RECONNECT Trainee – Cambridgeshire

Location: Cambridgeshire

Salary: £22,932 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

Closing date: 08 Apr 2026

About The Role

Are you looking to start a meaningful career where you can support people to rebuild their lives after prison?

We are recruiting a Reconnect Trainee to join our RECONNECT service supporting individuals across Cambridgeshire. Due to the nature of the role, a full driving licence and access to your own vehicle is essential.

RECONNECT is a care after custody service designed to improve continuity of care for people leaving prison or immigration removal centres with identified health needs. The service works with individuals up to 12 weeks before release and for up to six months afterwards, helping them access the right health and wellbeing support in the community.

This is a development opportunity where the successful candidate will complete a Level 2 apprenticeship over 12–18 months alongside gaining practical experience within the RECONNECT team. You will support services linked to HMP Peterborough, HMP Littlehey and HMP Whitemoor, working with people returning to Cambridgeshire.

What you’ll be doing

Working alongside experienced colleagues, you will help deliver a supportive, person-centred service. Your responsibilities will include:

• Processing referrals and supporting assessment activities
• Learning how to complete holistic needs assessments
• Maintaining contact with service users for up to 6 months post-release
• Supporting individuals to access physical health, mental health and substance use services
• Signposting to local support services and GP practices
• Maintaining accurate case notes, care plans and risk assessments
• Working collaboratively with colleagues to deliver a safe and effective service
• Supporting Meet at the Gate and Meet & Greet referrals
• Helping service users prepare for release into the community
• Supporting the involvement of peer supporters where appropriate

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Motivated to build a career in health, social care or criminal justice
• Passionate about supporting people to make positive changes
• Organised with good administrative skills
• A strong communicator who can build professional relationships
• Willing to learn and complete an apprenticeship qualification
• A driver with access to their own vehicle (essential)

This is a great opportunity to gain a recognised qualification while developing real-world experience in a supportive team environment.

You will build valuable skills within the health, social care and criminal justice sectors while working in a role that genuinely changes lives.

Every day brings the chance to make a positive difference while developing your confidence, knowledge and career prospects.

If you want to build a career with purpose while helping people move forward with their lives, we encourage you to apply.

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits - 

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please proceed through the following link to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

https://careers.forwardtrust.org.uk/vacancies/561/reconnect-trainee--cambridgeshire.html

Contact information

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