CAREERS
A CHANCE TO
TRANSFORM
How do you become a substance misuse worker in a prison , and what ’ s it like ? Rosie Watson and Michelle Sproston of Forward Trust tell us about their roles
‘ Prison is not a therapeutic space , but we do everything we can ’
For as long as I can remember I ’ ve wanted to work with offenders from a therapeutic perspective , writes Rosie Watson . This led me to a psychology degree , which included a professional placement year in a forensic psychiatric hospital . When I finished university I worked at a day centre for homeless people and volunteered at the visitor centre at HMP The Mount . I was a family worker within the prison but started a week after COVID-19 hit , so progress was slow !
I ’ d always been interested in the intersection of addiction and crime , so I jumped at the opportunity to work for the Forward Trust . They invested in me as a person , instead of just as an employee . I completed a Level 2 counselling skills qualification , went on site visits to residential rehabs and other prisons , am involved in Forward ’ s Equality Diversity and Inclusivity strategy as an EDI champion , and have been promoted to team leader .
I ’ m now based at HMP The Mount , a category C men ’ s training prison of approximately 1,040 men ( and set to increase , with population pressures ). My days involve completing triage assessments to determine suitability for structured treatment , full assessments in which I work collaboratively with the service user to set treatment goals , and one-to one / group work including co-facilitating the low-medium intensity Stepping Stones programme .
Since being promoted to team leader , I ’ ve been supporting newer practitioners to develop skills to change the lives of the people we ’ re working with . I also represent the team at various multidisciplinary meetings that aim to manage risk and support progression .
Prison is not a therapeutic space , nor
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