Recovery Worker
SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service
Southampton
37 hours per week, including evenings and weekends
Salary Scale: 22 – 26 (£26,986 - £30,561 per annum)
About Us
This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic Charity and Housing Association. The Society of St James (SSJ) has been working in Hampshire for over 50 years, delivering high impact, person-centred, accommodation services to adults and young people experiencing homelessness, problematic substance use and mental health problems. We believe that every person is of worth and we are prepared to take risks to house and support the most at risk and socially excluded members of society.
The Impact You'll Make
Based within the SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service in Southampton, you will be part of a team that offers a wide range of interventions—including one-to-ones, therapeutic group work, needle exchange, and prescribing interventions—to people recovering from problems with drugs and alcohol. In this role, you will:
- Deliver Person-Centred Support: Help individuals who want to make positive changes to their lives by supporting them to access the interventions that matter to them.
- Provide Focused & Adaptable Care: Work within a designated team (Criminal Justice, Core Treatment, or Enhanced Outreach) to meet specific client needs, while holding a wider variety of cases as the service evolves.
- Manage Client Caseloads: Safely and effectively manage a client caseload, delivering engaging opportunities for growth and development.
- Foster Joint Working Relationships: Create strong relationships with key partner agencies and stakeholders (such as primary health providers, housing services, recovery services, and social care) to advocate for and support clients.
- Provide Flexible Community Outreach: Deliver support at the main site as well as visiting clients in other services or in their own homes, working a flexible 37-hour week that includes evenings and some weekends.
Who We're Looking For
- Experienced or Adaptable Professional: Someone with direct experience working with people facing substance use and dependency issues, or someone with strong transferable skills from working with other disadvantaged groups/individuals.
- Engaging & Tenacious Advocate: An innovative, tenacious individual who can engage meaningfully with service users and work effectively with other agencies to advocate for client needs.
- Self-Reflective & Motivated: A team player who is self-reflective, motivated, and highly capable of working independently.
- Prepared & Knowledgeable: Before the interview, we expect candidates to understand the challenges faced by this client group, and to have a good knowledge of the available interventions, resources, and supporting agencies.
Essential Qualities and Skills
- Substance Use Knowledge: A strong understanding of the impact of substance use and withdrawal on individuals, families, and the wider community, as well as the range of interventions available.
- Risk Management & Assessment: Strong background in assessing people's needs and risks, backed by essential risk management skills.
- Relationship Building: A strong ability to build meaningful relationships with service users.
- Reflective Thinking: Strong capacity for reflective thinking and self-reflection.
- Administrative Accuracy: A proven track record of keeping accurate records.
What we can offer you
We value and recognise our staff, offering some generous benefits, as well as the satisfaction of helping people at risk:
- A competitive annual leave entitlement of 25 days rising to 30 days, plus public holidays
- Flexible working options
- Buying additional annual leave
- Comprehensive induction and training
- Counselling, financial, personal support and health and wellbeing services via our Employee Assistance Programme
- Company cycle to work scheme
- Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie’s Computers
- Electric Car Scheme
- Blue Light Card
SSJ are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life.
At SSJ, we recognise the benefits of a supported workplace. SSJ is affiliated with Unite the Union. To learn more about their membership benefits or to sign up, you can visit their official website at join.unitetheunion.org.
If you have any questions about this role, please contact Paul Mitchell 07951489185
Application closing date: This will be a rolling open advert until all vacancies are appointed.
Interview date: We will be reviewing applications as they are received and contacting shortlisted applicants to offer an interview date.
Should you not hear from us within 14 days of submission, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Pay: £26,986.00-£30,561.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
Work Location: In person
