Recovery Worker Substance Misuse - Multi-Disciplinary Team

About the role

Recovery Worker Substance Misuse - Multi-Disciplinary Team

Fixed Term, Full Time

£31,931 to £36,423 per annum

Location: Harlow

Closing Date: 27th January 2026

Please note that this position is being offered as a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment with a planned duration of 24 months

The Team

The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) comprises of subject matter experts specialising in housing, domestic abuse, education, drug and alcohol support, youth work and mental health for adults and children.

MDT workers bring specialist knowledge and therapeutic insight. Their expertise is instrumental in re-engaging families, restoring hope, and fostering sustainable change. This team’s work is not only impactful — it’s transformative.

We are seeking an experienced, motivated and passionate individual to join our team. Being led by the Team Manager, you will be working to create the conditions for sustainable change with families.

The MDT team is situated within frontline social work teams where the referrals come from. The interventions from MDT are delivered within the community or in the families’ homes.

We want you to be a part of our vision and making this a reality. If you have the drive, creativity and enthusiasm to enhance and improve the lives of Children and Families, we want to hear from you.

Are you ready for the challenge of being at the forefront of innovative and impactful practice?

This is an exciting time for Children’s Social Work in Essex, and we are seeking experienced, motivated and passionate individuals to join our dynamic Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT).

Led by the Team Manager, you will help create the conditions for sustainable change, working alongside a diverse team of subject matter experts in housing, domestic abuse, education, drug and alcohol support, youth work and mental health.

Based within frontline Social Work teams, the MDT provides bespoke, specialist interventions in the community and in family homes, bringing therapeutic insight and expertise that re-engages families, restores hope and supports meaningful, lasting change. We want you to be part of our vision and help make it a reality. If you have the drive, creativity and enthusiasm to enhance and improve the lives of Children and Families, we want to hear from you.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

The Role

Working alongside Social Workers, promote family members involvement to improve outcomes for children.

Engage individuals with complex presentations and who have substance/alcohol misuse challenges and provide them with support and clinical interventions to address their substance/alcohol misuse.

Carry out risk assessments including safety plans and to contribute to the development of individual recovery plans with those who express a wish to access community treatment/support services.

Utilise interventions such as, motivational interviewing, ITEP, cognitive behavioural techniques and brief interventions to promote engagement in treatment services, encourage self-esteem, well-being, self-responsibility, enhanced motivation and therefore improve their parenting capacity.

Review ongoing care and treatment, liaising closely with partner agencies and provide support in engaging with the right services at the right time.

We are currently recruiting to multiple roles within our Multi‑Disciplinary Team. To find out more about these vacancies, please visit: Working for Essex - Multi-Disciplinary Team Vacancies

Accountabilities

Work and liaise with other agencies involved with the client’s broader care plan including health services, hospitals and GP’s.
In fulfilling these aims the post holder will use recognised, up to date evidenced based interventions and will have specific responsibility for the development, delivery and coordination of a recovery focussed model.
The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that parents / carers and their children consistently receive high quality services that adhere to best practice guidelines and achieve high professional standards.
The post holder will be responsible for contributing to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved and will be required to record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative and financial requirements.
The post holder will be required to work flexibly across the operational site as required and within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision.
The post holder will be expected to take responsibility for personal development, identifying personal training needs and participate in regular supervision and appraisal.

The Experience You Will Bring

Strong experience of working within substance misuse services.
Experience of working with high-risk families where children are subject to Child Protection or Child in Need Plans.
Working effectively to support adults with a history of substance misuse with demonstrable outcomes.
Demonstrable experience of being a catalyst for change in families’ lives.
Experience of working with challenging presentations such as resistance, minimization and denial and being able to achieve positive outcomes.
Knowledge of local services and issues.
Training in ITEP/BTEI or other structured psychosocial interventions.
Qualifications relating to substance misuse.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Next Steps

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be invited to attend a face‑to‑face interview at one of our Essex County Council offices, with interviews expected to take place around the week commencing 9th February 2026. If successful, the anticipated start date for this role will be from April 2026.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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Recovery Worker Substance Misuse – Multi-Disciplinary Team