Opioid Medications practitioner

Recovery Coordinator – OTC/POM Team

Location: Forward Leeds - Irford House Hub
Working Hours: 37 hours per week.
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £25,877.80 - £34,240.03

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. 

Are you a compassionate and motivated practitioner who is passionate about supporting people to make positive changes in their lives?

We are looking for a Recovery Coordinator to join our specialist Over-the-Counter (OTC) and Prescription-Only Medicines (POM) Team at Irford House Hub.

This is an opportunity to work with people experiencing dependency on prescription and over-the-counter medication, including medication obtained through GP prescriptions, pharmacies, online sources or illicit supply.

You'll provide specialist, person-centred support that helps people reduce harm, improve their health and wellbeing and work towards their individual recovery goals.

Working as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary service, you'll build strong relationships with clients while working closely with GPs, pharmacies, pain management teams, mental health services and other healthcare professionals to ensure people receive coordinated and effective support.

About the Role:

As an OTC/POM Recovery Coordinator, you'll manage a caseload of approximately 25–30 people experiencing dependency on prescription and/or over-the-counter medication.

You'll work alongside each individual to understand their circumstances, needs and goals, completing comprehensive assessments and developing personalised recovery and treatment plans.

You'll provide regular structured keyworking sessions, both face-to-face and remotely, helping people understand their medication use and supporting them to make informed decisions about their recovery.

A key part of your role will be working collaboratively with individuals and healthcare professionals to support safe and achievable medication reduction or detoxification plans where appropriate. You'll provide harm reduction advice and help people understand the potential risks associated with medication dependence, withdrawal, overdose and the use of multiple substances.

You'll also play an important role in coordinating care across different services. This could involve working with a person's GP, pharmacy, mental health team, pain management service or other healthcare professionals to make sure their support is joined up and centred around their individual needs.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a caseload of approximately 25–30 people experiencing dependency on prescription and over-the-counter medication.
• Complete comprehensive assessments and develop personalised recovery and treatment plans.
• Deliver structured one-to-one keyworking sessions, both face-to-face and remotely.
• Regularly review progress, risks and outcomes and adapt support in response to an individual's changing needs.
• Help people identify their recovery goals and provide practical, person-centred support to help them achieve them.
• Work collaboratively with clients and healthcare professionals to support safe and achievable medication reduction and detoxification plans where appropriate.
• Provide clear harm reduction advice around prescription, over-the-counter and illicitly sourced medication.
• Support people to understand the risks associated with medication dependence, withdrawal, overdose and poly-drug use.
• Promote recovery, self-management, wellbeing and improved quality of life.
• Build effective working relationships with GPs, pharmacies, pain management services, mental health teams, hospitals and other healthcare providers.
• Attend and contribute to Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings to help ensure coordinated care.
• Advocate for the people you support and work with partner agencies to help them access the right services.
• Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns and complete risk assessments and risk management plans.
• Maintain accurate, timely and professional case records using organisational systems.
• Contribute to service targets, audits, performance reporting and continuous service improvement.

To Succeed in This Role, You’ll Need:

• Experience of working within substance misuse, mental health, healthcare, social care or another relevant support service.
• Experience of managing a caseload and delivering person-centred support.
• A compassionate, non-judgemental and recovery-focused approach.
• The ability to build trusting and professional relationships with people who may be experiencing complex challenges.
• An understanding of safeguarding and risk management when working with adults, children and vulnerable individuals.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work confidently and independently while contributing positively to a wider multi-disciplinary team.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Good IT skills and the ability to maintain accurate, timely and confidential records.
• The confidence to work collaboratively with healthcare professionals and external partner organisations.

It would also be advantageous if you have:

• Knowledge or experience of prescription medication dependency, OTC medication misuse and harm reduction approaches.
• Knowledge of medication-assisted treatment and detoxification pathways.
• Experience of supporting people affected by chronic pain and long-term medication use.
• Experience of attending and contributing to Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings.
• A relevant qualification in Health and Social Care, Counselling, Substance Misuse or a related area.

To see the full job description 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:

2026-11-05