Dyfodol (Drug and Alcohol) Practitioner

Main Responsibilities

Dyfodol Practitioner

Location: Dyfodol CTM - Pontypridd

Salary £25,725.00 - £27,825.00 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 in Pontypridd.

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.
• Assist in the promotion of creating a positive Health & Safety culture across the site leading by example, this includes reporting accidents and near misses in a timely manner & follow the applicable safe systems of work for the role.

In carrying out the above duties the post holder will:

• Work flexibly across operational sites (for example, police stations, courts, prisons and probation offices) as required.

Work flexibly to agreed hours of work to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision, including evening and weekend working rota patterns

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A willingness to self-evaluate performance and behaviour.
• Ability to work in a non-judgemental manner with people who have offended.
• Ability to manage and prioritise own workloads.
• Demonstrable high levels of resilience.
• Full driving licence and access to own vehicle.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience in the fields of criminal justice or substance misuse
• Flexible thinking and solution oriented thinking.
• Experience of facilitating group interventions and completing 121 keywork sessions.
• Ability to use Google, Word, Excel, and other IT systems.

We encourage applications from Welsh speaking candidates.

Equality and Diversity is an important part of G4S Care and Rehabilitation Services. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and are a fully inclusive employer who aims to support all employees to be their true selves. We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments for either the role or during the recruitment process.

G4S Care and Rehabilitation Services is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and adults at risk and each employee is expected to support these goals.

Please note that these vacancies are subject to a 5 year checkable history and the strict vetting standards set by G4S and the Secretary of State for the Home Office.

You must be eligible to work in the UK and must have been resident in the UK for a minimum period of 3 years. You will also need to provide full details of your employment and education history for the last 5 years as part of the security screening process for this role.

Please note that applicants must complete a 200 - 400 word statement outlining their suitability for the role and clearly outlining how your skills, experience and knowledge would apply to this post.