Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Substance Misuse Practitioner

The closing date is 30 April 2026

Job summary

To participate in providing the successful and effective delivery of the Integrated Substance Misuse Services within Secured Services, delivering best practice psychosocial interventions to support the patients' recovery journey.

To provide high quality patient care with a strong focus towards harm reduction and health promotion / recovery agendas through comprehensive assessment, care-planning, implementation and evaluation of care for people with substance misuse problems.

Main duties of the job

To carry a psychosocial case load with responsibility for assessing, care-planning, implementing and evaluating patient care.

To undertake comprehensive assessment of patients needs following referral to the service and completion formulations to advise patient care.

To lead/co-facilitate group work relevant to substance misuse and offending behaviour.

To effectively liaise and develop links with services, both internal and external, within the prison setting and in the community to establish effective through care and after care pathways.

To act as a second check and signatory in the dispensing of controlled drugs in relation to substance misuse.

To aid and support the Peer Mentor scheme through supervision of the peer mentors and involvement in recruitment and training.

To provide information and advice about drugs, alcohol, smoking cessation and related issues, to include blood borne viruses and safer sex.

To work in conjunction with the prescriber, attending 13 week reviews and SMS complex case meetings to ensure appropriate patient clinical care.

To devise care plans, formulating from assessment and implement and review on a regular basis, in-line with patient needs.

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be 'outstanding' by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Details

Date posted

16 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£32,073 to £39,043 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

270-TH032-HMPRAN

Job locations

HMP Ranby

Straight Mile

Retford

DN22 8EU


Job description

Job responsibilities

As described in the main duties of the job, as well as:

To be responsible for a caseload of patients with a diverse range of substance misuse treatment needs, and to provide a comprehensive package of care that includes reference to both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments including Methadone, Espranor, Buvidal, Naltrexone, Acamprosate and Disulfiram.

To work within an wider integrated healthcare team to ensure the best standards of care for patients. This includes joint working with primary care, mental health and pharmacy colleagues.

To ensure continuity of case by effectively plan for patient discharge and prison transfer and/or release in conjunction with community services. To ensure appropriate transfer of patient information and management of highlighted patient risks including facilitating take-home naloxone training.

To obtain clinical observations on patients to support safer prescribing decisions and monitor withdrawal. This includes obtaining urine drug samples and screening for blood-borne viruses.

To provide information, advice and guidance on a range of issues relating to substance misuse, including overdose and tolerance, harm reduction, specific substance awareness and safer injecting.

To plan, deliver and train junior staff in evidence-based psychosocial interventions via one-to-one and group sessions.

To be actively involved in appraisal systems, clinical and managerial supervision, and be active in identifying aims and objectives for personal development to meet department objectives. This includes remaining up-to-date with any and all mandatory and role-specific training.

To assess and respond to patients at risk of suicide using the appropriate interventions, including the prison service's ACCT process.

Job description

Job responsibilities

As described in the main duties of the job, as well as:

To be responsible for a caseload of patients with a diverse range of substance misuse treatment needs, and to provide a comprehensive package of care that includes reference to both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments including Methadone, Espranor, Buvidal, Naltrexone, Acamprosate and Disulfiram.

To work within an wider integrated healthcare team to ensure the best standards of care for patients. This includes joint working with primary care, mental health and pharmacy colleagues.

To ensure continuity of case by effectively plan for patient discharge and prison transfer and/or release in conjunction with community services. To ensure appropriate transfer of patient information and management of highlighted patient risks including facilitating take-home naloxone training.

To obtain clinical observations on patients to support safer prescribing decisions and monitor withdrawal. This includes obtaining urine drug samples and screening for blood-borne viruses.

To provide information, advice and guidance on a range of issues relating to substance misuse, including overdose and tolerance, harm reduction, specific substance awareness and safer injecting.

To plan, deliver and train junior staff in evidence-based psychosocial interventions via one-to-one and group sessions.

To be actively involved in appraisal systems, clinical and managerial supervision, and be active in identifying aims and objectives for personal development to meet department objectives. This includes remaining up-to-date with any and all mandatory and role-specific training.

To assess and respond to patients at risk of suicide using the appropriate interventions, including the prison service's ACCT process.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to carry a caseload, with responsibility for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating patient care.
  • Ability to undertake comprehensive assessment of patients' needs following referral to the service and formulation of patient care

Desirable

  • NHS Clinical Systems Experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Either a current professional registration e.g. O.T, Social Work, Counselling and/or relevant degree in Drug and Alcohol Counselling.or oEvidence of equivalent training and experience within the provision of structured psychosocial and clinical interventions, including CBT, Motivational Interviewing skills, RCGP1, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy etc.
  • Suitable years of experience in prison or community related substance misuse multi-disciplinary work. This could include substantial voluntary work.
  • Experience of working in prisons/secured settings

Desirable

  • Knowledge of evidence-based approaches to Psychosocial Interventions

SECURITY VETTING

Essential

  • The application includes evidence of the required years of UK residency to meet prison vetting standards
Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to carry a caseload, with responsibility for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating patient care.
  • Ability to undertake comprehensive assessment of patients' needs following referral to the service and formulation of patient care

Desirable

  • NHS Clinical Systems Experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Either a current professional registration e.g. O.T, Social Work, Counselling and/or relevant degree in Drug and Alcohol Counselling.or oEvidence of equivalent training and experience within the provision of structured psychosocial and clinical interventions, including CBT, Motivational Interviewing skills, RCGP1, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy etc.
  • Suitable years of experience in prison or community related substance misuse multi-disciplinary work. This could include substantial voluntary work.
  • Experience of working in prisons/secured settings

Desirable

  • Knowledge of evidence-based approaches to Psychosocial Interventions

SECURITY VETTING

Essential

  • The application includes evidence of the required years of UK residency to meet prison vetting standards

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

HMP Ranby

Straight Mile

Retford

DN22 8EU


Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

HMP Ranby

Straight Mile

Retford

DN22 8EU


Employer's website

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service Manager - Substance Misuse

Laura Matthews

laura.matthews@nhft.nhs.uk

01777863083

Details

Date posted

16 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£32,073 to £39,043 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

270-TH032-HMPRAN

Job locations

HMP Ranby

Straight Mile

Retford

DN22 8EU


Supporting documents

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