Young Persons Worker (YPS) – Drug and Alcohol | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 04 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £44,485 - £52,521 pa inc HCAS |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 October 2025 |
| Location: | Uxbridge, UB8 1JP |
| Company: | CNWL NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 7448155/333-D-AD-0555 |
Summary
The YPS will work with young people aged 21 years and under. They will provide assessment, risk management and a range of interventions to YP with hazardous, harmful and dependent drug and alcohol problems in the Hillingdon Borough. They will liaise closely with the Hillingdon Drug and Alcohol Service and other professionals working with young people
The YPS will also provide support and training to other professionals working with YP to nursing and medical staff.
To provide comprehensive assessment of YP referred to the service. This may include using motivational interviewing techniques, self-report measures, risk assessment, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care. Assessments will involve making judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options, as well as requiring prolonged concentration.
To counsel YP about their substance use, using motivational interviewing, relapse management and other evidence-based interventions.
To develop group interventions and outreach programmes for Young People.
To participate in the provision of drug and alcohol teaching and training for staff working with young people in Hillingdon.
To represent the YP service on both internal and external clinical and strategic planning forums and to role model a professional and leadership style.
To provide periodic information on service/unit performance as requested by the Sector Manager.
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
Clinical:
To provide comprehensive assessment of YP referred to the service. This may include using motivational interviewing techniques, self-report measures, risk assessment, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care. Assessments will involve making judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options, as well as requiring prolonged concentration.
Assessments will require testing of bodily fluids, and therefore direct contact with urine and / or saliva. It will also include dry blood spot testing
To participate in the Needle Exchange program when required.
To assess the psychological, emotional, social and treatment needs of the YP, taking account of the needs of the family and local community.
To provide a range of interventions to clients including personalised feedback, advice and information with the aim of eliciting change.
To provide specialist clinical advice and support to staff on the management of YP with Addictions problems, including A&E.
To make appropriate referral to statutory and non-statutory agencies for longer term interventions such as detox, counselling, psychology, family therapy etc.
To ensure full risk assessments are carried out and risk management is delivered effectively.
To assess physiological &/or psychological functioning and when there are complex needs and/or high risks and to manage effectively.
To counsel YP about their substance use, using motivational interviewing, relapse management and other evidence-based interventions.
To develop group interventions and outreach programmes for Young People.
To support YP to transition from YP services to other appropriate services and support to ETE.
Training and Support:
To participate in the provision of drug and alcohol teaching and training for staff working with young people in Hillingdon.
To act as a resource on drug/alcohol problems and their impact.
To encourage and facilitate hospital staff in developing skills and knowledge of appropriate interventions for clients with alcohol problems.
To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
To provide training and support in schools & YP services.
Management and Leadership:
To contribute to the development of a culture of risk assessment and management to be delivered effectively within own sphere of responsibility and practice.
To represent the YP service on both internal and external clinical and strategic planning forums and to role model a professional and leadership style.
To provide clinical advice and support to other colleagues within the health care setting and to other agencies concerned with substance misuse.
To be responsible for the safe and effective storage and administration of drugs, exercising responsibility for the custody and maintenance of statutory records of such drugs in accordance with the Trust Policies/Procedures on the supply and carriage of drugs in the community
To ensure an understanding and implementation of clinical governance.
Communication:
To participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings/case discussions both in the hospital and with community services.
To record assessment findings in client’s case notes.
To provide verbal and/or written feedback to referrers.
To liaise and communicate clinical information with partner agencies within the strict guideline/ protocol on shared confidential information between Addictions/hospital and the named partner agencies.
To attend service wide meetings as team representative when required.
To attend and participate in external satellite/groups as appropriate.
Contribute to the promotion of team cohesiveness, multidisciplinary working and at all times work collaboratively with colleagues in all parts to achieve healthy and effective communication.
To work collaboratively in developing professional links with other statutory and voluntary service providers.
To ensure the service/unit is represented in a professional manner at all times.
To work as a member of the multidisciplinary Team and to liaise with other staff members of the local services.
To provide specialist advice, when required, on drug/alcohol addiction to other colleagues in relation to the assessment, treatment planning and implementation of interventions to substance misusing clients.
To be able to use word processing and electronic monitoring of data-based system, for which training would be available, if needed.
To maintain accurate and up to date documentation of all service clients records, , ensuring the confidentiality of such records of information are in line with the Data Protection Act and Information Sharing Protocol.
To ensure that service administration systems are followed including NDTMS.
Personal and Professional Development:
To be responsible for maintaining professional registration where appropriate, ensuring personal professional profile requirements are met.
To be directly accountable for own professional practice and to operate in line with code of professional conduct in relation to policies on direct patient care.
To undertake Operational and Strategic Line Management Supervision
To undertake Professional/Clinical Supervision as stated in the CNWL Supervision Policy on own clinical work and professional development plan.
To complete the CNWL annual appraisal/review process and personal development plans/objectives.
To identify training needs as part of the annual appraisal/review process and complete evaluation of training events and courses attended.
To participate in training initiatives as required both within the Sector and the wider professional community.
To keep up to date on evidence and practice in relation to dual diagnosis and case management of drug/alcohol users with mental health problems.
To ensure all staff you hold responsibility for, receives appropriate line management and clinical supervision in line with Trust and recommendations, participate in services appraisal system and have up to date Personal Development Plans.
To plan and implement training and skills development initiatives for staff you are responsible for.
Policy and/or Service Development:
To provide periodic information on service/unit performance as requested by the Sector Manager.
To ensure that all Trust policies and procedures, including Serious Incident policy are fully implemented and complied with.
To be directly accountable and responsible for own professional practice and to operate in line with Code of Professional Conduct in relation to rules, regulations and policies on direct patient care.
To contribute to the development/evaluation of clinical policies and procedures for submission/approval by the Clinical Governance Group.
To ensure a high quality of service is delivered by following local and national quality and performance standards, guidance, protocols, procedures and practice guidelines.
To participate in service reviews and contribute to the production of the annual review and report.
To have a clear understanding of the National Service Frameworks for drug and alcohol problems and its application and implementation.
Management of Resources:
To be responsible for the effective management of own workload and to keep records of economical use of time and resources, daily travel logs, diary appointments and workload priorities.
To adhere to AOCD service data recording policies as well as gathering additional information relevant to the study.
To be responsible for ensuring monthly contract and other data reporting activities are submitted within agreed timescales.
To maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of clinical records on clients, ensuring confidentiality is not breached and disclosed only with client’s consent and on a need to know basis.
To be responsible for use of resources allocated for the purpose of the post.
To demonstrate responsible time management.
Research and Development:
To participate in and plan clinical/service audits, ensuring these meet recommended standards.
To contribute to clinical audits to ensure that audit/service evaluation findings are implemented.
To contribute to the development of an evidence based culture to the work as a whole, using self-reflection and continuously appraising own performance and evaluation of clinical input and to make these outcomes known to the Line Manager.
To attend research presentations and take an active part in the team/service teaching programmes.
To contribute or lead, research or service evaluations as agreed with management.
To take part in clinical and consumer audit and implement resulting recommendations.
This advert closes on Thursday 18 Sep 2025
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