COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR
See the person. Not the substance.
Responsible To
Service Lead
Location
Across Fife – community, outreach and service-based settings
Salary
£28,061 per annum
Hours
36 hours per week
Contract
4-Year Fixed-Term Contract
Welcome to Substances Support Scotland
When you think about someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance use, who do you picture?
The reality may surprise you. It could be the parent standing beside you at the school gates. The colleague who comes to work every day. A tradesperson, a professional, a student, a grandparent, someone running their own business or someone who appears to everyone around them to be coping perfectly well.
It could also be someone experiencing homelessness, poor mental health, involvement with the justice system or significant disadvantage.
Problematic alcohol and substance use does not have a “look”.
At Substances Support Scotland (SSS), we support people – not labels. We believe change can start with one conversation and that everyone deserves to be met with dignity, compassion and without judgement.
Every day, our teams work alongside people at different points in their lives. Some may be reaching out for help for the first time. Others may have tried several services before. Some know exactly what they want to change, while others simply know that something is not right.
Our job is not to tell people how to live their lives. It is to listen, understand what matters to them and work alongside them to find their next step.
If you can see the person before you see the problem, we would like to hear from you.
About the Role
Could you be the person someone chooses to talk to?
As a Community Navigator, you will work alongside people within their own communities who are experiencing difficulties with alcohol and/or substance use. But substance use is only one part of someone’s story.
The person you meet might be a parent, a professional, a tradesperson, someone recently retired, a young adult, someone living alone or someone surrounded by family and friends who have no idea they are struggling. They may have a home, a job and responsibilities. They may also be experiencing difficulties with their mental health, relationships, housing, finances or other areas of their life.
Your role is not to define someone by what they drink or use. It is to understand the person in front of you.
You will build trusting relationships, help people identify what matters to them and work alongside them to navigate the services, opportunities and support available within their community.
Sometimes that will involve practical support or advocacy. Sometimes it will mean helping someone access Addiction Services, healthcare, housing, welfare, counselling or another community resource. Sometimes the most important thing you will do is create a safe space for someone to have an honest conversation without feeling judged.
You will not be expected to have all the answers. You will be expected to listen, be curious, recognise risk, maintain professional boundaries and know when to involve colleagues or specialist services.
We can teach processes and develop your knowledge. What we are looking for is someone who can see the person, build the relationship and genuinely want to make a difference.
What Could a Day Look Like?
You might start your morning contacting someone who has recently been referred to SSS and is nervous about accepting support. Later, you could meet someone in their community to talk about their drinking or substance use and what they would like to change.
You may accompany another person to an appointment because attending alone feels overwhelming. You could help someone understand their treatment options, access housing or welfare support, reconnect with Addiction Services, or develop a plan to reduce immediate harm.
Another conversation may involve recognising that someone is at risk and working with colleagues and partner organisations to make sure they are safe. And sometimes the most important thing you will do is listen.
Progress looks different for everyone. For one person it may be engaging with treatment. For another it could be reducing their substance use, improving their wellbeing, reconnecting with family, attending an appointment or simply answering the phone the next time you call.
Job Purpose
The Community Navigator will provide person-centred, trauma-informed support to people experiencing problematic alcohol and/or substance use across Fife. The role is focused on engagement, relationship building, navigation, practical support, harm reduction, wellbeing and helping people access the right support at the right time.
Key Responsibilities
· Build positive, trusting and professional relationships with the people we support.
· Deliver person-centred and trauma-informed support that promotes dignity, choice and independence.
· Provide one-to-one interventions focused on wellbeing, harm reduction, recovery, stability and practical support.
· Work alongside individuals to identify what matters to them and develop realistic, achievable goals.
· Help people navigate and access Addiction Services, healthcare, housing, welfare, counselling, employability and community support.
· Provide support across community, outreach and service-based settings throughout Fife, including home visits and mobile outreach where required.
· Contribute to Community Connect and other SSS community and outreach initiatives.
· Advocate with and for individuals where barriers are preventing them from accessing appropriate support.
· Develop constructive working relationships with Addiction Services, NHS teams, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, local authorities, housing, justice services and third-sector organisations.
