Job Introduction
FDAC (Family Drug and Alcohol Court) is a problem-solving court approach to improving outcomes for children involved in care proceedings. It offers an alternative – and more successful – way of supporting parents to overcome the substance misuse, mental health and domestic abuse problems that have put their children at risk of serious harm.
Our small, multi-disciplinary team includes drug and alcohol workers, social workers, counsellors, a psychiatrist and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines, providing trauma informed keywork to parents to address a multitude of difficulties which have impacted their parenting.
We’re a jointly commissioned team and work across the Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire area, providing expert evidence to the family courts. We work with families where children are subject to care proceedings and the courts need to make timely decisions about the best outcomes for a child. We have a track record of supporting far more families to remain together than standard court proceedings and value collaboration, problem solving and transparency in our work.
We’re seeking an experienced drug and alcohol worker to join the team and provide structured keywork around drug and alcohol use as well as on other topics such as trauma, parenting, domestic abuse and mental health.
You’ll write reports to the family courts detailing your work and the progress of those you work with and collaborate with a wide range of other professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children.
You’ll be supported by a close team who will share their significant experience in this area as well as sharing your own knowledge and experience in substance misuse work. You’ll also receive a full induction and explanation of the family courts, with regular case and clinical supervision and case decisions made through whole team formulation.
Discussions before application are strongly encouraged – please speak to Jenny Swift (Team Manager) on 07765255429 or jenny.swift@fdact.org.uk.
This is a site-based role.
Interviews for this role will be held on 10 March.
Main Responsibility
- Use your experience and skills in working with substance misuse to undertake assessments and write reports to the court about parental substance misuse and its impact on both the adult involved and their child/ren.
- Undertake the preparation of reports, statements and such other legal documents as may be required in relation to the work undertaken with parents and the welfare of children and families. These reports would be for the team, courts and other agencies.
- Work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to assessments and interventions and sharing your knowledge base with the wider team.
- Create and maintain good working relationships with service users, carers, community groups, all appropriate statutory and independent agencies, the court and council departments.
- Undertake drug and alcohol testing on a regular basis and help service users, professionals and the court to understand and interpret the results of such testing.
- Able to work effectively with adults to provide individualised keywork on a variety of areas including substance misuse, parenting, mental health and trauma whilst keeping a focus on the child’s needs and the duty to safeguard children at all times.
The Ideal Candidate
- Significant experience in working with substance misuse, an understanding of addiction and a grounding in how to support individuals to address not just their substance misuse but the underlying drivers which are behind these difficulties.
- Excellent verbal and written skills which can be transferred into writing reports for the family courts in regard to the families you are working with.
- Good knowledge of safeguarding and how parental substance misuse can impact children in the family.
- Able to deliver interventions to support parents to explore this without blame or shame.
- Able to communicate clearly but sensitively with the people you are working with and have a good understanding of trauma informed practice.
- Hold a full UK driving licence and access to a car. You will be willing to travel throughout the Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire area. Evidence of the driving licence and vehicle insurance with business insurance will be required from the candidate should they be offered this position. Without this documentation the candidate will not be appointable.
- Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
- Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
- Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
- Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
- Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Why join us? Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.
