MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR HAVE INCLUDED :
• Being the first professional a service user opened up to about questioning his sexuality and being able to validate this experience and help him come to terms with it by facilitating work with our inclusion coordinator , a gay man who has overcome addiction .
• Building a strong working relationship with a service user who initially resisted ( to the point of walking out of sessions and requesting a new case worker ).
• Supporting a client who progressed from using every day with multiple close calls ( overdose ), to being one month free from substances and recognising how much his self-esteem has improved from abstinence .
• Facilitating Stepping Stones , in which all members addressed the low self-esteem of another by talking him up and complimenting him in a stereotypically ‘ masculine ’ place .
• Facilitating a phone call between a younger client and his mum to share with her the work he had been completing to address his substance use .
one particularly geared up for supporting recovery , but we do everything we can to improve wellbeing . Some of the work was around exploring meaningful alternatives to coping with substances – encouraging attendance at gym sessions , journalling , origami , or moving to the incentivised substance free living ( ISFL ) unit .
Our work is led by the service user , so one-to-one topics vary massively . I ’ ve led sessions exploring how the cycle of addiction relates to service users ’ lives , how drug use has an impact on relationships , creating relapse prevention plans , a lot of work addressing low motivation for change – and many others . The core to all this work is a strengthsbased approach , and helping service users to see that a better life is possible .
My job involves lots of teamwork – addiction and mental health often coexist , so we work closely with the mental health team . We work with the prison ’ s Safer Custody department for dynamic risk management , and the Offender Management Unit ( OMU ) and resettlement ahead of release . We may be involved in securing substance misuse supported living arrangements for our clients post-release , and work with community teams ( including Forward ’ s recovery support ) to ensure through-thegate support is available . There ’ s teamwork throughout Forward Trust ; this is not an easy job and the support from colleagues is incredibly valuable .
Prison is not an easy environment to work in – from logistical issues of not always being able to access our service users for treatment , to the service users ’ challenging behaviour itself . But it does make the wins even more satisfying . Being one person who shows up , consistently cares , and sees the potential in every single service user goes a long way . Building trust with someone who is anti-authority , believing in someone when everyone else has written them off , and seeing a shift in mindset is all part of why I get so much job satisfaction .
Rosie Watson is team leader for substance misuse and equality , diversity , and inclusion champion for Forward Trust at HMP The Mount
‘ The biggest challenge is that the regime can change at any time ’
I began working in HMP Highdown in September of 2005 as a counselling , assessment , referral , advice and throughcare ( CARAT ) worker – as we were known then – for RAPt , which became The Forward Trust , writes Michelle Sproston . I had little background in substance misuse but had worked in the criminal justice field as a prison custody officer ( PCO ) for G4S and a prison escort officer ( PEO ) for Securicor . Both roles had given me knowledge of the criminal justice system , and I wanted to explore what happened after leaving someone in reception .
Currently I am a team leader , where my duties consist of supervising staff , training new team members , completing observations to ensure good practice and liaising with other agencies within the establishment . My day can consist of checking the team ’ s functional mailbox for referrals , and reviewing the incidents from the previous day to see if there have been any incidents of illicit use that may need to be responded to . I ’ m also responsible for allocating service users to the caseloads of staff who will be their practitioner for their time in Highdown . I attend meetings with other departments around the risks and welfare of service users and those with complex needs . I also hold a caseload myself and may have to complete one-toone work , depending on what has been identified on someone ’ s recovery plan , or facilitate group sessions .
Within our role we have staff trained in providing auricular acupuncture , which can aid those going through a detoxification from OST . We also complete mindfulness with service users , either in groups or a one-to-one setting . We provide distraction packs ( colouring , crosswords , wordsearches etc ) to help keep them occupied while they are in their cells for long periods of time . We attend assessment care in custody and teamwork ( ACCT ), which is a document to support those with self-harm or suicidal tendencies , or those who are low in mood and feeling vulnerable . These are multi-disciplinary , with officers , mental health inreach and nursing staff sometimes attending , along with anyone who may be able to provide support through their time on the ACCT .
PARTNERSHIP WORKING :
We ensure that we work holistically and attend various multi-disciplinary meetings – these may involve the mental health inreach team , safety team , security , healthcare , education , psychology , offender management team and probation , as well as prison staff and governors .
Working within a custodial environment has its challenges and we need to ensure that the work we complete fits in with the establishment ’ s regime . The biggest challenge is that the regime can change at any time if there is an incident , or a house block could be shut down for security reasons . Or there could be a late unlock due to miscounting prisoners – the list goes on .
Even with all of this , the role can be very rewarding when service users thank you for your support , complete a group , gain their first certificate , start understanding what recovery can be like for them – or when you receive a letter from someone that has been released and is still drug free .
Michelle Sproston team leader for Forward Trust ’ s substance misuse service in HMP Highdown
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