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EYPDAS Practitioner (North Quadrant) (6128)

• Annual:29,855
• Location:Essex - The Children's Society East of England, United Kingdom
• Group:
• Vacancy type:permanent with funding
• Closing date:20 July 2026

EYPDAS (Essex Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Service) Substance Misuse Practitioner NORTH ESSEX

Permanent contract but funding for this role ends on 31st March 2030 (with the potential for extension for a further 2 years) 

35 hours per week 

£29,855  per annum 

You would be based in Colchester and expected to travel within the north quadrant.

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave, inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

 

About us:

The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

This role sits within our children and families directorate, which works to provide immediate one-to-one and group support for young people who urgently need support. Your role will be to help us maintain and develop innovative practice to support our work in our services within the Essex area.

The Role

We wish to recruit a Substance Misuse Practitioner to join the established All Age Recovery Co-ordination Service (AARCS), which we deliver in partnership with Open Road, supporting young people, adults and families affected by substance misuse.

You will undertake individual assessments and risk assessment with young people up to the age of 25, developing a person-centred care plan specific to that young person and their needs and supporting them through their recovery journey with the service. This will be delivered through a range of tailored interventions, in both a one to one and/or targeted group work capacity.

Key skills and experience:

The required skills and competencies for this role are:

• You will have substantial experience in working with vulnerable young people either in a paid or unpaid capacity.
• You will have experience of carrying out individual and group work interventions with young people & adults.
• You will have experience in using Microsoft Office Applications and other relevant data systems.
• You can demonstrate the ability to work on your own initiative as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• You will require a vehicle and drivers licence to be able to meet the demands of the role.

It would also be an advantage if you have any of the following skills and competencies:

• Understanding and working knowledge of drug and alcohol use and addiction.
• Have prior experience in the drug and alcohol field.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 20^th July 2026

Interviews: Tuesday 28 th July 2026, interviews will be held in person at the office in Chelmsford.

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matter.

• Annual:29,855
• Location:Essex - The Children's Society East of England, United Kingdom
• Group:
• Vacancy type:permanent with funding
• Closing date:20 July 2026