Job summary
Peer Support Worker - Basingstoke, North Hampshire
Have you ever been arrested, appeared in court on a criminal charge and/or been to prison?
Have you ever struggled with your mental health and/or have overcome difficulties with substance misuse?
Could you use your experiences to support others?
Could you show the people we support in court, custody, and prison that change is possible?
If so, we have an exciting development opportunity to grow personally and professionally as part of our award-winning Liaison and Diversion team.
We are experts in employing and supporting people with lived experience, with our work being endorsed by the Lived Experience Charter. Our tailored 18-month development programme will grow your skills and confidence and give you access to a range of accredited training to support your future career in healthcare.
Many of our former peer support workers are now permanent members of our team and we have supported others into employment or further training.
We operate across Hampshire, but this post is predominately based in Basingstoke working for Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust. You will be expected to provide one-to-one practical and emotional support to our clients and encourage them to access services which improve their health and wellbeing.
If you are stable in your recovery journey and can show us how you achieved this this could be the perfect opportunity to start a new career in care.
Main duties of the job
- By using your own experience of going through the Criminal Justice System, treatment and 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, guide and support our service users to engage with services and work on their recovery. You will evidence 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
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust isa 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.
We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer. We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you'll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.
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
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave.
- Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
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. *please make explicit reference to both of these within your written application in order to be shortlisted for either of these roles
- 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.
If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and lets be outstanding together. We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have.
Please dont hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 07584 556 882 or email Lucy.Bashir@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help. If you need it, we can offer you support/guidance and advice on how to complete your application form. Contact Tim Mascall on 07773 093 354 or email Timothy.Mascall@Berkshire.nhs.uk who will be happy to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
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. *please make explicit reference to both of these within your written application in order to be shortlisted for either of these roles
- 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.
If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and lets be outstanding together. We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have.
Please dont hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 07584 556 882 or email Lucy.Bashir@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help. If you need it, we can offer you support/guidance and advice on how to complete your application form. Contact Tim Mascall on 07773 093 354 or email Timothy.Mascall@Berkshire.nhs.uk who will be happy to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Willingness to share personal experiences in an appropriate way and maintain clear boundaries
- Empathy, patience, and sensitivity to be able to support people whilst maintaining boundaries.
- Willingness to seek support and guidance.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of the criminal justice system a minimum of being arrested and taken into police custody and demonstratable recovery of a minimum of 1 year of no longer being in-contact with criminal justice system.
- Required to demonstrate a recovery capital and period of desistance 1-3yrs from misusing substance (inc alcohol) and a minimum of one year completing any licence conditions/requirements.
Desirable
- Having direct lived experience of recovery from substance misuse, mental health or other vulnerabilities.
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Be stable in your own recovery and possess the resilience to support others in their recovery.
- To be a UK citizen or have the right to remain status
- Flexibility to travel to all sites.
- To be able to work a minimum of 25 hours per week
Desirable
- Full driving licence and access to a car
Person Specification
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Willingness to share personal experiences in an appropriate way and maintain clear boundaries
- Empathy, patience, and sensitivity to be able to support people whilst maintaining boundaries.
- Willingness to seek support and guidance.
Previous Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of the criminal justice system a minimum of being arrested and taken into police custody and demonstratable recovery of a minimum of 1 year of no longer being in-contact with criminal justice system.
- Required to demonstrate a recovery capital and period of desistance 1-3yrs from misusing substance (inc alcohol) and a minimum of one year completing any licence conditions/requirements.
Desirable
- Having direct lived experience of recovery from substance misuse, mental health or other vulnerabilities.
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Be stable in your own recovery and possess the resilience to support others in their recovery.
- To be a UK citizen or have the right to remain status
- Flexibility to travel to all sites.
- To be able to work a minimum of 25 hours per week
Desirable
- Full driving licence and access to a car
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
