Senior Group Facilitator

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Group Facilitator

The closing date is 19 December 2025

Fixed Term Contract until 31/03/2026 with a possible extension.

The Senior Group Facilitator is a fast paced, highly rewarding, service user facing role integral to the smooth running and holistic offer of care and treatment to service users using the ARCH Hillingdon service.

You will need to be creative and possess determination to continually improve and adapt the offers of therapeutic, recovery and skill-based groups in order to promote recovery and independence amongst our service users.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Good communication skills: verbal and written, English to GCSE or equivalent
• Experience in facilitating groups and individuals' activities
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the needs of service users with substance use issues
• Experience of working in substance use and/or mental health settings is an advantage. Do you have passion for substance use care?
• Do you have creative skills which you can use to engage service users into groups?

If so, there is an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as the Senior Group Facilitator to work alongside the Recovery Day Programme (RDP) team, Nurses, Recovery Practitioners, Peer Support Workers and Consultant Psychiatrist at ARCH Hillingdon. You will work closely with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) in leading on the facilitation of service user centred activities.

Main duties of the job

Communication and clinical responsibilities: The post holder will be responsible for the development and maintenance of facilitating groups in the context of a drug and alcohol substance misuse service. The post holder will also be responsible for completing some independent clinical work, such as initial assessments.

We are looking for a person who can use their own creative skills alongside our resources (art and craft materials, food, gardening, music, exercise, and other resources) to engage service users and support them on their recovery journey. The aim of the role is to provide group interventions, using recovery principles, in order to improve the service users' quality of life and to support them to do the things they want to do and live the life they want to lead. The post holder will receive regular supervision by the Team Manager and opportunities for training through CNWL Learning and Development and the Recovery and Wellbeing College. Staff are also encouraged to develop their skills through reflection and learning.

Please see job description for further details.

About us

Please note: This vacancy does not meet the criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship, unless you meet the criteria by temporary exemption from current changes to immigration rules put in force on 22/07/2025. Separate provisions are applied to workers who have been sponsored and held continuously Skilled Worker visa since prior to 04/04/2024.

As such, if you don't meet the Transitional Provision (above) we are unable to consider your application unless you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. If you believe you are eligible for sponsorship or already hold a valid right to work in the UK, please ensure you provide full details of your immigration status in the Pre-Screening Immigration section of your application form.

Please note role eligibility also depends on whether the role meets the salary threshold for the relevant occupational code (SOC CODE).

For further info please visit: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK

Job responsibilities

The Senior Group Facilitator is a fast paced, highly rewarding, service user facing role integral to the smooth running and holistic offer of care and treatment to service users using the ARCH Hillingdon service.

You will need to be creative and possess determination to continually improve and adapt the offers of therapeutic, recovery and skill-based groups in order to promote recovery and independence amongst our service users.

Person Specification EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 5 GCSE's at A - C

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Paid/ Unpaid relevant to job

• Experience in facilitating groups and individual activities.
• Experience of working within a team.
• Experience of working with a multi-cultural environment.
• Previous experience of working in a substance use setting.
• Voluntary experience
• Provision of activities in health services
• Teaching experience
• Experience of Facilitating Groups

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of personal recovery principles and values
• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
• Interviewing skills
• High level communication skills (written, verbal and IT)
• Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
• Ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
• Ability to see solutions rather than problems
• Good marketing and presentation skills
• Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower others
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, reliably and consistently with guidance
• Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner
• Ability to demonstrate practical skills to provide support with daily living activities
• Emotional intelligence and reflectivity with ability to work effectively with others to bring about change in a complex and dynamic organisation
• Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of adolescents with mental health problems
• Working knowledge of the principles of coproduction
• Understanding of issues related to supporting families

Other

• A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictate (e.g. some evenings & weekends)
• Ability to travel between locations using own or public transport
• An ability to interact with staff from all disciplines
• An ability to interact with people with mental health problems disabilities.
• An ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour.
• An interest in working with young people and their families using different clinical approaches.
• Car Driver

Numeracy & Literacy

• High level of written literacy and numeracy
• IT skills including word and power point

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

£35,763 to £43,466 a year per annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)