Criminal Justice Recovery Worker

Overview

Are you passionate about supporting people to make positive changes and reduce offending linked to substance use?

We are looking for a motivated and compassionate Recovery Worker to join our Criminal Justice team. This is a unique and rewarding role working across police custody, prisons, courts and community services to engage individuals at key points within the criminal justice system and support their recovery journey.

The successful candidate will be based primarily within Colindale Police Custody Suite, undertaking substance misuse and risk assessments, identifying support needs, and facilitating rapid access into treatment and recovery services.

The role will also involve working closely with prisons, courts, probation and other criminal justice partners to ensure seamless continuity of care between custody, prison and the community. This aligns with the Criminal Justice Recovery Coordinator responsibilities of providing links between police custody, prison, courts and community services, and carrying out assessments and risk management.

Where: Barnet, including Colindale Police Custody Suite, prisons, courts and community settings

Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

*Please note: Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours.

Responsibilities

What you'll be doing:

• Delivering assessments, including comprehensive risk assessments, for individuals identified through police custody and criminal justice pathways.
• Engaging people with drug and alcohol support at the earliest opportunity.
• Supporting assessment, care planning and reviews for individuals in custody, prison and court settings.
• Working collaboratively with police, probation, prison healthcare teams, courts and community services.
• Providing advice and recommendations regarding treatment suitability and recovery interventions.
• Maintaining accurate records and ensuring information is shared appropriately with partner agencies.
• Promoting recovery, reducing substance-related harm and supporting individuals to reduce reoffending.

About you:

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of working within substance misuse, criminal justice, health, social care or a related field.
• Strong assessment and risk management skills.
• Excellent communication and partnership-working abilities.
• The ability to engage individuals with complex needs and multiple disadvantages.
• A commitment to supporting recovery and creating positive outcomes for vulnerable people.

What We Offer:

• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays. Additionally, you'll receive one extra day of annual leave for each year of service during your first five years, therefore you will enjoy 30 days of leave after five years with us.
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour weekly.
• 'Wellness' hub and Employee Assist Programme.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Varied benefits incl. shopping, cinema, and holiday discounts.
• Supportive team, training, career progression opportunities.
• Competitive rates of pay, free eye tests, product discounts.
• Refer a friend scheme with generous vouchers if successful.

Important information:

Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain Police Vetting and Prison Vetting clearance. The role involves regular work across police custody suites, prisons, court settings and community locations.

Please ensure that when completing your application form and supporting statement, you reflect on the details outlined in the job description. This will help us understand how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the role.

Direct applications only — we will not be engaging agencies for this vacancy.

AI can be a really helpful tool when putting together your application, and we're happy for you to use it. However, what we're most interested in is you.

We want to understand your experiences, achievements and strengths, so please make sure your application reflects your own story and clearly shows how you meet the essential criteria and the impact you've made in previous roles.

There's no need to write in a particular style. The strongest applications are those that are authentic, specific and clearly demonstrate your skills, experience and potential. We look forward to learning more about you.

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions. More information about eligible roles and occupations can be found here: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

The successful candidate will need to complete an enhanced DBS check and obtain HMPPS security clearance

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£28,557.79 - £32,802.41)

ILW / OLW /Fringe

Outer London Weighting (£2,250.61)

Interview Date

29/10/2026

Closing Date

17/10/2026

If you have any questions on this opportunity that you would like to talk through please contact us using the below details:

Lucy Gardner | [email protected]

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.