Family Support Practitioner - HMP Highdown

About The Role

Want to make a real difference where it truly matters?

We’re looking for a Family Support Practitioner to join our team at HMP Highdown, working full time (35 hours per week). This is a frontline role where you’ll support people in custody and their families across both the prison and local community, helping to rebuild relationships, strengthen wellbeing, and support long-term recovery and rehabilitation.

This role sits within the Family Support and Specialist Programmes department and focuses on delivering impactful 1:1 and group interventions. You’ll help clients understand the role of relationships in addiction, offending, mental health, and wider life challenges, while also working directly with family members and affected others to improve their health, resilience, and ability to support positive change.

What you’ll be doing

Delivering 1

1 support (face-to-face, online, and telephone) for clients and families

Facilitating group programmes such as relationships work, parenting interventions, and structured recovery programmes

Supporting and coordinating family meetings and family visits

Completing needs and risk assessments, and co-producing tailored support plans

Working directly with children and young people where appropriate to support whole-family recovery

Signposting to specialist services and building strong referral pathways

You’ll collaborate closely with prison-based teams, substance misuse services, Forward colleagues, and external partners to ensure joined-up, holistic support. You’ll also play a key role in developing relationships with community organisations and raising awareness of the service.

What the role involves beyond delivery

Maintaining accurate case records and outcome data

Supporting service improvement, audits, and feedback activity

Contributing to programme development and co-production work

Upholding safeguarding, health & safety, and compliance standards at all times

Managing your own caseload and working independently while meeting deadlines