Substance Misuse Education Advisor

**About Us**
West Sussex Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi-agency statutory partnership which provides services before and after court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. Its primary aim is to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children. The service works in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure children are offered appropriate intervention to address their risks, meet their needs and build on their strengths. Further, the service seeks to repair the harm caused to victims and communities by addressing the root causes of offending and reoffending by children.

For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our** **WSCC About Us** page.

**About The Job** Salary: £30,296 to £33,024 per annum**

**Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week**

**Contract: Fixed term/secondment**

**Location: Countywide, but based at Bridge House, Worthing.**

**Interviews: Friday 1st December 2023**

We are seeking a dedicated individual with a background in education or a similar setting, with, ideally, experience with substance misuse situations, to join us as a Substance Misuse Education Advisor within the Youth Justice Service.

Children who use substances and alcohol often experience significant difficulties in school. This post will work alongside education providers for children not in mainstream school who often have the worst outcomes both educationally but also more generally. This role will support children either individually or in groups who are known to YJS and experiencing difficulty in their educational provision as a result of substance use. The post holder will work proactively to provide intervention and support within the education setting, trying to ensure that identified children remain in education and are able to access the same opportunities as their non-substance using peers. The ability to build rapport with key stakeholders, such as school leadership teams, parents/carers, and child, will be a key part of this role.

For this role, you will be given comprehensive training to enable you to demonstrate theoretical knowledge, practice, and skills in terms of substance use.

You will need good assessment skills, being able to identify and respond to needs that arise. You will have strong communication skills and have a strong understanding of child development and the impact of substance use, and be able to effectively engage with both children and education professionals.

With extensive training, you will design, deliver, and evaluate substance use training for a wide range of audiences. You will be motivated to work with adolescents and professionals and demonstrate emotional and psychological resilience and practice.

**Experience and Skills** Key Skills**:

- Excellent communication skills, including ability to explain information to others and use advisory, negotiation and persuasion skills to influence.
- Ability to gain trust and respect, and work in partnership with children, parents, carers, colleagues and external agencies to deliver an effective service, and work creatively and sensitively in a problem-solving way.
- Ability to research, assess, analyse and interpret information and data from varying sources, prioritise needs and identify strengths, to effectively formulate collaborative plans for substance use intervention and service provision, including the voice of children and families.
- Ability to act in an appropriate manner, with discretion, whilst hearing confidential, sensitive or disturbing information.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload to effectively respond to unanticipated problems, whilst recognising the limit of your own accountability and responsibility and when to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision.
- Ability to design, deliver and evaluate substance use training packages / workshops.

**Qualifications and/or experience**:

- Degree level qualification, or equivalent qualification, in a relevant field, for example, psychology, child/social care, youth work or criminology, or equivalent demonstrable experience of working within these fields with a good theoretical, practical and procedural knowledge of the theory and principles of substance use.
- Experience of training, teaching, presenting and/or facilitating groups.
- Experience of delivering substance use interventions to children.
- Experience of multi-agency working.
- Experience of writing reports to a high standard.
- Qualification in Adult Training, for example, DTTLA or equivalent - **Desirable**:

- Experience of working/volunteering in youth justice services, schools, or residential establishments - **Desirable**

**Rewards and Benefits**
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life