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SalarySubstance Use / Mental Health Practitioner - FDAC (Family Drugs and Alcohol Court)
Grade J
Fixed Term contract 31st March 2025. Secondment may also be considered.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Mental Health or Substance Use practitioner to join our Family Drug and Alcohol Court Team for the Gateshead/Newcastle/North Tyneside areas.
As an employee of Gateshead Council, you will benefit from:
- Great transport links with the use of reliable and frequent public transport and have access to a discounted Annual Pass. You will also have use of Co-wheel pool cars and access to the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme
- A generous annual leave package of 28 days (2 of which are fixed), increasing to 30 days (plus 2 fixed) following 5 years’ service. You will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 10 days extra leave via our Annual Leave Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
- Access to the flexi scheme
- Being a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Eligibility to access a range of other staff offers and discounts such as:
- Reduced rate membership for GO Gateshead Leisure Services
- Health Shield which provides a wide range of innovative products that help to improve long-term health and wellbeing via a health care plan.
- O2 open discount scheme
- Virgin Media partner discount scheme
- Dell Advantage discount programme
Are you an experienced, enthusiastic substance use / mental Health Practitioner currently working with children and families who is motivated to work intensively and collaboratively with parents and skilled professionals in court proceedings? We want to hear from you!
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is a national therapeutic problem-solving court model, which offers an alternative to standard care proceedings. FDACs provide an innovative restorative approach which aims to improve outcomes for families by supporting parents to overcome their substance misuse, mental health concerns and domestic abuse, which put their children at risk. The FDAC team partners with the family court to provide an accessible, community-based assessment and intervention service for families with complex needs.
The specialist multi-disciplinary FDAC team includes social workers, a clinical psychologist, substance misuse and mental health workers to provide intensive support, built around the family; designed to enable and empower parents to overcome their difficulties.
Your role will require you to undertake comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments, plan programmes to meet the needs of families, undertake direct work with parents and children, and partner with the team and other providers to co-ordinate and deliver interventions. Your role will also require you to provide regular reports to Court, be a regular attendee at the Court and support your allocated families through the FDAC proceedings at the assigned family proceedings court.
You will receive regular high-quality supervision and support, access to training and career development opportunities and the chance to be part of implementing the FDAC innovative model.
The Ideal Candidate will have substantial experience working with children and families; it is essential you have experience in developing and implementing child and family centric interventions. You will have experience of working with families with drug and alcohol misuse issues, mental health difficulties and domestic abuse. Experience of working therapeutically with parents who have multiple trauma related difficulties and/or challenging behaviours, with the ability to remain calm in difficult and challenging situations will be necessary. You should have experience of delivering focussed interventions for families experiencing substance misuse difficulties, which should include a sound knowledge of using motivational interviewing techniques, cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy and/or other evidenced based approaches. You will have experience in delivering trauma informed interventions and trauma focused therapy.
If you have any questions about the post or want to discuss in more detail, Dominic Wilson, FDAC Team Manager – on 0191 433 3898 or DominicWilson@gateshead.gov.uk, or, Heather Jenkins, Service Lead for Safeguarding Children Unit, Gateshead.
For further information about FDAC please see: https://justiceinnovation.org/areas-of-focus/family-drug-and-alcohol-courts
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced disclosure is required for this post.
If successful, you will need to apply for an Enhanced DBS check.
