Drug and Alcohol Worker (Children and Young Persons)
Job Description/ Person Specification
Drug and Alcohol Worker (Children and Young People)
Introduction
VERVE brings together an Alliance of Barod Project, Kaleidoscope Project, Adferiad Recovery, The Wallich and key commissioning partners. These are four respected organisations with more than a century of combined experience delivering substance use services across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot (SNPT). Each partner contributes specialist expertise, deep local knowledge, and a proven commitment to high-quality, person-centred support. Together, this Alliance forms a deliberate, strategic partnership designed to meet the ambitions of the Alliance Mandate and contribute to system-wide transformation.
This collaboration is built on our shared belief that the complexity of need within substance use services requires a unified, integrated response. By bringing together our collective strengths and specialist knowledge, we are creating a service that is more effective, more responsive, and better equipped to deliver improved outcomes for the communities we serve.
Vision and Values
Our vision is ambitious and rooted in collective responsibility and shared decision-making. This vision will be embedded across partners and stakeholders to nurture strong professional relationships and foster a ‘people-first’ culture, where staff feel empowered to deliver compassionate, innovative, and high-quality support.
VERVE promotes an inclusive, values-driven culture centred on dignity, fairness, and co-production. We empower people using our services and support our workforce to thrive. We are committed to creating a diverse and equitable workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported, and where our services reflect the communities that we serve.
Role Summary
The role of the Drug & Alcohol Worker for Children and Young People (CYP) is to offer drug and alcohol support services for children and young people up to the age of 25 years old including young, concerned others who are experiencing problems in relation to drug and/or alcohol use. This post will also work alongside other agencies including education and youth settings, ensuring young people are aware of the risks associated with substance use.
The post-holder will assess CYP needs and deliver structured, evidence-based interventions to support young people to make positive lifestyle changes. The role works holistically with individuals accessing services, ranging from those requiring brief interventions and harm reduction support through to those requiring structured treatment and comprehensive care planning. The post holder will support individuals in recovery, promote health and wellbeing, and enable sustained recovery and community integration.
Role-Specific Responsibilities
- Engage service users within the substance use treatment system and support access via Single Point of Contact.
- Deliver harm reduction interventions including needle exchange, naloxone, and BBV testing initiatives.
- Provide evidence-based, age-appropriate interventions on a one-to-one and group basis including crisis support, lifestyle behaviours, overdose risk reduction and promoting healthy living.
- Conduct assessments, care planning, and risk management.
- Co-produce with service users individually tailored time-limited support plans based on a clear assessment of need.
- Provide targeted outreach services to individuals who are identified as ‘un- der-represented or under reported’ to encourage engagement in the service.
- Deliver relapse prevention and structured recovery programmes.
- Work collaboratively with partner agencies across health, local authority, and third sector to ensure seamless transitions between services.
- Promote awareness of substance use harms and deliver training to professionals.
- Support outreach, prevention and early intervention.
- Encourage participation in peer support and mutual aid groups.
- Maintain accurate records and use case management systems effectively.
- Support safeguarding responsibilities in line with legislation and policy.
- Contribute to service development, campaigns, and awareness initiatives.
- Actively influence and support service users and concerned others in co-pro-duction and active participation in shaping service provision
- To develop, train, manage and motivate a team of service user volunteers and peers to provide high quality support and practical assistance.
- Promote engagement and motivation for change, including proactive follow-up with young people who disengage.
- Strengthen support networks by building positive peer connections and appropriately involving families and carers.
- Maintain effective multi-agency collaboration, particularly with CAMHS, Integrated Family Support Services, Social Services, Family Services, and YJS.
- Undertake other reasonable duties as requested, but which may not be specified within the job description
Contribute to the achievement of the service’s vision, values, strategic priorities and service objectives.
Essential Qualifications and Experience