Community Peer Engager (Blackburn with Darwen area)
Reports To: Blackburn-with-Darwen Team Leader
Employer: Red Rose Recovery Lancashire
Base: Blackburn with Darwen
Hours: 15 hours per week
Duration: 12-month rolling contract
Job Summary:
The ambition for Roots: Blackburn with Darwen’s Recovery Forum is to become one of the country’s largest and prominent independent mutual aid service user groups, delivering community action, advocating for service user voice, and championing recovery support across the town. Red Rose Recovery is commissioned to establish and develop recovery communities across Lancashire. The role of the Community Peer Engager is vital to the delivery of this objective.
As a Community Peer Engager, your role will be required to create recovery systems and develop opportunities for people affected by substance misuse, dual diagnosis, and offending behaviours in order to engage, speak up, and make a real change to the systems and services currently in Blackburn and Darwen. Your personal and relatable lived experience will provide inspiration and hope to people who are struggling to find a way forward.
You will be expected to work in partnership with the Recovery Collaborative, as well as with a wide range of other partner organisations, in many different settings to build accessible and inclusive pathways for personal development and recovery.
Following our model, you will be expected to work within a Recovery Collaboration in BwD to help establish an independent recovery forum that operates on a similar basis to the Lancashire user forum. It is crucial as part of your role that you advocate and ensure people accessing services have equal access to volunteering roles and opportunities. You will help to set up and facilitate stigma-tackling visible events in the community. You will provide peer support for people to have opportunities and key roles in some of the new structures and systems being implemented in BwD, ensuring the voice of people who are accessing services is a fundamental part of decision-making via the Recovery Collaborative board. You will be expected to capture the data from these groups and work to identified, realistic targets.
You will be expected to engage with clients and support them through their recovery journey. Ideally, you will have great engagement skills and a lived experience of one or more of addiction, recovery, criminality, mental health issues, and homelessness.
You will also be expected to build links within localities to develop partnerships, be an advocate for Red Rose Recovery and The Lancashire User Forum.
Responsibilities:
* To contact referrals and offer support relevant to their needs.
* To encourage participation and recruit suitable participants into volunteer positions within the independent service user forum and Recovery Collaborative.
* To work within the recovery collaborative to provide support and development of volunteers via supervision and training.
* To support the development of new groups as part of the Recovery Collaborative in line with members’ needs.
* To run groups and oversee peer-led groups.
* To help grow the recovery community and support the LUF.
* To ensure the member database is kept up to date.
* To liaise with the team leader about development needs of the members and volunteers within the community.
* To work with Red Rose Recovery partner organisations to ensure the best use of time and resources.
* To raise awareness of the work of Red Rose Recovery by promoting a good public image.
* To work in accordance with all Red Rose Recovery policies and procedures.
* Ensure any safeguarding disclosures are dealt with appropriately and in accordance with Red Rose Recovery policy.
General:
* Ensure health and safety compliance at all times.
* To be a strong member of the team and act as an ambassador for BwD Recovery Collaborative, Red Rose Recovery, and the Lancashire User Forum.
* To maintain confidentiality at all times (with the exception of safeguarding events).
* To adhere to all relevant policies and procedures.
* To establish and maintain a positive working relationship with service providers, commissioners, stakeholders, and other partner agencies.
* To undertake training as identified via personal development planning process.
* To undertake other duties commensurate to the grade of the post.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
CRITERIA
STANDARD
Essential (E)/Desirable (D)
Work/Voluntary Experience
Experience of supporting vulnerable people with multiple complex needs
E
Experience of working with volunteers
D
Understanding of the complex needs and challenges facing individuals with addiction and in recovery
E
Experience of Supporting and supervising volunteers within the community
D
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
E
Experience of group facilitation
D
Experience of partnership working
D
Experience of safeguarding
D
Accurate record keeping, including basic budgeting
D
Driving licence and access to a vehicle
D
Application Process:
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Rolonde Bradshaw on 07572 610530 / rolonde.bradshaw@redroserecovery.org.uk
You can apply online directly through the website by hitting 'Apply Now' or alternatively, you can download the application form by clicking here and once completed, please return it to admin@redroserecovery.org.uk
Closing Date: January 15, 2025
Employment Type: Part-time
Working Hours: 15 hours per week
Job Location: Blackburn-with-Darwen, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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