Co-occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Support Worker | East London NHS Foundation Trust

Band 4 CHIMES Support Worker – 12-month Fixed Term Contract or Secondment Opportunity

We are looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate Support Worker to join the City & Hackney Integrated Mental Health and Substance Use (CHIMES) pilot.

CHIMES is a partnership between East London NHS Foundation Trust and Turning Point, working to improve access to care for people experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use difficulties, particularly those who struggle to engage with services.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, innovative team working across organisational boundaries to improve outcomes for people with complex needs.

You will work alongside experienced mental health practitioners and Turning Point colleagues, managing an allocated engagement caseload, undertaking proactive outreach and providing practical and emotional support to help individuals access and remain engaged with treatment.

You will receive training and supervision to develop skills in motivational interviewing, harm reduction, brief psychosocial interventions and substance use assessment.

We are looking for someone who can build trusting relationships, work flexibly and independently, and bring a persistent, creative and non-judgemental approach to supporting people with complex needs.

The postholder will work within the CHIMES team, providing proactive outreach, engagement and practical support to individuals experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use difficulties.

Key responsibilities include

• Managing an allocated engagement caseload under the supervision of qualified CHIMES practitioners.
• Undertaking outreach across inpatient and community settings, including following up individuals who have missed appointments or disengaged from services.
• Building trusting relationships with individuals who may be reluctant to engage with treatment.
• Providing practical and emotional support to overcome barriers to accessing services, including accompanying individuals to appointments.
• Working with Turning Point colleagues to facilitate access to substance use treatment, including undertaking initial assessments following appropriate training.
• Using motivational interviewing skills, brief psychosocial interventions and harm reduction approaches to support recovery.
• Supporting continuity of care during transitions between inpatient, community mental health and substance use services.
• Working collaboratively with statutory and voluntary sector partners to coordinate support.
• Maintaining accurate records, contributing to care planning and escalating clinical or safeguarding concerns appropriately.

The role requires flexibility to work across inpatient, community and substance use services within City and Hackney.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve.

Our values are

We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

The CHIMES Support Worker will contribute to the delivery of integrated care for individuals experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use difficulties, with a particular focus on improving engagement, access to treatment and continuity of support.

Working under the guidance and supervision of qualified CHIMES practitioners, the postholder will take responsibility for an allocated engagement caseload, organising and prioritising contacts and delivering agreed interventions within their level of training and competence.

The postholder will undertake assertive and flexible outreach, including visits to inpatient wards, community settings and individuals' homes where appropriate. They will develop supportive relationships with service users, identify barriers to engagement and provide practical and emotional support to help individuals access and remain connected with appropriate services.

Following training with Turning Point's Referral and Assessment Team, the postholder will undertake initial substance use assessments within agreed protocols and supervision arrangements. This will include supporting assessment and referral processes in mental health inpatient and community settings, reducing the need for individuals to attend additional appointments before accessing substance use treatment.

The postholder will use motivational interviewing techniques, harm reduction approaches and agreed brief psychosocial interventions to support engagement, recovery and positive behaviour change.

They will contribute to care planning, monitor and report changes in mental state, substance use or social circumstances, and promptly escalate safeguarding or clinical risk concerns to qualified practitioners.

The role requires close collaboration with Turning Point, mental health services, primary care, social care, homelessness services and voluntary sector partners to promote coordinated care and effective transitions between services.

The postholder will maintain accurate and timely records, participate in multidisciplinary discussions, contribute to service activity monitoring and evaluation, and support quality improvement within the pilot.

They will be expected to work independently within agreed care plans and professional boundaries, make effective use of supervision and undertake relevant training to develop their skills and competencies.

All duties will be undertaken in accordance with Trust policies and procedures, including safeguarding, confidentiality, information governance, equality and diversity, lone working and health and safety.

This advert closes on Friday 13 Nov 2026