Harm Reduction Outreach Support Worker

Job reference:

255637

Salary:

Band 3 (£29,103 - £31,409)

Job closing date:

30/09/2026

Job Type:

Nursing and Midwifery

Location:

Coathill Hospital

Employment type:

Permanent

Hours Per Week:

36

Job posted date:

23/09/2026

Employer (NHS Board):

NHS Lanarkshire

Department:

• Mental Health/ Addictions
• Where to find us
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• Job Advert
• About The Organisation

Here at NHS Lanarkshire, we put the patient at the heart of everything we do. Each colleague within the organisation plays a key role in how we deliver our healthcare services.

We proudly serve a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in both North and South Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is comprised of Acute Services (which currently provide hospital based services over 3 main sites), Corporate & Property & Support Services, North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships which provide integrated primary healthcare and social care services to local communities and surrounding areas.

The Role

Based within the pan-Lanarkshire Harm Reduction Team, this post is a fantastic opportunity for the right person to participate in the development and facilitation of the Lanarkshire Harm Reduction Low Threshold Service, offering a comprehensive locally based service for hard to reach, recreational, experimental and dependent substance use clients.

The key purpose of this role will be involved in supporting the provision of a van-based accessible outreach service. The clinical space of the outreach van allows the service to offer a range of harm reduction options to people using the service. These include BBV testing, referral and supporting treatment completion, needle exchange, injecting risk and agreed health assessments, referral and support for clients engaging/not engaging with mainstream health and social services. The worker will be involved in service user education and public awareness on all aspects of substance use issues around harm reduction. This is a rewarding job working with a highly marginalised population.

In this key role, you will:

• Assist in a -wide service provision around harm minimisation, in the area of substance misuse which will include fixed site clinics and on an outreach capacity - occasionally out of hours as per service provision.
• Supply as required advice and information on locally based service provision and refer clients to the Outreach Co-ordinator/Worker for referral on to mainstream services.
• Carry out and record basic observations / assessment of patient need and to raise any concerns with the team.
• Bring to the attention of the Co-ordinator, any inadequacy in the system which may be to the detriment of the clients’ welfare and public safetyWhat You'll Bring:
• SVQ III in healthcare, or working towards, or equivalent experience working within a caring environment/role.
• Ability to work with people and as part of a multidisciplinary/agency team.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to carry out assigned patient care tasks effectively within a busy environment.
• Ability to work unsupervised.
• Actively participate in the Personal Development Plan process to fulfil the requirements of continuing professional development.
• Working knowledge of basic information technology
• A driving licence is required; this must be a full UK/EU/EEA licence.What we Offer

As a valued employee of NHS Lanarkshire, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:

• Annual Leave - 35 days including public holidays
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Annual incremental salary progression
• Paid sick leave increasing with length of service
• NHS discounts and more.NHS Lanarkshire is dedicated to building a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed based on their skills, knowledge, and talent - regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or care experience* or any other dimension that can be used to differentiate people from one another.

*Care experienced applicants include those who have lived with foster parents, kinship carers, or in residential/secure children’s settings.

For informal discussion, please contact Leon Wylie, Hiring Manager on leon.wylie@health.scot.nhs.uk.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process or require support with your application, contact Anna Zastawnik-Baran, Recruitment Administrator on Anna.Zastawnik-Baran@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk.

Interested?

Full details about the role are provided in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Please review our Application Guidance which explain key information including closing dates, amendments, right‑to‑work requirements, sponsorship eligibility and important points to be aware of before submitting your application

You can also learn more about working with NHS Lanarkshire by viewing our Information Pack

Unless otherwise stated, the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.

This advert may close early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply early.