Arrest referral practitioners are responsible for providing close-knit support and guidance for drug misusers in the criminal justice system and the open access mobile unit. They work closely with the police and a busy team in police stations, courts, prisons, probation satellites, and at the various London premises of the Westminster Drug Project. They contact, assess and support their needs and act to refer substance addiction sufferers to appropriate specialist care and treatment. They are there to ensure that the correct treatment is being administered to individual cases and that they are benefiting to the fullest extent from the services that are on offer. Ultimately, the purpose of the role is to nurture the individual as a means of serving the interests of the community as a whole.

The position offers a wide variety of services. These include organising and executing one-to - one or team intervention programmes, data management (which involves paper work such as  documenting the successful appropriate treatment administered to an individual), providing relevant and suitable information to aid the help of those affected by substance misuse (this includes performing accurate assessments and referrals for clients and details on the range of services available to them). Additional duties include building on, and working with, existing relevant contacts including local authorities and working with teams to ensure the effective provision of treatments and methods for service users.

Appropriate candidates would be highly motivated, organised, and with proven experience of work within the substance misuse field. Additionally, they would have a detailed understanding of the criminal justice system including all relevant acts of legislation. Additionally, it is essential that the position holder has Metropolitan Police Clearance. The working hours are flexible, and some evening and weekend work may be required. Successful applicants would also have a basic understanding of what the WDP is and does, and have a positive attitude to developing a deeper understanding of its aims and codes of practice.

An arrest referral practitioner's qualifications must include an NVQ level three in health and social care (or should be able to prove that he or she is working towards gaining one). The position holder would have strong literacy and verbal communication skills and would be skilled in report writing and data documentation. He or she would be able to work well as part of a team dynamic and reflect accomplished people skills.

Qualifications: An NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care, or an equivalent, closely related qualification, would be preferable.

Experience: Evidence of work within the criminal justice and substance misuse field is required. Experience of working with substance misusers is also essential.

Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, organisational skills, IT skills, people and team work skills, knowledge of the criminal justice system, relevant laws, and Metropolitan Police clearance are all required.