Recruiting | Primary Care Liaison Worker – Horizons

Recruiting | Primary Care Liaison Worker – Horizons Bristol

Location North Bristol

Full Time 37.5 hours per week

Closing Date 20th March 2026

Interview Date 31st March & 2nd April 2026

Job Reference PCLW-HB

Accountable to Operations Manager through the Locality Team Manager. Supervised by an Opioid Team Leader.

Contract Type: Permanent

Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) has been supporting the people of Bristol around their drug and alcohol for the past 39 years. We are committed to providing accessible and appropriate support for anyone who needs it and to reduce the harms caused by drugs and/or alcohol. Workers at BDP come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, but all share a drive to make a difference in the lives of the people we work with.

Horizons is a brand new partnership that is delivering services to support people affected by drug and alcohol use in Bristol. We have partnered with Turning Point (who are lead provider) and seven other local and national providers:
The Nelson Trust, Hawk spring, One 25, Southmead Development Trust, Southmead Project, Wellspring Settlement, and Release. As a partnership we draw on the expertise of all of the organisations involved to create a service that best meets the unique needs of the people we support.

Primary Care Liaison workers are based within the Treatment Team and have responsibility for delivering evidence‑based, structured support to people with primary problematic opioid use and/or dependent alcohol use within Primary Care, working alongside and supporting GPs in delivering treatment.

The role is to encourage ambition, motivate and support people to regain their independence from their substance use through the use of opioid substitution or alcohol detox medications coupled with packages of psychosocial care.

Primary Care Liaison workers will provide harm reduction advice, inspire and encourage change and actively support individuals through maintenance or detox pathways. They will use a variety of evidence‑based approaches, including Contingency Management to support their work, and ensure that people link successfully to other services to meet their physical and mental health needs.

• To encourage ambition, motivate and support individuals to become free from their problematic drug and/or alcohol use and to achieve their goals.
• Based in GP Practices, to provide a range of evidence-based, structured support packages to people with primary problematic opioid use and/or dependent alcohol use as part of a contractual arrangement with a GP.
• To establish and maintain good liaison with General Practitioners, their reception staff and wider health care team, participating in team meetings and training where appropriate.
• Following referral from GPs to provide assessments, continue opioid substitute prescriptions under GP clinical supervision through assessment and stabilisation, maintenance or detoxification pathways.
• Following referral from GPs to assess and prepare dependent alcohol users for and support them through and beyond medically assisted detoxification in collaboration with GPs or other prescribing professional.
• To facilitate harm reduction amongst all service users being treated within Primary Care.
• To undertake urinalysis and mouth swab testing.
• To offer and encourage BBV testing and promote access to treatment regarding BBV infection where appropriate.
• In consultation with Team Leaders, to offer Contingency Management packages to service users in particular circumstances, to improve chances of best outcomes for those individuals.
• To work with individuals who have become free of problematic drug and alcohol use, and encourage ambition, motivate and support them in the early stages of their recovery journey, ensuring transitions within Horizons and beyond are seamless and accessible to all service users.

These are set out in the Person Specification.

• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is a prerequisite of offer of employment.
• Post-holders are required to have a Hepatitis B vaccination
• This is a post in a developing…