Service Manager : London Prisons and Southwest London
Location: London
Salary: A GBP 37,433
Vacancy Type: Maternity, 9 month FTC
Advertising End Date: 9 th February 2026
We are recruiting for a Service Manager to join us on a 9:month fixed term maternity cover in the Dependency and Recovery Service in London.
You will lead services across Southwest London probation, London Prisons and our peer mentor pathway.
The Dependency and Recovery service is designed to improve retention of clients into treatment and bridge the gap between probation/prison and community treatment services. We are looking for an innovative manager, with prior experience of managing prison and community pathways, and a strong understanding of the importance of continuity of care.
The role
You will hold strategic and operational responsibility for the D and R service across Southwest London boroughs, London prisons and the peer mentor pathway. You will provide visible, people:focused leadership across prison and community settings, ensuring there is high:quality service delivery and performance targets are met.
Your duties:
* You will be line managing two team leaders, both in prison and the community, ensuring the effective running of the through the gate pathway.
* You are the point of contact for all partnership engagement, enhancing referral pathways and developing joint working agreements to improve outcomes for our clients.
* You will work in conjunction with senior management to contribute to improvement plans, produce performance reports for commissioners and ensure accurate data.
* You will provide visible leadership across the locations stipulated and should expect to spend at least three days per week in service, meeting staff, attending key meetings and prisons/probation offices.
* Ensure services are audit:compliant, outcomes:focused and data:led
* Contribute to wider CRS and Forward Trust objectives, projects and service development
This is a predominantly in:person role, working across SW London probation delivery units, prisons and community locations. Youll spend at least three days per week on site with teams and partners to ensure safe, high:quality delivery.
If youre an experienced manager with a passion for criminal justice, recovery and partnership working, and youre looking for a 9:month maternity cover role where you can make an immediate impact, wed love to hear from you.
All probation:based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 6:12 weeks 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 ratad 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 a