About this role
Job summary
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn
Are you passionate about reducing harm and improving the health and wellbeing of people affected by drug and alcohol use?
Following recent investment and expansion of our service, we are looking to recruit five Band 5 Harm Reduction Workers to join our established Inclusion Hampshire team.
In this role, you will proactively engage people in community settings including outreach locations, hostels, day centres and through mobile outreach provision. You will support individuals who use drugs and alcohol, including those experiencing homelessness, to reduce risk, improve health outcomes and access wider treatment and recovery services.You will provide practical, evidence-based harm reduction advice such as safer injecting, overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, safer drinking strategies and blood-borne virus prevention. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will build strong relationships with partners including housing, healthcare, criminal justice and voluntary sector organisations.
This is a dynamic, person-centred role requiring resilience, flexibility and a strong commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-focused practice. You will make a meaningful difference by engaging people who may face barriers to accessing services and supporting them to improve their health, safety and quality of life.
Main duties of the job
As a Harm Reduction Worker, you will:
o Hold a small caseload and deliver personalised harm reduction interventions to individuals who use drugs and/or alcohol.o Provide outreach in community settings including rough sleeping sites, hostels, day centres and via a mobile outreach van.o Deliver advice and interventions including safer injecting, overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, safer drinking and BBV prevention.o Engage individuals not currently accessing treatment and support their referral into structured services.o Assess need and develop tailored harm reduction plans for people with complex needs.o Support access to healthcare, housing, mental health and safeguarding services.o Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners including housing, healthcare, criminal justice and voluntary sector services.o Promote health and wellbeing through brief interventions, physical health checks and awareness of wound care and infection control.o Maintain accurate records on our record keeping system and contribute to data reporting and audits.o Work flexibly across Hampshire, including outreach, home visits and occasional evenings/weekends.
About us
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Inclusion service offers psychological and drug & alcohol services, in the community, and in prisons, and has contracts across the country.
As an organisation we serve a population of 1.5 million and currently employ around 9000 members of staff.
We have a wide range of exciting opportunities for people looking to work in a truly integrated NHS organisation. By joining MPFT you will become part of a team who are empowered and supported to deliver care in a way which is consistent with our values:
Putting people at the heart of what we do Empowering people to improve care and wellbeing Delivering better health, better care in partnership Inclusion aspires to become an organisation which embeds trauma informed principles into everything we do. People who use our services, staff and stakeholders will all have a voice in this process as we embark on our journey. We adopt a learning and reflective approach to this work; never claiming to be finished and always keen to develop and grow, acknowledging there will be times when we do not 'get it right'.
Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications
Job description Job responsibilities
Please refer to the full Job Description for complete details; a summary is provided below:
Deliver evidence-based harm reduction interventions including safer injecting advice, naloxone provision, overdose prevention, BBV testing awareness and safer alcohol use strategies. Proactively engage individuals experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping and social exclusion through outreach, in-reach and mobile van delivery. Assess need, manage a caseload and develop tailored plans for individuals with complex needs. Build trusting, non-judgemental relationships to support behaviour change and service engagement. Work closely with partner agencies including housing, healthcare, criminal justice and community organisations to coordinate care. Contribute to multi-agency meetings, risk management and safeguarding processes. Maintain accurate records, manage stock (including naloxone and injecting equipment) and support audit requirements. Work autonomously in community settings, including lone working and dynamic risk environments. Promote equality, diversity, service user involvement and trauma-informed practice. Travel across Hampshire to deliver outreach
Please read the Person Specification below carefully before applying.The essential and desirable criteria will be used for shortlisting, so ensure your supporting information clearly demonstrates how you meet these requirements
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Practical experience supporting people who use drugs and/or alcohol, including delivery of harm reduction interventions. Ability to work autonomously and independently in community settings Experience of outreach, lone working or working in dynamic environments, with the ability to assess and manage risk effectively Experience working in multi-agency environments and ability to develop effective, professional working relationships
Skills Essential
Understanding of key harm reduction approaches such as safer injecting, overdose prevention, naloxone, blood-borne viruses and safer alcohol use. Ability to drive; to operate the mobile outreach vehicles and either hold a valid MIDAS Certificate or able to meet the criteria for MIDAS Training Strong communication and engagement skills - ability to build trusting, non-judgemental relationships and engage people who may face barriers to accessing services
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 Inclusion
Address Inclusion Hampshire (various sites)
High Street
Eastleigh
SO50 5LG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.mpft.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)