Overview

South West Recovery Navigator (Predominantly Wandsworth probation) – London

Permanent

£25,207

As a Recovery Navigator in the Dependency and Recovery Service, you’ll play a vital role in helping people on probation build and sustain recovery from substance misuse.

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary, hybrid team, you’ll support predominately Wandsworth clients but will also be expected to support individuals in the Kingston, Richmond and Hounslow, Merton, and Sutton probation area.

Your role is to help bridge the gap between probation and community treatment services : improving engagement, providing advocacy, and offering practical, motivational, and timebound interventions that support long-term recovery and reduce re-offending.

Key Responsibilities

As a Recovery Navigator, you will:

  • Manage a caseload of adult male clients (prison leavers and those on community orders)
  • Conduct comprehensive assessments and develop collaborative action plans
  • Deliver 1:1 support, group sessions, and virtual interventions
  • Provide advocacy and practical assistance, including referrals, form-filling, and attending appointments
  • Offer advice, guidance, and information to empower clients to take control of their recovery journey
  • Work closely with treatment providers, probation staff, and local partners to ensure seamless support
  • Maintain accurate and timely case records and data for reporting purposes
  • Help clients develop understanding and self-management of their dependency and recovery needs
  • Contribute to team learning by developing subject matter expertise (SME) in specific areas such as BAME communities or chemsex support (where applicable)

About You

We’re looking for a motivated, empathetic professional with a passion for helping others achieve lasting recovery. You’ll bring:

Essential Experience & Skills:

  • Experience working in substance misuse, criminal justice, or a related support field
  • Strong background in case management, including risk assessment, SMART action planning, and accurate record-keeping
  • Experience delivering 1:1 and group interventions using motivational and trauma-informed approaches
  • Ability to build rapport and set professional boundaries
  • Excellent organisational skills — able to manage workload, prioritise, and meet targets
  • Strong partnership working skills with external agencies and probation staff
  • Excellent communication skills with individuals from diverse backgrounds
  • Understanding of equal opportunities, confidentiality, and GDPR compliance

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
    • 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)
    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.

    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.  


    Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

    We recognise the importance of safeguarding, 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.

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