Dyfodol (Drug and Alcohol) Practitioner

Dyfodol (Drug and Alcohol) Practitioner

Cardiff and Vale

Salary range £24,500 to £26,500 per annum

Permanent, Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

G4S in Wales are a key provider of criminal justice services- operating in both the custodial and community sectors.  We pride ourselves on the quality of our provision and we consistently seek to work alongside and in partnership with a range of other providers in the voluntary (third), public and private sectors.

We have developed services which are focused on identifying ways to maximise positive impact and make the most effective use of available resources by working with other agencies on common objectives.  In this way we are increasingly able to meet wide ranging and complex needs in the most appropriate way.

We have a commitment to research, evaluation and review of evidence based initiatives.

We value and, where possible, contribute to research into reducing re-offending and therefore we recognise the importance of understanding the wider environment in which individuals operate and this informs us about how best to engage, support and help people with change.

We seek to employ people with drive and energy and a real interest in innovation and teamwork – working beyond traditional organisational boundaries.

We now have an opportunity for a Dyfodol (Drug and Alcohol) Practitioner to join our team covering our Cardiff and Vale offices. 

As a member of our Dyfodol team, you will play a critical role in enabling people with complex and problematic substance use histories to build positive futures and healthy lifestyles, and focus on moving into active recovery. Your main focus will be holding a caseload of people with high intensity substance use needs. You will work collaboratively to enable them to achieve objectives set for their time in our service as well as capturing and communicating information relating to their safety and risk.

You will also play a key role in delivering our programme of holistic support for people with significant substance use and wellbeing needs. We provide a range of interventions and activities which are collectively designed to ensure that each individual can engage in a treatment plan that meets their needs, with options including CBT based group work, physical exercise programmes, mindfulness based activities, mutual aid support groups, and diversionary activities.

We are looking for candidates who believe in a positive psychology approach and firmly believe that people can change. The environment and the role can be challenging but we strive to support people accessing Dyfodol to focus on improving their wellbeing, and building good lives and positive futures. 

Key Responsibilities:

• To work collaboratively with the people we support to assess their needs and to set goals to support their health and wellbeing.
• Deliver planned interventions that focus on reducing harm and improve wellbeing through one to one appointments, activities and group work.
• Provide relevant information, advice and individual support to clients with the aim of reducing risk of harm to themselves, family, friends and the wider community; reducing the risk of overdose, spread of communicable diseases and lapse or relapse.
• Assess suitability for community sentencing options of Drug Rehabilitation Requirement and Alcohol Activity Requirement, and report the outcome of the assessment to HM Courts and Tribunal Service and the National Probation Service.
• Contribute to ongoing risk assessment to help mitigate risks and improve safety to the people we support, their networks and the wider community. This is a collaborative process to include the people we support and partnership agencies.
• Organise your diary to plan face to face appointments, outreach appointments and attendance of meetings.
• Accurately record case notes on internal data bases and prepare reports to feedback progress of the people we support to HM Courts and Tribunal Service and the National Probation Service.
• Work collaboratively with the Dyfodol clinical team to complete urine screening drug testing and to look at options for substitute prescribing where appropriate.
• Following training, undertake routine testing for blood borne viruses to help the people we support to access treatment when needed.

With excellent communication and interpersonal skills you will have the ability to work in a non judgemental manner with the people who have offended. To be able to prioritise your own workload whilst demonstrating high levels of resilience.

Having a flexible approach you will work to agreed hours across our operational and contracted sites (eg community bases, police stations, courts, prisons and probation offices) which also may include working evenings and weekends to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision. A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle is a requirement.

Experience in the fields of criminal justice or substance misuse would be advantageous but isnt essential.