Jobs
Join us. We are always looking for great people. We have a range of roles in our service across the spectrum of drug and alcohol work. We welcome applications from people who have lived experience of issues with alcohol and/or drugs. Please keep checking back as we add new roles all the time.
What’s in it for you?
- A competitive salary
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Exceptional support, training and development
- Flexible working and family friendly policies
Current Vacancies
-
Recovery Coordinator / Group Worker
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £25,877.80 - £34,240 (pro rata for 16 hours)
Closing Date: 4 September 2026
Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.
About the Role
We have an exciting opportunity to join County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service (CDDARS) as an Alcohol-specific Recovery Coordinator, working at The Centre for Change in Durham city centre.
The role will focus on supporting people experiencing alcohol-related issues, with a particular focus on delivering recovery groups for individuals working towards the community and inpatient detox pathway.
You’ll support people from initial engagement through structured treatment and towards detox and sustained recovery. There is also potential to oversee a small caseload where required, devising, implementing and reviewing recovery and treatment plans.
You’ll work closely with colleagues, partner agencies, families and significant others to provide coordinated, holistic support and help people achieve their recovery goals.
What you’ll be doing
- Supporting individuals experiencing alcohol-related issues, reviewing ongoing care and treatment and working closely with the wider multi-agency team.
- Delivering face-to-face recovery groups for people working towards alcohol detox.
- Helping individuals develop the skills, confidence and motivation to work towards their goals of abstinence.
- Devising, implementing and reviewing recovery and treatment plans.
- Supporting progression from initial engagement through structured treatment towards inpatient or community detox.
- Delivering one-to-one and group therapeutic interventions.
- Using approaches including brief interventions, Motivational Interviewing (MI), PSIs, CBT and ITEP.
- Supporting harm reduction and reducing alcohol-related harm.
- Working collaboratively with families, significant others and partner agencies.
- Completing assessments, risk management and safeguarding activity and maintaining accurate records.
What you’ll bring
You’ll have a passion for making a difference, with Kindness, Courage and Respect at the heart of how you work.
You’ll have an understanding of alcohol-related issues and experience of supporting people through recovery. You’ll be confident building positive relationships and helping people make meaningful changes.
You’ll also bring:
- Experience of delivering one-to-one and/or group therapeutic interventions.
- An understanding of recovery planning, assessment and risk management.
- Knowledge of harm reduction and safeguarding.
- Experience of working with carers and families.
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and case management systems.
- An NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent, or a willingness to work towards this.
- A relevant professional qualification, such as addiction studies, counselling, social work or a therapeutic qualification, would be desirable.
Experience of working within a drug and alcohol service and delivering group work would be desirable, and we’re open to transferable skills and experience.
-
Recovery Coordinator
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £25,877.80 - £34,240
Closing Date: 4 September 2026
Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.
About the Role
As a Recovery Coordinator, you’ll work as part of our CDDARS team to provide person-centred recovery planning and case management for people affected by drug and alcohol use. You’ll support people throughout their recovery journey, from initial assessment and engagement through to treatment and sustained recovery.
You’ll manage your own caseload, building positive relationships with service users and working closely with colleagues, families and partner agencies to help people achieve their goals and reduce the harms associated with substance use.
What you’ll be doing
- Managing a caseload and developing, reviewing and delivering individual recovery plans.
- Completing triage, screening and comprehensive assessments.
- Working collaboratively with partner agencies to provide effective interventions and support.
- Completing risk assessments, safeguarding plans and ongoing case management.
- Delivering one-to-one and group-based psychosocial interventions.
- Supporting harm reduction activity, including drug screening, BBV testing and other relevant interventions.
- Connecting people with treatment, community resources and peer support opportunities.
- Maintaining accurate case records and providing clear written and verbal reports.
- Working as part of a multidisciplinary team to achieve positive outcomes for service users and their families.
About you
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people to make positive changes and who can build trusting, professional relationships with service users.
You’ll bring:
- An NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or equivalent), or a willingness to work towards this.
- Good communication, organisational and IT skills.
- A compassionate, non-judgemental and person-centred approach.
