Harm Reduction Worker Leeds - Part-Time LYPFT
Job overview
Join Our Team – Make a Real Impact!
Are you passionate about supporting individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges? We’re looking for a dedicated professional to join our Harm Reduction Team, enhancing the Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) and Acute Liaison Psychiatry Service (ALPS) Team.
What You’ll Do:
- Engage directly with service users, delivering harm reduction interventions and guiding them towards community-based support services, particularly through Forward Leeds.
- Work in partnership with LYPFT staff to break down barriers and improve access to alcohol and drug services for underserved communities.
- Advocate for individuals, ensuring their health and social needs are met.
- Collaborate with multiple agencies and take the lead in building new partnerships to enhance service user support.
Why Join Us?
✅ Meaningful work that directly improves lives.✅ A collaborative and supportive team environment.
✅ Opportunities to build strong community connections and drive real change.
If you’re committed to harm reduction and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you!
Apply today and be part of a team that truly cares
Main duties of the job
To work as part of a harm reduction team to enhance the Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) and Acute Liaison Psychiatry Service (ALPS) Team to meet the needs of people with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. The aim of the role is to engage with service users to deliver harm reduction interventions and support them into community support services, with a particular emphasis on referrals into Forward Leeds.
Working in partnership with LYPFT staff, the role will aim to reduce boundaries and support communities that may not be accessing alcohol and drug services. You will support and advocate on their behalf, ensuring as far as possible that their health and social needs are met.You will work closely with other agencies and be proactive in establishing links with new partners.
You will be part of a dynamic and responsive team so a positive attitude and a willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of our services users is essential. You will be working in accordance with the values of St Anne’s Community Services and Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust.
Working for our organisation
St. Anne's wants to reward its permanent employees for their hard work. Employee benefits include;- Rising annual leave each year to a maximum of 33 days (including statutory holidays)
- 24 Hour Employee Assistance Programme
- Continuous opportunities for ongoing training and career development
- Cycle To Work scheme
- Refer A Friend recruitment initiative
- Flexible working opportunities (where applicable) upon successful completion of probation period
- Group Personal Pension Scheme
- Discounted income protection scheme
- Free car parking at most services
- Free life assurance cover
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities- Accept referrals on Care Director from the emergency department, Single Point of Access (SPA), 136 Suite and Mental Health Crisis Triage (MHCT).
- To complete an initial assessment with service users who present with substance use and mental health issues.
- To work collaboratively with service users and actively engage them to support recovery through education, harm reduction interventions, accommodation and mental health.
- To engage service users in alcohol and drug services with particular emphasis on referring to Forward Leeds.
- Offer up to 6 sessions of harm reduction/brief interventions with service users.
- Provide training and support to practitioners around drugs and alcohol to enhance their skills and knowledge.
- Use Care Director to document client contact and monitoring tools such as Assist/AUDIT and Treatment Outcome Profiles (TOPS).
- Follow the LYPFT policy for lone working.
- Attend Multi Disciplinary Team handover meetings and review with care co-ordinators where drug and alcohol use is a concern.
- Working in collaboration with partner agencies and attend meetings when appropriate.
- Effective case management to offer up to 6 weeks of sessions; ensuring that the health and social needs of clients are fully assessed and an appropriate support plan is put in place.
- To ensure that referrals on Care Director are prioritised and acted on in an efficient and empathic manner.
- To work within established care pathways and referrals procedures within Forward Leeds and with partner agencies.
- Provide a flexible service including evening work.
- Ensuring that clients’ rights are respected and that their views and wishes are adequately represented in the care planning and support process.
- Responsible for maximising opportunities for client participation and co-production.
- Responsible for maintaining accurate and appropriate records in accordance with the organisations confidentiality policy and to be able to provide information and reports when requested.
- Ensure that safeguarding concerns are acted on in line with our policies and procedures by understanding and adhering to the principles of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
- Taking responsibility for your own personal development and training needs, based on the service objective.
- To seek out and explore areas of development for the service and improving the care provided to our service users.
- To participate in formal supervisions, peer supervisions and practice reflection sessions.
- TO work alongside volunteers and, where necessary, provide support and supervision.
- Understanding the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace and taking responsibility for implementing it.
- Adhere to the principles of Information Governance, ensuring the security and safety of premises, equipment, records and resources.
- Work within the Policies and Procedures of St Anne’s Community Services and LYPFT, and to the national standards of NICE, CQC and other governing bodies.
- To ensure professional conduct at all times when representing the service; and ensuring ID badges are worn at all times.
- Attend internal and external meetings as and when required.
N.B. This is a job outline only and seeks to set out the principle purpose and function of the job. It may therefore be subject to change.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Previous experience
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Relevant qualification
Driving License
Essential criteria- Must have full UK driving license and willing to drive service vehicle (van)