Lead Peer Support Worker – Thames Valley
The Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team are looking for a Lead Peer Support Worker who would like to use their lived experience to support others.
Do you have the lived experience of the criminal justice system?
Have you faced life challenges such as mental health or substance misuse problems and are focussed on recovery?
Do you have some practical experience of working in a health, social care or other support organisations, in a paid or voluntary role?
Recognised with a number of awards, including a Gold Award from the Lived Experience Charter, Thames Valley Commendation, Berkshire Healthcare ‘Team of the Year’ and runner-up for the Howard League for Penal Reform ‘Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year’.
• By using your own experience of going through the Criminal Justice System,treatmentand recovery you will be supporting service users with vulnerabilities going through the Criminal Justice System.
• You will be a positive role model helping to understand, inspire, motivate,guideand support our service users to engage with services and work on their recovery. Youwillevidence and show visible recovery; showing that change is possible.
• You will offer emotional and practical support to our service-users by using your own lived experience of the criminal justice system and the challenges and fears this can create which will enable them to achieve a positive future.
• Lead on recruiting and supervising peer support volunteers in the team.
• Working flexibly, visiting custody suites, magistrates’ courts, and other locations in the community, you will enjoy travelling across multiple sites and have access to your own car.
• This post is for 9-5 Monday to Friday.
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites
The “must haves” for this role:
• Must have lived experience of the criminal justice system
• Must have direct lived experience and being stable in recovery from substance misuse addiction, mental ill health or other vulnerabilities
• Must have an awareness of modelling appropriate behaviours, having the capacity to cope when unsupervised; setting clear boundaries and seeking support and guidance to support and protect own recovery, health and wellbeing
• Must have good listening skills and effective communication skills; to be able to engage appropriately with service users, carers, and colleagues, and partnership agencies.
• NVQ level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent and relevant health related training to diploma level equivalent or equivalent work experience at band 3 level.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 07584 556882 or email: Lucy.Bashir@Berkshire.nhs.uk, who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
This advert closes on Wednesday 9 Apr 2025
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