Drug and Alcohol Support Worker

About The Role
Drug and Alcohol Support Worker
Fixed Term, Full Time

£31,931 to £36,423 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 25th November 2025

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity until February 2028
Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

To read more about our business area, please visit:

Children & Families

The Team
Come and join the Multi-Disciplinary Team in Basildon, Essex
The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) comprises of subject matter experts specialising in housing, domestic abuse, education, drug and alcohol support, youth work and mental health for adults and children.

MDT workers bring specialist knowledge and therapeutic insight. Their expertise is instrumental in re-engaging families, restoring hope, and fostering sustainable change. This team's work is not only impactful — it's transformative.

We are seeking an experienced, motivated and passionate individual to join our team. Being led by the Team Manager, you will be working to create the conditions for sustainable change with families.

The MDT team is based within frontline social work teams where the referrals come from. The interventions from MDT are delivered within the community or in the families' homes.

We want you to be a part of our vision and making this a reality. If you have the drive, creativity and enthusiasm to enhance and improve the lives of Children and Families, we want to hear from you.

If you think you have what it takes, we would love to hear from you.

Role Description
Working alongside Social Workers, promote family members involvement to improve outcomes for children.

Engage individuals with complex presentations and who have substance/alcohol misuse challenges and provide them with support and clinical interventions to address their substance/alcohol misuse.

Carry out risk assessments including safety plans and to contribute to the development of individual recovery plans with those who express a wish to access community treatment/support services.

Utilise interventions such as, motivational interviewing, ITEP, cognitive behavioural techniques and brief interventions to promote engagement in treatment services, encourage self-esteem, well-being, self-responsibility, enhanced motivation and therefore improve their parenting capacity.

Review ongoing care and treatment, liaising closely with partner agencies and provide support in engaging with the right services at the right time.

Accountabilities

• Work and liaise with other agencies involved with the client's broader care plan including health services, hospitals and GP's.
• In fulfilling these aims the post holder will use recognised, up to date evidenced based interventions and will have specific responsibility for the development, delivery and coordination of a recovery focussed model.
• The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that parents / carers and their children consistently receive high quality services that adhere to best practice guidelines and achieve high professional standards.
• The post holder will be responsible for contributing to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved and will be required to record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative and financial requirements.
• The post holder will be required to work flexibly across the operational site as required and within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision.
• The post holder will be expected to take responsibility for personal development, identifying personal training needs and participate in regular supervision and appraisal.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Strong experience of working within substance misuse services.
• Experience of working with high-risk families where children are subject to Child Protection or Child in Need Plans.
• Working effectively to support adults with a history of substance misuse with demonstrable outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of being a catalyst for change in families' lives.
• Experience of working with challenging presentations such as resistance, minimization and denial and being able to achieve positive outcomes.
• Knowledge of local services and issues.
• Training in ITEP/BTEI or other structured psychosocial interventions.
• Qualifications relating to substance misuse.

Why Essex?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025
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Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email or

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