Overview

Health & Wellbeing Practitioner – HMP Highdown – Surrey

Permanent

£28,918.50

Are you passionate about supporting people to make positive changes and improve their health and wellbeing?

The Forward Trust is looking for a Health & Wellbeing Practitioner to join our team at HMP Highdown, working full-time, 37.5 hours per week.

You’ll play a key role in delivering recovery-focused support to people in prison, working as part of a skilled, multi-disciplinary team to provide psychosocial and clinical interventions using a trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach.

What you’ll be doing

  • Manage a caseload, prioritising individuals according to their needs and release dates.
  • Complete assessments, risk assessments and care plans, working collaboratively with service users.
  • Deliver structured 1:1 sessions and group work focused on health, wellbeing, recovery and harm reduction.
  • Support release planning and through-care, helping individuals transition back into the community.
  • Work closely with healthcare, mental health, prison and external partner services.
  • Carry out second signatory duties and oral swab testing where required.
  • Maintain accurate records and ensure data is captured in line with service requirements.
  • Contribute to a positive, safe and solution-focused service, continually looking for ways to improve outcomes.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who is:

  • Compassionate and non-judgemental, with a genuine commitment to supporting people to make positive changes.
  • Experienced in working with people experiencing substance misuse and/or mental health needs.
  • Confident carrying out assessments, care planning and structured interventions.
  • Comfortable managing a caseload and working towards targets and deadlines.
  • Able to facilitate 1:1 and group sessions effectively.
  • A strong communicator who can build positive relationships with service users and partner agencies.
  • Able to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Organised and confident using IT systems to maintain accurate records and case management documentation.
  • Committed to safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety, and professional standards.
  • Willing to undertake the DAWFDP and commit to ongoing professional development.

If you’re compassionate, motivated and committed to helping people make lasting change, we’d love to hear from you.

Please see attached Job Description for full details

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

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
  • Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks’ continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you’d like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@forwardtrust.org.uk 
  • 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.
    Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.
     
    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. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around 3 years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

    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 find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.  

    We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.
     
    Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
    Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

    If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

    Our Commitment to Safeguarding
    We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

    To apply for this job please visit careers.forwardtrust.org.uk.