Location: East Kent
Salary: £26,000 per annum
Vacancy Type: Fixed Term Contract until 31/03/2027
A unique opportunity to shape and deliver a new integrated group programme supporting people with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs across East Kent and Medway. This is a full-time role (35 hours per week), offered on a fixed-term basis until 31/03/2027.
We’re looking for a motivated and collaborative practitioner to coordinate and facilitate psychosocial group interventions, ensuring service users receive joined-up, person-centred support that responds to complex needs. You’ll play a key role in bringing services together, strengthening joint working between mental health and substance misuse teams, and improving outcomes for those we support.
What you’ll be doing
* Coordinating and delivering a regional group programme across East Kent and Medway
* Facilitating psychosocial drug and alcohol group sessions
* Assessing suitability for group interventions and reviewing referrals
* Maintaining contact with service users before and after group work
* Working closely with mental health providers and partner agencies
* Supporting evaluation, reporting, and continuous service improvement
Who this role supports, You’ll be working with adults (18+) who may:
* Experience co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs
* Be involved with criminal justice or social care services
* Require coordinated support from multiple services and agencies
What we’re looking for
* Experience in mental health, substance misuse, or psychosocial support
* Confidence in facilitating group work and delivering 1:1 interventions
* Strong partnership-working skills across multidisciplinary teams
* Ability to assess risk, manage referrals, and prioritise effectively
* A reflective, proactive, and solution-focused approach
This is a highly collaborative role where integrated working is essential. You’ll need to build strong relationships across services, support continuity of care, and contribute to a developing group programme that makes a real difference to people’s lives.
About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -
* Flexible working
* Training and development opportunities
* Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
* Season Ticket Loan Scheme
* Cycle to work scheme
* Crisis Loan Scheme
* Electric Car Scheme
* 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
* Access to Blue Light Card
* 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
* Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
* Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
* Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Diversity at Forward Trust
The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness.
When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application
Salary description
£26000.00 - £26000.00 per year