- The ability to manage a caseload and work effectively with a range of professionals and partner agencies.
- An understanding of recovery-focused approaches and the needs of people affected by drug and alcohol use.
- The ability to work confidently both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- A commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality and promoting positive outcomes for service users.
- A driving licence and access to a vehicle.
Experience of substance misuse, recovery planning, harm reduction or delivering one-to-one and group interventions would be advantageous, but we’re willing to develop the right candidate.
-
Sexual Exploitation Worker
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £25,877.80 - £34,240.03
Closing Date: 8 September 2026
As a Sexual Exploitation Worker, you will provide specialist support to individuals experiencing co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse issues. You will work closely with people we support, as well as drug and alcohol recovery services, sexual exploitation services, sexual health, social care and other partner agencies across County Durham.
This is an exciting opportunity to help develop effective pathways between services, improve access to support and reduce the harms associated with substance misuse and sexual exploitation.
About the service
Our County Durham Drug & Alcohol service provides support to people affected by drug and alcohol use, helping individuals make positive changes, reduce harm and work towards recovery.
As a Sexual Exploitation Worker, you will have a specialist role within this wider service, supporting people whose substance misuse is linked to, or occurs alongside, experiences of sexual exploitation.
You will work across County Durham, helping to identify people who may benefit from support and ensuring they can access the right services at the right time.
You’ll build strong relationships with partner organisations and help develop a whole-system approach to supporting people with complex and co-occurring needs.
Key duties will include:
- Manage your own caseload, devising, implementing and reviewing ongoing person-centred support plans.
- Carry out assessments, one-to-one work and group work with people we support.
- Identify individuals experiencing sexual exploitation who may also require support from drug and alcohol recovery services.
- Promote understanding and raise awareness of co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse issues across sexual exploitation and recovery services.
- Link with drug and alcohol recovery services to promote the identification of people affected by sexual exploitation and ensure appropriate referral pathways are in place.
- Support sexual exploitation services across County Durham to identify people requiring support from drug and alcohol recovery services.
- Provide outreach to external partner organisations to promote recovery and increase opportunities for people to access Waythrough services.
- Work closely with sexual health services and social care within County Durham to target interventions in areas with higher rates of sexual exploitation and help reduce inequalities.
- Work collaboratively with partner agencies to undertake shared assessments, keyworking and interventions.
- Support individual progression from engagement through structured treatment towards self-sustained recovery.
- Develop and implement a whole-system approach to working with people affected by sexual exploitation and co-occurring substance misuse.
- Support people leaving treatment to access community resources and continue their recovery.
- Support people and their families within their local communities where appropriate.
- Promote visible recovery across the service and ensure peer support opportunities are relevant and accessible.
- Reduce drug and alcohol-related harm and the impact of sexual exploitation on individuals, families and the wider community.
Keywork and case management
You will take responsibility for allocated people we support and ensure they receive effective, coordinated and person-centred support.
This will include:
- Leading effective case management for your allocated caseload.
- Developing and reviewing meaningful support and recovery plans.
- Working with individuals to identify their needs, goals and aspirations.
- Completing and regularly reviewing risk assessments and risk management plans.
- Completing safeguarding assessments and plans.
- Identifying and responding appropriately to potential risks and harm.
- Following local and organisational safeguarding procedures, including referral to and engagement with relevant safeguarding authorities.
- Maintaining accurate, timely and confidential records using our online case management system.
- Monitoring individual progress and ensuring appropriate referrals and onward support are in place.
- Promoting positive family involvement where appropriate.
- Supporting improved outcomes for children and adults affected by substance misuse and sexual exploitation.
Working with partners across County Durham
Partnership working will be a key part of this role.
You will build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of services and organisations, including:
- Drug and alcohol recovery services
- Sexual exploitation services
- Sexual health services
- Social care
- Safeguarding services
- Community and voluntary sector organisations
- Other statutory and community partners
You will provide outreach and awareness-raising to partner organisations, helping professionals recognise the links between sexual exploitation and substance misuse and understand how to access appropriate support.
