Drug Testing jobs

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.

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 Purpose:

The role of the Drug & Alcohol Worker – Police Custody, Court and Prison, is to work as part of a wider team providing collaborative case management to those in contact with the criminal justice system. The post-holder will provide an effective link with court, custody and prison establishments, supporting those within the court process and entering and exiting prison or police custody.

The post-holder will engage individuals at critical points of contact within the criminal justice system, providing rapid assessment, harm reduction advice, and onward referral to ensure continuity of care. The role will place a strong emphasis on managing risk, including substance-related harm, withdrawal, and vulnerability, while working in partnership with criminal justice agencies to support diversion from custody where appropriate and reduce reoffending.

The role will assess service user needs and deliver structured, evidence-based interventions to support individuals 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.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Deliver rapid screening and assessment within police custody suites, courts, and prison settings to identify substance use needs, risk, and immediate support requirements.
• Provide brief interventions at point of arrest or court appearance, maximising opportunities to engage individuals who may not access community services.
• Identify and respond to acute risk, including withdrawal, intoxication, overdose vulnerability, and safeguarding concerns within custody environments.
• Work in partnership with police, custody staff, court teams, prison healthcare, and probation services to support coordinated care and information sharing.
• Facilitate diversion into treatment services where appropriate, supporting alternatives to custody and contributing to reducing reoffending.
• Provide assessments and direction in relation to Community Treatment Requirement Orders.
• Support individuals through the court process, including liaison with court staff and providing information to inform decision-making where appropriate.
• Ensure continuity of care across transitions, including custody to court, prison to community, and release from custody, through effective handover and referral pathways.
• Coordinate and support through-the-gate provision, engaging individuals prior to release and linking them into community treatment and support services.
• Maintain timely and accurate information sharing and documentation in line with criminal justice and information governance requirements.
• Contribute to multi-agency risk management processes, including case conferences, MAPPA (where appropriate), and safeguarding procedures.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Undertake other reasonable duties as requested, but which may not be specified within the job description

Pay: £26,790.00-£28,880.00 per year

Work Location: In person