About this role
Job summary
This is a fantastic opportunity for a Peer Recovery Worker with experience of chemsex to work in a unique, innovative and highly specialist area of drug treatment. Drawing on your own lived experience of recovery, you will provide support, encouragement and hope to people seeking to make changes to their use of club drugs and engagement in chemsex.
The Club Drug Clinic provides support, treatment and advice to people in Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham who want to change their use of recreational drugs including crystal meth, GHB and ketamine. We have extensive experience of working with chemsex and the LGBTQ+ community.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team and in close collaboration with Antidote at London Friend, you will support LGBTQ+ residents affected by chemsex through one-to-one and group interventions, helping people access treatment, recovery and wider health and social care services. The role offers an exciting opportunity to use your lived experience to support others, strengthen pathways between services and promote a "no wrong door" approach to care.
Main duties of the job
To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team, providing lived experience-based support to LGBTQ+ residents affected by club drug use and chemsex, helping individuals to engage with treatment, recovery and wider support services.
To provide one-to-one and group peer support interventions, drawing appropriately on personal recovery experience to promote hope, resilience, wellbeing and positive change.
To build supportive and therapeutic relationships with service users, empowering them to identify strengths, set recovery goals and overcome barriers to accessing support and treatment.
To work collaboratively with partners, stakeholders and other local providers to strengthen pathways of care and ensure individuals receive coordinated and inclusive support.
To provide practical support, advocacy and signposting to a range of health, social care and community services, ensuring service users have access to the resources and opportunities required to support their recovery journey
To contribute to the development of a "no wrong door" approach across local services, helping to ensure that people affected by chemsex feel understood, welcomed and supported wherever they present for help.
To work alongside peer volunteers, recovery communities and partner organisations to strengthen local peer support networks and increase opportunities for service user involvement and recovery-focused activities.
About us
The Addictions Directorate within CNWL Foundation Trust is a large, well-established provider which offers a wide range of specialist NHS drug and alcohol treatment interventions to the diverse and multicultural populations in Central and North West London. Our drug and alcohol services include community and prisons. We also run a national Gambling Service. Gaming service, a Gaming clinic and a Club drug clinic.
Please note:Due to the number of hours this vacancy doesnotmeet the criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship, unless you meet the criteria by temporary exemption from current changes to immigration rules put in force on 22/07/2025. "Separate provisions are applied to workers who have been sponsored and held continuously Skilled Worker visa since prior to 04/04/2024."
As such, if you don't meet the Transitional Provision (above)we are unable to consider your application unless you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. If you believe you are eligible for sponsorship or already hold a valid right to work in the UK, please ensure you provide full details of your immigration status in thePre-Screening Immigrationsection of your application form.
Please noterole eligibility also depends on whether the role meets the salary threshold for the relevant occupational code (SOC CODE).
For further info please visit:Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
Job description Job responsibilities
For a detailed information relating to job description and person specification please refer to the attachments in the job application paperwork
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications Essential
NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care; Basic Level 2- English and Maths Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training Evidence of further training in relation to personal recovery principles.
Desirable
Accredited certificate in Life Coaching Any specific training in Dual diagnosis Completion of courses that are DANOS compliant Motivational Interviewing
Experience Essential
Experience of working with people with substance use issues Experience of working with people who are homeless Experience of working within Mental Health and/or addictions settings Experience of supporting with the development of individual care plans for managing recovery Lived experience of mental health and substance use issues Lived experience of issues relating to chemsex Experience of positively sharing own life experiences, and personal recovery journey with service users, carers and others
Desirable
Group work Voluntary experience in the field of addictions and/or mental health and/or homelessness Undertaking evaluations, audits and research
Skills & Knowledge Essential
Ability to demonstrate knowledge of personal and client recovery principles and values. Ability to demonstrate knowledge of treatment pathways in addictions Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form good relationships with service users and carers Effective listening skills Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Addictions Services Ability to appreciate / understand other people's worlds Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience An ability to be non-judgemental Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability Knowledge of how to build community links and networks Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service user Understanding of issues arising from experiencing ill health related to substance use. Ability to work unsupervised in a range of settings Sensitive understanding of diversity issues and an ability to promote anti-discriminatory practice/ equal opportunities
Desirable
Knowledge of basic first aid Basic Health and Safety awareness Moving and handling awareness Awareness of local services Knowledge of benefits/ employment systems Ability to speak other languages
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address Club Drug Clinic
69 Warwick Road
London
SW5 9HB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)