Somerset Council
Drug & Alcohol Partnership Manager
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Drug & Alcohol Partnership Manager
Fixed-Term Secondment Opportunity: Strategic Drugs and Alcohol Partnership Lead
Closing Date: 3 July 2026 Contract Type: Fixed-term / Secondment until 31/03/2028 Salary: £33,416 - £36,913 per annum (29.6 hours per week)
Role Summary
In 2021, the UK Government launched Harm to Hope, a national strategic plan focusing on drug treatment and recovery. Alcohol-related harms remain a leading preventable cause of illness across the UK. As Somerset Council seeks to lead this initiative locally, we are recruiting a passionate Strategic Drugs and Alcohol Partnership Lead to support addiction and mental health recovery.
In this role, you will:
- Join a dedicated team within Somerset Council, working alongside agencies in health, justice, and social care.
- Lead the Strategic Drugs and Alcohol Partnership, translating national strategies into local action.
- Support some of our most vulnerable communities—from children/young people to older adults—who face complex mental health issues and addiction.
- Drive multi-agency collaboration to develop policies that reduce substance-related harm and improve health outcomes.
- Play a pivotal role in achieving Somerset’s Public Health goals and contributing to national transformation.
For someone driven by ambition, leadership, and care, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
Key Responsibilities
You will be responsible for leading and coordinating the following:
- Plan, develop, and deliver Somerset’s Strategic Drugs and Alcohol Partnership in alignment with Harm to Hope and local priorities.
- Support the Drug and Alcohol Related Death (DAR) process to enhance system-wide learning, prevention, and continuous improvement.
- Project manage agreed partnership actions, producing timely reports (local, regional, national) to demonstrate progress, impact, and compliance.
- Identify opportunities to optimise partnership performance, coordinating and managing complex changes across multi-agency systems.
- Resolve conflicts and challenges in the partnership to ensure effective action plans are delivered.
- Review performance data, user feedback, and outcomes to align services with population needs and drive continuous improvement.
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Essential Requirements
We are looking for candidates with:
- A deep understanding of national/local substance-misuse policy frameworks, including Harm to Hope and its local implementation.
- Expert knowledge of multi-agency systems, including collaboration between public health, NHS, police, and local authorities in reducing substance-related harm.
- Strong data-driven skills, applying evidence to public health interventions and strategic decisions.
- Senior managerial experience (minimum 2 years) in roles contributing to corporate management (where applicable).
- Relevant experience in health promotion, public health, or social care (voluntary/community sectors also accepted).
- Advocacy experience, working with marginalised communities.
- Service plan development and delivery experience.
- Multi-agency partnership leadership, with a track record of influencing change.
- Citizen-centred approach, ensuring equality and diversity in all strategies and services.
- Risk and resource management, ensuring projects stay on track within budget.
- Confident public speaking, adept communication in both written and verbal formats.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and IT troubleshooting.
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification in a health or public health field.
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) commitment.
- Ability to meet deadlines and motivate others with a duty of care focus.
- Experience in engagement with feedback channels to improve customer-facing services.
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Desirable Experience
- Direct experience working with substance misuse clients or those who don’t engage with statutory services (understanding barriers to engagement).
- Experience in preventing premature deaths and reviewing DAR statistics.
- Change management expertise to drive systemic shifts in service delivery.
Additional Information
- Working Hours: 29.6 hours per week (part-time).
- Contract Duration: Fixed-term until 31/03/2028 (secondments require manager approval).
- Working Arrangements:
- Hybrid working model.
- Requires independent travel across Somerset (regional/national attendance common).
- Leave: 30 days per year (pro-rata).
- Notable Reminder: The Council cannot sponsor visas; applicants must have unrestricted work rights in the UK.
For further details or to request a full job description, please email recruitment@somerset.gov.uk (cite reference 792/WS).
If you’re a strategist, leader, and advocate committed to creating change, we’d love to hear from you!
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