The Substance Misuse Service at HMP Brixton delivers psychosocial interventions within an integrated healthcare framework known as the New Models of Care (NMOC). Working in partnership with healthcare providers and criminal justice agencies, we support individuals with drug and alcohol issues through a trauma-informed, recovery-focused approach.
Based within HMP Brixton, a men's Category C resettlement prison in South London, this role will work across our London prison services, supporting the delivery of high-quality treatment programmes and driving key strategic projects that improve outcomes for service users.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader with a passion for service improvement, partnership working and recovery-focused practice to play a key role in shaping the future of substance misuse services across the London region.
About the Role
As Regional Projects and Service Improvement Lead, you will work closely with the Regional Manager and London Leadership Team to lead and deliver strategic projects that support organisational priorities, improve service performance and enhance service user outcomes.
You will be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing projects through to successful completion, ensuring objectives are achieved and sustainable improvements are embedded across services.
Key priorities will include:
- Driving recruitment and retention initiatives across London services, reducing vacancy levels and supporting workforce stability.
- Improving continuity of care performance across the region, ensuring individuals receive effective support as they transition from custody into community treatment services.
- Supporting the delivery and development of high-quality therapeutic programmes, including The Bridge and Stepping Stones, with a particular focus on HMP Brixton.
- Leading preparations for establishment changes, including prison re-role activity, service mobilisation and contractual developments.
- Overseeing the effectiveness of regional administration functions, ensuring NDTMS and other key performance data are accurate, timely and compliant with national and local reporting requirements.
Continuity of Care Responsibilities
You will take a lead role in strengthening continuity of care pathways by:
- Conducting release and pre-release audits to ensure compliance with NDTMS requirements and continuity of care standards.
- Developing and maintaining strong relationships with community treatment providers and local authority partners.
- Establishing and chairing continuity of care forums and partnership meetings.
- Monitoring performance, identifying areas for improvement and sharing best practice across services.
- Supporting regional audits and quality assurance activity.
- Working closely with Health and Justice partners, NHSE and OHID to implement initiatives that improve continuity of care outcomes.
The role requires flexibility and may include occasional evening or weekend working. Travel across London prison services and other regional projects will also be required.
About You
We are looking for an experienced and motivated professional with a strong background in substance misuse services, service improvement and partnership working.
You will bring:
- A thorough understanding of drug and alcohol treatment services, including addiction treatment programmes, ideally within prison or criminal justice settings.
- Experience of developing, implementing and embedding service improvements that deliver measurable outcomes.
- Demonstrable experience of managing people, performance and change effectively.
- Experience of collecting, analysing and reporting data for audit, quality assurance and performance monitoring purposes.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify priorities and implement practical solutions.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to build effective partnerships across a range of stakeholders.
- Knowledge of psychosocial interventions, 12-step approaches and community treatment provision.
- Experience of supervising therapeutic group work and supporting clinical or counselling practitioners.
- Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles and the ability to work sensitively with diverse populations.
- Knowledge of policies, procedures and governance requirements within health, social care or criminal justice services.
- Strong IT skills, including experience of Microsoft Office packages and database monitoring systems.
If you are committed to reducing health inequalities, improving continuity of care and supporting individuals to achieve meaningful recovery outcomes, we would love to hear from you.