Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Community Recovery Practitioner (COMHAD)

The closing date is 08 October 2025

Job summary

The Community Recovery Practitioner will work under the guidance of the COMHAD (Co-occurring Mental Health, Alcohol and Drugs) Specialist Practitioner to support service users with co-occurring mental health, alcohol, and drug difficulties. The role involves delivering both individualised and group psycho-social interventions aimed at promoting harm reduction, resilience, and recovery. The practitioner will work both autonomously and collaboratively with Hub partners in a person-centred and holistic manner.

Main duties of the job

  • Conduct timelyscreening and assessmentof substance misuse needs.
  • Deliverpersonalised psycho-social interventionsto promote recovery and self-management.
  • Facilitategroup interventionsrelated to substance misuse.
  • Promote understanding of the impact of substance misuse on mental and physical health.
  • Encourage engagement withphysical health and wellbeing services.
  • Championparity of accessto mental health services for those using substances.
  • Support the COMHAD principles of"no wrong door"and"everybody's business".

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Details

Date posted

24 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£32,199 to £34,876 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7479392-CMH

Job locations

Bexleyheath Centre

4 Emerton Close

Bexleyheath, Kent

DA6 8DX


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Communication: Build respectful relationships with service users, guide them through therapeutic activities, and report progress to teams and partners.
  • Documentation: Maintain accurate written and electronic records in line with Trust standards.
  • Leadership & Supervision: Participate in supervision and appraisal processes.
  • Training: Contribute to staff and student training on substance-related topics.
  • Service Development: Ensure safe and compliant environments, support legal and safety procedures.
  • Professional Development: Engage in ongoing training and maintain a personal development record.
  • Clinical Governance: Participate in quality improvement and governance activities.
  • Resource Management: Manage stock and advise on necessary resources.
  • Research & Development: Apply current substance management techniques and contribute to audits and evaluations.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Communication: Build respectful relationships with service users, guide them through therapeutic activities, and report progress to teams and partners.
  • Documentation: Maintain accurate written and electronic records in line with Trust standards.
  • Leadership & Supervision: Participate in supervision and appraisal processes.
  • Training: Contribute to staff and student training on substance-related topics.
  • Service Development: Ensure safe and compliant environments, support legal and safety procedures.
  • Professional Development: Engage in ongoing training and maintain a personal development record.
  • Clinical Governance: Participate in quality improvement and governance activities.
  • Resource Management: Manage stock and advise on necessary resources.
  • Research & Development: Apply current substance management techniques and contribute to audits and evaluations.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential

  • Good level of education
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

  • Drug and alcohol qualification
  • NVQ in healthcare or similar

Experience

Essential

  • Experience facilitating group interventions related to substance misuse.
  • Experience working both independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
  • Experience with documentation and reporting, including writing reports and maintaining records

Desirable

  • Experience working in a mental health setting.
  • Experience supporting individuals with personal mental health difficulties or caring for someone with such challenges.
  • Experience contributing to service development, such as audits or quality improvement initiatives

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

  • Understanding of co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs
  • Ability to teach practical substance management skills to service users
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and group facilitation

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Health and Safety and risk awareness procedure
  • Ability to plan and organise group intervention
  • Understanding of professional conduct and ability to work under pressure
Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential

  • Good level of education
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

  • Drug and alcohol qualification
  • NVQ in healthcare or similar

Experience

Essential

  • Experience facilitating group interventions related to substance misuse.
  • Experience working both independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
  • Experience with documentation and reporting, including writing reports and maintaining records

Desirable

  • Experience working in a mental health setting.
  • Experience supporting individuals with personal mental health difficulties or caring for someone with such challenges.
  • Experience contributing to service development, such as audits or quality improvement initiatives

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

  • Understanding of co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs
  • Ability to teach practical substance management skills to service users
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, including report writing and group facilitation

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Health and Safety and risk awareness procedure
  • Ability to plan and organise group intervention
  • Understanding of professional conduct and ability to work under pressure

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bexleyheath Centre

4 Emerton Close

Bexleyheath, Kent

DA6 8DX


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bexleyheath Centre

4 Emerton Close

Bexleyheath, Kent

DA6 8DX


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

COMHAD Specialist Practitioner

Debora Carvalho

debora.carvalho@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

24 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£32,199 to £34,876 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7479392-CMH

Job locations

Bexleyheath Centre

4 Emerton Close

Bexleyheath, Kent

DA6 8DX


Supporting documents

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