We are recruiting for a RECONNECT Peer Coordinator
We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward and live fulfilling lives .
RECONNECT is a care after custody service that seeks to improve the continuity of care of people leaving prison or an immigration removal centre (IRC) with an identified health need. We operate a hybrid model of support where we work with individuals up to 12-weeks before their release and up to six months post-release in order to support the transition to community-based services, thereby safeguarding health gains made whilst in prison or an IRC.
Our East of England RECONNECT service is available for adults over the age of 18 with a designated healthcare need and who are due to be released from prison or an IRC in the next 12 weeks. We also accept referrals up to 28 days post release.
Role Responsibilities
In line with Forward Trust Equality, Diversity and Inclusion framework, this NHS commissioned RECONNECT service takes pride in recruiting those with lived experience, be that of physical or mental ill health, substance misuse or of the criminal justice system. As a result, we are looking to recruit someone with a relevant lived experience for this position to enhance the provision of our service.
Within this role, you will be responsible for providing overseeing Peer Support Workers, Peer Mentors and Volunteers within the RECONNECT service which includes custodial and community settings across the Easter region.
RECONNECT enables service users to access and sustain supportive interventions upon release from prison, whether that be substance use needs, physical health or mental health support, in addition to general well-being advice and guidance. The service will offer mentor link in, sign-posting, GP referrals, aftercare support and a connection to the wider Forward community. Following a referral 12-weeks prior to release, the service will identify the service user’s health needs via a robust assessment with a bespoke care plan then created with the client at the centre.
Some of the Key responsibilities of the role are as follows:
- Support those in the service who have lived experience, including Peer Mentors, Peer Support Workers and Peer Champions (volunteers)
- Conduct the relevant one-to-one support to the worker/ volunteer (quarterly line management meetings or monthly supervision)
- Collecting and recording data and feeding databases including Nebular and SystmOne to contribute towards Forward’s reports
- Recruit Peer Champions, Peer Mentors and Peer Support Workers to work within the RECONNECT team.
- Create pathways and actively recruit lived experience volunteers from the groups failing the greatest with health inequalities (including those from the Gypsy Roma community, migrants and veterans.)
- Support and deliver training to the Peers including OCN Level 2 in Mentoring
- Organising and supporting Meet and Greets for those needing support leaving prison
- Deliver workshops on working with and volunteering as a Peer for Forward, with other team members and/or trained peers.
- Use lived experience knowledge to contribute towards Forward’s evidence for Career Matters; Lived Experience Award
- Create and embed pathways for Peers with lived experience to access and progress within Forward
- Maintain excellent partnerships with external agencies and key-stakeholders.
- Ensure that a holistic service is delivered safely to our clients in line with individual and team targets.
- Working closely with your colleagues you will discuss and share best practice and fully engage with risk assessment processes to deliver a high-quality service safely.
All probation-based roles will require enhanced DBS and HMPPS security vetting. Please note this process can take up to 3-6 weeks. All offers are subject to receiving both HMPPS vetting and DBS clearances.
Checks will require you to provide information on the below:
- Yourself (personal information, financial information, police information, criminal history)
- Your family (parents, parents’ partners, siblings, partner(s), children)
- Co-residents
- Associations that may cause a conflict of interest with your role or the prison service.
- Background checks across police information systems on you, your family and other associates
- Credit reference checks
- Social media and Open-Source checks (these are checks on content about you that's publicly available on the internet to ensure there's nothing linked to you that could undermine public trust and confidence in the prison service)
- Other government and overseas agency or police checks.
- The Ideal Candidate
- Please see a list of skills and experience needed below for this role.
- Lived Experience of either the Criminal Justice System, Substance Use and/or Physical or Mental ill Health.
- Experience of working with mental health, emotional wellbeing or substance misuse services
- Experience of working with or supervising peers or volunteers with lived experience
- Experience of facilitating groups
- Use of motivational interviewing techniques in both 1:1 and group settings
- Strong IT skills and Admin Skills
- Flexibility to meet the needs of the service as it develops
- Ability to represent The Forward Trust in a positive and professional manner
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and in a variety of formats