Service Wokingham

Location Wokingham

Cranstoun has been making life better for those affected by alcohol and drugs since 1969. Our skilled and compassionate people work closely with services users and their families to change and save lives. We combine proven expertise in treatment and recovery with innovative approaches and actively involve those we help in improving the design of the services we provide.

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Substance Misuse Outreach Worker

JOB DESCRIPTIONJob purpose / Context:

The purpose of this role is to engage with individuals with unmet drug or alcohol problems in the community and provide assertive outreach with the view of removing any barriers they may find for accessing treatment and taking treatment and interventions out to our hard to reach communities within Windsor & Maidenhead.

Responsible to:Team Leader

PERSON SPECIFICATION1. Duties and Responsibilities: To engage or re-engage hard to reach communities into treatment. To provide satellite surgeries within the community to ensure more accessible

treatment options and remove barriers into treatment where possible. Developing and maintaining strong links with key stakeholders and working in

partnership with agencies to provide holistic care and treatment for these individuals to meet all support needs.

To care coordinate the service user’s recovery by assessing, reviewing and monitoring their treatment journey.

Having a strong eye for detail in both the inputting and collation of data is essential.

To increase the number of potential service user’s from the community that are not currently engaging with treatment services. This may include rough sleepers, dual diagnosis clients, sex workers and street drinkers.

To support entrenched individuals and provide effective harm reduction, advice and information.

Ensure case management with robust risk assessments, safety management plans and care plans.

Working in line with Cranstoun’s safeguarding and lone working policies and procedures.

To identify potential service users and engage them in treatment using innovation and removing barriers into treatment.

Providing satellite surgeries within the community. Working in partnership with key stakeholders including undertaking joint

outreach, home visits, care planning, care coordination and drop ins. Participate and contribute in multi-agency case review meetings and

contribute to help tackle associated impacts on the local borough. To work flexibly within the agreed number of hours to maintain effective

service provision. This will include some evening and occasional weekend working.

Accurate recording of data for performance monitoring.

2. Advice & Information:

Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects Be aware of current national policy directing and supporting drug and alcohol

services

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Promote Resilience throughout the Borough Enable individuals to adopt safe practises associated with substance and

alcohol use through effective communication of harm reduction issues as appropriate.

Support service users to understand and manage interactions between substance and alcohol misuse and other forms of risk taking behaviour such as sex, gambling, domestic violence, self-harm and so on

3. Assessment & Care Planning

Plan and agree service responses which meet individual identified needs and circumstances

Provide a warm welcome new services users, their families, carers and referrers

Assist in the transfer of individuals between agencies and services Carry a caseload of individual service users and provide and co-ordinate

interventions appropriate to their needs. Conduct thorough risk assessments and update as risks may change. Provide comprehensive and individualised care plans for service users and

review within policy timeframes.

4. Support

Support individuals to access and use services and facilities. Support individuals who are substance users Enable individuals to administer their financial affairs Work with individuals to address their substance use using recognised models Help individuals address their substance use through an individualised

Recovery Plan Signpost, make referrals and work in partnership with agencies to support

service user care and support needs.

5. Monitoring

Provide information to support decision making Ensure records are kept up to date and relevant via the digital database and

paper files Use the review framework to ensure that 3 monthly reviews are adhered to

and all paperwork is completed Complete all TOPS/Stars for service users in structured services Ensure all clinical records are current and recorded electronically Maintain records as adhering to good information Governance & in line with

Cranstoun and Resilience local policies and guidelines Ensure objectives are recorded accurately and provided to the management

team monthly to contribute to performance reviews and contract meetings

6. General – Professional Practice

Relate to and interact with individuals. Promote peoples equality, diversity and rights Promote choice, wellbeing and the protection of individuals. Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users. Develop your own knowledge and practice

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Make use of supervision

7. Operational Duties

Contribute to maintaining a place of safety for all clients & staff Maintain records as appropriate & in line with Cranstoun Polices and those of

Resilience report to the Team Leader as & when required in respect of client work.

Liaise with all referral agencies & workers as & when appropriate. Maintain monitoring procedures as per Resilience policies Provide information, advice and advocacy services to clients as required Write reports on client progress to courts etc. as and when required Attend meetings as required Undertake any additional duties as may be reasonably required by the Team

Leader or Service Manager.

8. Other Duties

Develop and maintain productive working relationships Agree co-working arrangements and liaise with Care Managers, Probation

Officers, Peer Support Services and other key agencies concerned with the client.

In addition to the above Job Description, Substance Misuse Outreach Workers are, to demonstrate the following:

Provide relevant interventions based upon appropriate assessment or need and provide all relevant services in line with agreed targets and objectives

To manage own workload, engaging in the provision of brief interventions, assessment and care planning to people with substance related problems.

Undertake outreach and satellite provision to ensure the service covers the geographical area sufficiently.

Engage assertively and creatively with clients who may initially be reluctant to be involved with treatment or linked in with services.

Undertake initial comprehensive assessments of clients’ needs & determine appropriate intervention required.

Deliver Drug Awareness Training to relevant community groups Publicise the service through literature and team presentations Improving awareness and direct access for members of the community. Work with the key members of the community to develop and maintain

referral pathways. Develop strategies to help re-engage service users whom have dropped out of

treatment.

Undertake assessment interviews with clients, ascertaining and responding to their treatment, housing, accommodation, employment and personal support needs

Assist clients in relation to their aftercare and resettlement. Provide brief interventions including solution focussed therapy, motivational

enhancement and relapse prevention sessions on a one to one basis.

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Qualifications & Experience Experience of direct client work with substance misuse or a comparable client

group. Ability to Facilitate Groups Experience of using assessment tools Experience of one-to-one work An understanding of the needs of substance misusers and knowledge of harm

minimisation. Experience and commitment of working with adult substance misusing

clients. Experience of working with dual diagnosis clients. Excellent communication and transferrable skills. Experience of successful, independently managed work.

Abilities and attributes The ability to work in a pressurised, multi-disciplinary environment Good written and verbal communication skills with a good level of IT skills. Effective listening skills Ability to work effectively and efficiently within a team and build effective

working relationships with other agencies. A non-judgemental attitude to substance misusers users An understanding of care planning Ability to organise own workload with minimal supervision. Ability to undertake and develop a lead area as agreed with supervisor Ability to work flexible hours as required The ability to work as a member of a team. Willingness to make a personal investment in the success of Cranstoun and

its staff. Ability/willingness to work in partnership with a wide range of other agencies,

including the local authority, police and voluntary sector. Ability to work with challenging individuals and situations. Resilience and creativity in finding ways to return to, and engage with,

individuals who initially decline the service Knowledge of street community issues. Commitment to delivering service excellence. Commitment to personal and professional development. An understanding of the importance of recording and providing accurate data

in order to demonstrate compliance with personal objectives.

Skills & Knowledge Knowledge of the range of community drug services and models of treatment Knowledge of Dual Diagnosis Effective diary management and word processing skills Knowledge of brief intervention methods including Brief Solution Focussed

Therapy and Motivational Interviewing

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Experience and demonstrable knowledge of outreach work.

Desirable Criteria Knowledge of local services and geography of the Royal Borough of Windsor

and Maidenhead. Experience of group work Relevant qualifications as a substance misuse practitioner A full UK driving licence

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