Overview

Service Manager HMP Brixton – Brixton

Permanent

£37,433 – £45,751 plus £1,200 cost of living bonus

The Substance Misuse Service at HMP Brixton delivers psychosocial interventions within an integrated healthcare framework known as the New Models of Care (NMOC). Working in partnership with healthcare providers and criminal justice agencies, we support individuals with drug and alcohol issues through a trauma-informed, recovery-focused approach.

Based within HMP Brixton, a men’s Category C resettlement prison in South London, this role will work across our London prison services, supporting the delivery of high-quality treatment programmes and driving key strategic projects that improve outcomes for service users.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader with a passion for service improvement, partnership working and recovery-focused practice to play a key role in shaping the future of substance misuse services across the London region.

About the Role

As Regional Projects and Service Improvement Lead, you will work closely with the Regional Manager and London Leadership Team to lead and deliver strategic projects that support organisational priorities, improve service performance and enhance service user outcomes.

You will be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing projects through to successful completion, ensuring objectives are achieved and sustainable improvements are embedded across services.

Key priorities will include:

  • Driving recruitment and retention initiatives across London services, reducing vacancy levels and supporting workforce stability.
  • Improving continuity of care performance across the region, ensuring individuals receive effective support as they transition from custody into community treatment services.
  • Supporting the delivery and development of high-quality therapeutic programmes, including The Bridge and Stepping Stones, with a particular focus on HMP Brixton.
  • Leading preparations for establishment changes, including prison re-role activity, service mobilisation and contractual developments.
  • Overseeing the effectiveness of regional administration functions, ensuring NDTMS and other key performance data are accurate, timely and compliant with national and local reporting requirements.

Continuity of Care Responsibilities

You will take a lead role in strengthening continuity of care pathways by:

  • Conducting release and pre-release audits to ensure compliance with NDTMS requirements and continuity of care standards.
  • Developing and maintaining strong relationships with community treatment providers and local authority partners.
  • Establishing and chairing continuity of care forums and partnership meetings.
  • Monitoring performance, identifying areas for improvement and sharing best practice across services.
  • Supporting regional audits and quality assurance activity.
  • Working closely with Health and Justice partners, NHSE and OHID to implement initiatives that improve continuity of care outcomes. 

The role requires flexibility and may include occasional evening or weekend working. Travel across London prison services and other regional projects will also be required.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and motivated professional with a strong background in substance misuse services, service improvement and partnership working.

You will bring:

  • A thorough understanding of drug and alcohol treatment services, including addiction treatment programmes, ideally within prison or criminal justice settings.
  • Experience of developing, implementing and embedding service improvements that deliver measurable outcomes.
  • Demonstrable experience of managing people, performance and change effectively.
  • Experience of collecting, analysing and reporting data for audit, quality assurance and performance monitoring purposes.
  • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify priorities and implement practical solutions.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to build effective partnerships across a range of stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of psychosocial interventions, 12-step approaches and community treatment provision.
  • Experience of supervising therapeutic group work and supporting clinical or counselling practitioners.
  • Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles and the ability to work sensitively with diverse populations.
  • Knowledge of policies, procedures and governance requirements within health, social care or criminal justice services.
  • Strong IT skills, including experience of Microsoft Office packages and database monitoring systems. 

If you are committed to reducing health inequalities, improving continuity of care and supporting individuals to achieve meaningful recovery outcomes, we would love to hear from you.

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
  • Training and development opportunities
    • BHSF 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.
     
    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.

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