Overview

Regional Peer Co-ordinator – Sutton

Permanent

£16,200

We are looking for a Peer Coordinator to join our Integrated Substance Misuse Service, working within an integrated healthcare framework to support adults aged 18 and over who use drugs and/or alcohol.

The Integrated Substance Misuse Service provides a combination of clinical, psychosocial substance misuse, health and wellbeing interventions and accredited treatment programmes for people entering prison who have been identified as having an alcohol or drug problem.

As a Peer Coordinator, you will play an important role in supporting the service and the prison to develop a strong peer support network, helping service users to take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • As a Peer Coordinator, you will:
  • Champion the Integrated Substance Misuse Service within the prison.
  • Support and work alongside the wider Substance Misuse Services team.
  • Train and support service users to become Peer Supporters.
  • Develop and support peer-led interventions across all wings of the prison.
  • Support Peer Supporters to engage with and assist other service users.
  • Develop and support Health & Wellbeing Champions within the prison.
  • Encourage Health & Wellbeing Champions to motivate and support their peers to take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing.
  • Support Champions to listen to and understand the issues and concerns raised by other service users.
  • Signpost service users to relevant health, wellbeing and support services within the prison.
  • Support Health & Wellbeing Champions to provide interventions to their peers, where agreed with the prison.
  • Build and strengthen links between the Integrated Substance Misuse Service and service users within the prison.
  • Promote positive engagement with health, wellbeing and substance misuse services.
  • Work collaboratively with prison staff, colleagues and other services to ensure effective support for service users.
  • Work across multiple prison sites, which may include HMP High Down and HMP Downview.
  • Travel between prison sites as required.
  • Work flexibly, including some evening and weekend shifts on a rota basis, with reasonable notice.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who is:

  • Passionate about supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing.
  • Able to build positive and professional relationships with service users.
  • A confident communicator who can engage and motivate others.
  • Able to encourage individuals to take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing.
  • Comfortable supporting and developing others through training and peer support.
  • Able to work effectively with people from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
  • Organised and able to coordinate peer support activities across the prison.
  • Able to work collaboratively as part of a wider integrated team.
  • Committed to promoting positive health and wellbeing within a prison environment.
  • Able to identify appropriate services and support individuals to access them through effective signposting.
  • Flexible and adaptable to the needs of the service.
  • Willing and able to travel between prison sites when required.
  • Available to work occasional evening and weekend shifts as part of a rota.

The Peer Coordinator role is vital in strengthening the connection between the Integrated Substance Misuse Service and service users within the prison.

By developing Peer Supporters and Health & Wellbeing Champions, you will help create opportunities for service users to support one another, share concerns, access appropriate services and take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing while in custody.

 

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
  • Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks’ continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you’d like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@forwardtrust.org.uk 
  • 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.
    Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.
     
    Diversity at Forward Trust
    The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around 3 years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

    When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

    To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.  

    We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.
     
    Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
    Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

    If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

    Our Commitment to Safeguarding
    We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

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