/or who are from a BAME background.

This is a rolling recruitment process. Candidates will be interviewed as and when they are shortlisted. 

To apply please submit a CV and supporting statement which should clearly outline your skills and experience.

Aquarius was a subsidiary of Richmond Fellowship, with both organisations being part of Recovery Focus, a national group of charities highly experienced in providing specialist support services to individuals and families living with the effects of mental ill health, drug and alcohol use, gambling and domestic violence. On 1st June 2024 Richmond Fellowship merged with Humankind to form a single organisation that provides the joined-up mental health, housing and drug and alcohol support we’ve all known has been needed for decades. At the same time, Aquarius became a subsidiary of Humankind, with no impact to terms and conditions of employment. In October 2024, Humankind will be renamed to reflect the new organisation, of which Aquarius will remain a subsidiary.