You will also help develop and maintain support pathways across sexual exploitation and drug and alcohol recovery services, ensuring people with co-occurring needs receive timely and high-quality support.
County-wide working
Although the role is based at County Durham Drug & Alcohol – Whinney Hill, Durham, this is a County Durham-wide position.
You will regularly travel across the county to:
- Meet with people we support.
- Undertake outreach and community-based work.
- Visit partner organisations.
- Attend multi-agency meetings.
- Build relationships with local services.
- Support the development of effective referral pathways and interventions.
You will therefore need to be comfortable working across different locations and managing your workload across a county-wide area.
Manage your own workload
You will:
- Plan and prioritise your own workload effectively.
- Manage your caseload and ensure support is delivered within agreed timescales.
- Travel across County Durham as required.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic records and reports.
- Provide written and verbal reports as required.
- Contribute positively to team working, meetings, handovers and service development.
- Participate in supervision, performance reviews and relevant training.
- Monitor and manage your own wellbeing through supervision, debriefing and discussions with your manager and colleagues.
- Keep up to date with relevant legislation, policy and professional developments.
- Work in accordance with all relevant legislation, policies, procedures and professional guidelines.
About you
We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people affected by sexual exploitation, substance misuse and complex needs.
You will have:
- An NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or above/equivalent, or a willingness to work towards this in post.
- Knowledge and understanding of co-occurring sexual exploitation and substance misuse.
- An understanding of a whole-system approach to supporting people with complex and co-occurring needs.
- Experience of multi-agency working and bringing different agencies together to improve responses and outcomes.
- Knowledge of sexual exploitation systems and the support available.
- Experience of working with people who may have experienced trauma, exploitation or other significant challenges.
- The ability to build trusting, respectful and professional relationships.
- Experience of working in a person-centred way and supporting people to make positive changes.
- The ability to undertake assessments, develop support plans and manage risk effectively.
- Strong communication, partnership-working and organisational skills.
- The ability to manage your own caseload and workload effectively.
- The ability to work independently while contributing positively to a wider team.
- A willingness and ability to travel across County Durham as required.
A relevant professional qualification, such as addiction studies, counselling, social work or another therapeutic qualification, would be desirable.
-
Lead Practitioner
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £31,030 - £41,980
Closing Date: 2 September 2026
We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Lead Practitioner to join our County Durham Drug and Alcohol Service.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in substance misuse services who is ready to take the next step into a leadership role or build on their existing management experience. You’ll play a key part in supporting the day-to-day running of the service, leading a small team, maintaining high standards of care and ensuring the people we support receive safe, effective and person-centred interventions.
Working closely with the Service Manager, you’ll help drive service quality, mentor colleagues and contribute to the ongoing development of the service while continuing to hold a small caseload.
What You’ll Be Doing
As a Lead Practitioner, you’ll:
- Support the day-to-day operational management of the service and deputise for the Service Manager when required.
- Provide line management, supervision and coaching to a small team, helping colleagues develop and thrive.
- Deliver and oversee high-quality assessments, risk assessments and recovery planning.
- Maintain a small caseload, delivering evidence-based interventions to people accessing the service.
- Monitor service quality, analyse performance information and contribute towards achieving contractual targets and KPIs.
- Build strong relationships with internal teams, partner agencies and stakeholders across County Durham.
- Help shape and improve service delivery, ensuring services remain accessible and responsive to local need.
- Promote a positive, supportive team culture aligned with Waythrough’s values.
About You
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about supporting people affected by drug and alcohol use and who enjoys developing others to achieve their potential.
You’ll ideally have:
- An NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or equivalent or above).
- Experience working within drug and alcohol services.
- Experience delivering evidence-based interventions and managing complex caseloads.
- Experience completing comprehensive assessments and risk assessments.
- Experience supporting or leading colleagues through supervision, coaching or line management.
- Strong communication skills with the confidence to present information and build relationships with stakeholders.
- Good IT skills and the ability to analyse and report on performance information.
- A flexible approach and willingness to travel across County Durham as required.
Management experience is desirable, but we’re also keen to hear from experienced practitioners looking to take the next step in their career.