· Recognise changes in risk and respond appropriately to safeguarding and adult protection concerns.
· Maintain professional boundaries while developing meaningful and trusting relationships.
· Maintain accurate, timely and confidential case records, assessments and support documentation.
· Participate in supervision, reflective practice, team meetings, learning and continuous professional development.
· Contribute ideas and learning that support service development, quality improvement and SSS organisational objectives.
Who Are We Looking For?
Knowledge and experience are important, but so is how you make people feel. We are looking for someone who can sit beside another person without judging them; someone who listens before offering solutions; someone who can recognise strengths even when the person they are supporting cannot see them yet.
You should be compassionate while maintaining clear professional boundaries, comfortable meeting people from very different backgrounds, and able to adapt the way you communicate to the individual in front of you. You will also need the resilience and judgement to manage difficult situations, recognise risk, ask for support when you need it and understand that positive change does not always happen in a straight line.
Essential Qualifications
· SVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, or an equivalent recognised qualification.
· Full UK Driving Licence.
Experience & What You Can Bring
You do not need to have previously worked in an alcohol or drug service to apply.
What matters is your ability to connect with people, build trust, provide meaningful support and recognise when someone may need additional or specialist help.
Essential Experience
· Building positive and trusting relationships with people from different backgrounds.
· Providing one-to-one practical, emotional, wellbeing or person-centred support.
· Supporting people to identify what matters to them and work towards achievable goals.
· Communicating sensitively and confidently, including when conversations may be difficult.
· Working independently while recognising when to seek advice, guidance or additional support.
· Working collaboratively with colleagues, professionals or other organisations.
· Managing competing priorities and maintaining accurate professional records.
· Understanding the importance of confidentiality, professional boundaries and safeguarding.
Your experience could have been gained in many settings, including health and social care, mental health, housing, community services, criminal justice, employability, education, the Armed Forces, emergency services, charities or other people-focused roles.
Relevant lived experience can also bring valuable insight when it is used safely and appropriately alongside strong professional boundaries.
Desirable Experience and Knowledge
· Experience supporting people affected by alcohol and/or substance use.
· Knowledge or experience of harm reduction approaches.
· Knowledge or experience of addiction or recovery services.
· Understanding of trauma-informed practice and person-centred approaches.
· Experience working with NHS Addiction Services or other statutory and third-sector partners.
· Experience supporting people experiencing multiple or interconnected challenges.
· Knowledge of the Scottish Government Quality Principles.
· Knowledge of the Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use.
· Understanding of safeguarding and adult protection responsibilities.
Skills and Personal Qualities
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
· Ability to connect naturally with people and build trusting relationships.
· Ability to listen without judgement and communicate with warmth, honesty and respect.
· Confidence having sensitive or difficult conversations.
· Strong organisational and time-management skills.
· Ability to work independently and manage a varied workload.
· Ability to remain calm, professional and resilient when situations are challenging.
· Ability to recognise when support, advice or escalation is required.
· Competent IT and digital record-keeping skills.
· Commitment to teamwork, partnership working, reflection and continuous learning.
· Commitment to dignity, choice, inclusion and seeing the person beyond their circumstances.
Don’t Rule Yourself Out
Sometimes people read a job description and decide not to apply because they do not meet every single criterion. We do not want that to happen here.
If you share our values, are good with people and believe your skills and experience could make a difference, we want to hear from you.
We will provide the induction, training, support and development you need to build your knowledge and confidence within the role.
We can develop knowledge. We can teach processes. What we are looking for is someone who can see the person, build the relationship and genuinely want to make a difference.
Why Join SSS?
This is more than delivering a service. You will become part of an organisation that believes relationships matter. You will receive structured induction, training, regular supervision, reflective practice and opportunities to continue developing professionally.
There will be challenging days. There will also be days when someone answers the phone who has not answered for weeks; attends an appointment they previously could not face; tells you they feel hopeful again; becomes safer; begins rebuilding relationships; or simply says, “Thanks for listening.”
CHANGE CAN START WITH ONE CONVERSATION.
Could you be the person who starts it?
Substances Support Scotland
See the person. Not the substance.
Pay: £28,061.00 per year
Work Location: In person
