Group Worker

Group Worker - South Tyneside Adult Recovery Services (STARS)

Location: Cookson House, South Shields, NE33 1TL

Working Hours: 30.5 hours per week, Monday - Thursday, between 09:00 - 17:00

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £25,877.80 - £32,240

Please note: The salary listed reflects the full earning potential for this role. Starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band.

About Waythrough

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services – and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Make a real difference in your community

Are you passionate about helping others live safer, healthier, more independent lives? Join our team at Waythrough and support people facing challenges around mental health, substance use, housing or domestic abuse. This is more than just a job – it’s a chance to build meaningful relationships and create lasting change.

About the role

As a Group Worker, you'll play a key role in supporting people affected by substance misuse to build positive, lasting change. Working within our STARS service, you'll deliver structured recovery programmes, provide evidence-based interventions and support individuals throughout every stage of their recovery journey.

This is a varied and rewarding role where you'll facilitate group sessions, manage a caseload of service users, carry out assessments and recovery planning, and work closely with colleagues and partner agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes. Every day brings the opportunity to make a real difference by helping people build confidence, develop resilience and move towards sustained recovery.

What you'll be doing

• Delivering structured and open-access recovery groups.
• Facilitating evidence-based psychosocial interventions to support recovery.
• Managing a caseload, carrying out assessments, risk assessments and recovery planning.
• Supporting service users to access education, employment, volunteering and community opportunities.
• Working closely with colleagues, volunteers and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Promoting engagement in group programmes and encouraging sustained recovery.
• Maintaining accurate records and contributing to service quality and performance.

About you

We're looking for someone who shares our values of Kindness, Courage and Respect and is passionate about supporting people to achieve lasting recovery.

You'll ideally have experience within substance misuse or a related field and be confident engaging with people who may have complex needs. Experience delivering structured group interventions is desirable, but we're also keen to hear from candidates with transferable skills and a genuine passion for supporting others, as we're committed to developing the right person.

You'll also have:

• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or equivalent).
• Experience completing assessments, risk assessments and recovery planning.
• Excellent communication and group facilitation skills.
• The ability to build positive relationships and motivate others.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload.

To view the full job description and person specification, please click here.

What We Offer

We value the people who make a difference every day. Alongside meaningful work, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:

• 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)

• Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%

• Life assurance (3× annual salary)

• Enhanced sick pay and family-friendly pay

• Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave

• Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications

• 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme

• Recognition and long service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals

• £500 Recommend a Friend bonus

• Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership

• Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good

• Free will writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Inclusion and accessibility

Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme - all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk

Closing Date: