Peer Advocate Worker Jobs in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
About us:
Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support including healthcare to children and adults with M.E.. We provide vital support services, campaign for change and invest in ground-breaking research to help put an end to the ignorance, injustice and neglect experienced by people with M.E.
Opportunity:
Having been paused to new referrals, Action for M.E.’s free, independent, Adults Advocacy service will soon be re-opening. It’s one of our range of free Support Services that work with adults, young people, and/or families living with M.E. We support colleagues across the team to take part in and share reflective practice, self-care, peer-support and training.
Our Adults Advocacy service offers non-statutory, single-issue, instructed advocacy for adults with a confirmed diagnosis of M.E. We encourage self-advocacy where possible, though many of our clients are too severely affected by M.E. to be able to take undertake this.
As an Adults Advocate, you will manage a caseload of clients, as well as inputting and contributing to the triage process along with your Advocacy colleagues. You will meet with clients by phone, email, Zoom and/or SMS; we can also facilitate communication by post if this is required. We are not able to offer home visits or face to face meetings.
What we can offer you:
We offer fully remote and flexible working with generous annual leave (30 days plus bank holidays, pro rata). The wellbeing of our staff is important to us, we offer a range of benefits to employees including (but not limited to) access to free counselling and voluntary wellbeing weekday sessions, examples of recent sessions include guided group meditations and a book club.
To view the full job description, download the job pack, and apply for this role, please visit our Recruitee site (please note that we only accept applications via Recruitee; any application sent directly to an Action for M.E. mailbox will not be considered).
Should you have any questions about the role, or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment team, details of how to do this are contained in the application pack, "how to apply" section.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Why Access Social Care Exists
Everyday millions of older and disabled people are denied the social care they need. Most local authorities can’t meet the growing demand for care, none are confident they can meet their legal duties in the future. This affects all of us, we will all need social care at some point.
We all have a right to hold public bodies to account. But most of us cannot afford lawyers so rely on legal aid. The 77% drop in community care legal aid cases since 2010 means we have nowhere to turn. Without access to justice, our rights do not exist. The rule of law is broken.
What we do
Access Social Care provides free legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping achieve a better quality of life. We work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and our rights. We highlight the gap left by cuts to Legal Aid and provide advice for those who can’t afford it.
With a 98% success rate, our network of lawyers and barristers ensure fair access to justice when things go wrong. We collaborate with social services whilst ensuring legal obligations are met. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded, and we all get the support we need.
About the role
This is an exciting time to join our organisation. We have a new strategy and are growing quickly including across our senior leadership team. We have nearly tripled in size and income since we started operating in April 2020 and we anticipate that this strong growth will continue for the duration of our next strategic period.
We are looking for someone with excellent people skills to play a key role in developing and piloting an approach to support people to engage with and use our on-line Social Care early legal help tool. Initially, this project will be focused on how to support carers who have multiple barriers to accessing the support they and the person they care for need.
We want to pilot a network of Peer Navigators who will act as an interface between the tool and people who are most underserved by social care and advice services and experience intersectionality of barriers. The role would particularly suit someone who has experience of the social care system as a family carer or disabled person and/or someone who has experienced barriers to accessing services due to other protected characteristics.
The role is new and will initially focus on working within our place-based Hubs of Croydon and Gloucestershire. The role will require a creative person who can work in partnership with other members of the team, people with lived experience of social care support and social care organisations. They will need to develop a set of policies and procedures for the delivery of the project and recruit, train and supervise the Peer Navigators.
To be a success in this role, you should be an excellent team worker, communicator, proactive, flexible, excellent people skills, highly organised and able to meet deadlines. You should also have a thorough understanding of co-production.
Responsibilities
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With Hubs manager, Hub team members and people with lived experience – refine the aims of the project and identify priorities
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Develop and implement a project plan for delivery of the project
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Develop a role description for the Peer Navigators
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Identify and test different options for advertising and recruiting Peer Navigators
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Train Peer Navigators in the Care Act and use of the chatbot
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Develop guidance on how people can seek advice about their employment and benefit status in relation to fulfilling the role
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Develop and run an appropriate supervision process to ensure good quality support is offered
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Arrange further training as chatbot develops
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Set up and run Peer Navigator team meetings to ensure they feel supported, and we learn from their experiences
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Devise a monitoring and evaluation framework and set up proformas for peer navigators to capture outcomes
For the full job discription, values, key responsilities and personal specification please see attached.
How to apply
We hope that having read this far; you will want to apply!
Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement do not include your name – use initials only. This will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process. To apply, please provide the following documents:
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An up-to-date CV
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A completed diversity monitoring form - link found in JD attached.
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A supporting statement of no more than three pages, addressing:
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The essential requirements of the person specification
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Looking at our workplace values, please share with us what our value ‘inclusive’ means to you and an example of something you have done in your work, volunteering or personal life which show us that you share this value.
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If you want support applying please contact us.
Timeline for recruitment process
Closing date: 9am on Monday 22nd April 2024
Interviews on Monday 29th April 2024
Please ensure you keep these dates free.
At Access Social care, we aren’t interested in tokenism. We know that if we are to make the biggest difference for the people that need us the most, we need to get Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism right. Part of this is recruiting greater diversity in all our teams.
With this in mind, we particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience of the communities we serve, including people with direct experience of the social care system, and from marginalised groups, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people, and trans and non-binary people.
To note we are only able to accept applicants who have the right to work in the UK.
Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement do not include your name – use initials only. This will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process. To apply, please provide the following documents:
An up-to-date CV
A completed diversity monitoring form - found in Job Pack
A supporting statement of no more than three pages, addressing:
The essential requirements of the person specification
Looking at our workplace values, please share with us what our value ‘inclusive’ means to you and an example of something you have done in your work, volunteering or personal life which show us that you share this value.
If you want support applying please contact us.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Betknowmore UK is collaborating with partner organisations to work as part of a wider team, on the delivery of the Armed Forces Gambling Harms Support Network (AFGHSN). The work will include the provision of training and gambling awareness activities, helping to raise and address the subject of harmful gambling. Working and engaging with armed forces support and personnel services, individuals harmed by gambling, their wider network, stakeholders, and other relevant groups within the veteran and active armed forces communities, the aim is to create trained personnel able to support the work of the AFGHSN.
A key aspect of the role will be working with individuals experiencing gambling harms, requiring an empathetic and compassionate approach and awareness of the complex issues being addressed. A robust management of safeguarding and safe working practices is essential.
It is essential that you are based within one hour travelling time of London, as extensive travel to London and the UK is expected.
Role Purpose
An armed forces veteran or someone closely involved with the armed forces (a family member for example), the post holder will also have a unique insight on gambling harms, and their impact on health and wellbeing specifically within the military.
The Armed Forces Peer Aid Coordinator will initially prioritise engaging with veterans and military organisations to deliver the AFGHSN training programme, along with gambling awareness activities. The purpose is to upskill key armed forces personnel and those in connected communities, enabling and enhancing their knowledge, skills and confidence to address gambling harms.
The second key responsibility is to recruit, train and support Peer Supporters to deliver safe, effective support for individuals and their networks that have been harmed by gambling. It is expected that Peer Supporters will be individuals with ‘lived experience’ of gambling harm themselves or as an ‘affected other’.
The post holder will work with the Head of Peer Support Services to support the development and maintenance of the systems and structure of the service, ensuring that governance and polices are implemented, safeguarding and safe working practices are strictly adhered to, and a clear understanding established of how the service integrates with other support and treatment networks.
The AFGHSN Peer Aid team will ensure that the support and working relationships are safe and secure, and the health and wellbeing of all participants is intact. Peer Support will be in a befriending capacity and should be provided with a considered and transparent approach. Other support activities will be developed, such as group support and weekly meet ups.
Stakeholder management is essential to the role, as is establishing and maintaining relationships within the AFGHSN, alongside confident communication skills to deliver presentations and other promotions within armed forces community, education and health centres to help grow and evolve the service.
We are especially keen to receive applications from individuals with experience of gambling addiction and recovery from within the armed service with a minimum of two years abstinence.
Please review the full Job Pack before applying with your CV and cover letter.
Previous applicants need not apply.
Please refer to the full job pack on our website before submitting your application, ensuring you detail how you meet the person specification in your cover letter.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our work reaches into the heart of the communities of Oxfordshire, and we’re pleased to be expanding our Community Engagement work into the areas of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire. The key towns in these areas are Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington, Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton, including surrounding villages. Your role will be to set up peer-to-peer support groups, information days, befriending partnerships, and to be a point of contact for our work in the north and west of the county. Our mission is to support visually impaired people to live independent and active lives and you’ll be playing a key part in this.
Job Title: Community Engagement Worker (North and West)
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £23,000 – £28,000 per year dependent on experience
Annual Leave: 25 days per year plus bank holidays (to increase after 3-years)
Contract Type: Permanent (6-month probationary period)
Reporting to: Community Engagement Lead
Start date: Summer 2024
Base: Office/home-based with frequent travel across Cherwell and West Oxfordshire.
Closing Date: Midday 29th April 2024
Interview Date: Wednesday 8th May 2024 (in person at Bradbury Lodge, Oxford)
Job Purpose:
To support visually impaired people to live independent and active lives by providing a range of activities and groups across the north and west of Oxfordshire.
Duties:
- Setting up and supporting peer-to-peer support groups
- Holding information days within local libraries, community centres and other key locations
- Setting up walking groups as part of our Green Walks Project
- Demonstrating and setting up daily living equipment and assistive technology with support from the tech team
- Assisting in the setup of befriending partnerships alongside the Volunteer Coordinator
- Connect, share, and learn with partners and other organisations
- Being a point of contact for MyVision within the North and West of Oxfordshire
Other duties:
- Provide talks and training as needed
- Support the Fundraising team with local events and initiatives
- Keep accurate records of interactions and activites
- Attend relevant meetings, training, workshops, and webinars
- Support the team with furthering the objectives and goals of the organisation
- Other reasonable duties set out by your line manager and Chief Executive
- There may, on occasion, be a need to work outside normal hours e.g., weekends and evenings
Breakdown of duties
This is a rough guide to your duties; flexibility will be required.
Tasks% of your timePeer Support Groups and Activities40%Info Days and Equipment Demos20%Befriending Support25%Other duties15%
Person Specification
NOTE: We expect candidates to evidence how they meet the criteria in their covering letter. This can be through work, volunteering, and your personal life.
Essential skills, experience, and knowledge:
- Experience of setting up community-based initiatives (for example: groups, clubs, activities etc)
- The ability to research, create and manage working relationships with local groups/organisations across Oxfordshire.
- Good IT skills
- Good communication skills in person, over the telephone and online
- The ability to travel around the county, whether with your own car, public transport or Access to Work support, please see below regarding Access to Work.
- Ideally located within or nearby Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, or Oxford city.
Desirable:
- Lived or learned experience of visual impairment
- Experience of working with visually impaired people
- Experience of providing community-based services for a disability charity
Personal Qualities
- The ability to work under own initiative
- Good communicator
- Creative thinker and problem solving
- A supportive team player
This role may suit someone with lived experience of sight loss, MyVision is a strong advocate of Lived Experience with over half of our employees having a visual impairment. The role would also suit someone who has strong communication skills and the ability to support, encourage and engage people. We also recognise many skills are transferrable and welcome applications from people with varying experiences and backgrounds.
Please evidence how you meet the person specifications in your covering letter.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us:
Community ConneX is a campaigning organisation and a multi-project service provider working across West London. We support autistic people, people with a disability, and people and families experiencing barriers to live healthier, happier, and inclusive lives. We do this by ensuring their needs, rights and aspirations are met.
Advocacy 1st is a free, independent service provided by advocates who specialise in the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.
Location: Remote based in Oxfordshire
Key duties:
· Recruiting, training and providing ongoing support to volunteers
· Working with the children and young people to assess their service requirements
· Working with stakeholders to raise awareness and recognise and identify care leavers and young people in need of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
· Looking at opportunities to engage and work with services to identify care leavers and independent visitors
· Reporting and discussing all safeguarding concerns with the service manager
· Completing initial assessments and matching volunteers to young people
· Raising the profile of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
Our ideal candidate:
· Has qualifications relevant to the role
· Has experience of working with children and young people.
· Is aware of legislation such as Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014, Children Act 1989, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC)
· Has excellent communications and writing skills, and the ability to tailor written and verbal communications to a wide range of different audiences
· Can maintain existing relationships and develop new relationships with clients, families, colleagues and volunteers
· Can generate reports and make presentations
In return we offer a range of benefits including:
· Pension contribution up to 5%
· Death in service insurance
· Employee assistance programme
· Bluelight Card
· Cycle to work scheme
· 23 days of annual leave + bank holidays (increases after 2 years of service)
· Gym membership
· Healthcash plan
· Professional development
We are committed to safeguarding and equal opportunities, and we guarantee an interview to all applicants with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the post.
We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident committed employer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?
Can you demonstrate our values of Hope, Courage, Together and Responsive and want to be part of our mission to create opportunities for individuals to make choices, find their own solutions, build resilience and manage their whole life and wellbeing?
If the answer to all of these is yes, we want to hear from you.
Carers Coordinator
Ref: 206
Responsible to: Service Manager
Responsible for: Supporting carers in an empathetic, safe, respectful and empowering way; using their lived experience to bring hope.
Based: East and West Herts
Working hours: 30 hours per week.
Rate of pay: £24,000 - £25,000 pro rata
Contract length: Permanent
Purpose of Post
This is an exciting time to join our innovative carers service. We are in a position to grow the current support offered and develop other ways of supporting carers across Hertfordshire. The Carers Coordinator is an integral role within Hertfordshire Mind Network (HMN) and to the future development of the service. Using the ethos and values of peer support, the post holder will support carers in an empathetic, safe, respectful and empowering way; using their lived experience to bring hope.
We offer:
- Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising in increments to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays)
- An additional day of leave each year for your birthday following completion of probation period.
- Ongoing training relevant to your role.
- An Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health cover (after 6 months employment) – compensation payment for Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments.
You must have a driving license and access to a vehicle or equivalent.
Closing date: Applications are welcome on an ongoing basis until this role is successfully filled.
Interview date: Interviews shall take place on a rolling basis.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.
Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. We recognise and value the unique combination of skills, knowledge and perspective that employing people with a lived experience, at all levels across the organisation, brings. We create an environment where the sharing of experiences and vulnerabilities to support others and create positive change is welcomed and work towards breaking down the ‘them’ and ‘us’ culture. The organisation is committed to nurturing peer relationships that allow all staff to thrive.
We are delighted to have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.
No agencies please.
Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis? Are you calm, non-judgmental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?
Can you demonstrate our values of Hope, Courage, Together, and Responsive and want to be part of our mission to create opportunities for individuals to make choices, find their own solutions, build resilience and manage their whole life and wellbeing?
If the answer to all of these is yes, we want to hear from you.
Crisis Centre Coordinator – Part Time
Reference: 196
Responsible to: Crisis Centre Team Leader
Based: Hemel Hempstead Crisis Centre
Salary: £24,928 - £26,250 per annum, FTE
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 30 hours per week (Part Time) Covering a shift pattern of Earlies, Lates and Nights across 7 days.
We are also seeking a Night Coordinator working 3 Night Shifts 3 out of 7
About the Service
The Crisis Centre and rest of Nightlight Services (Café’s, Helpline, Daylight provision) is proud to provide urgent support, crisis intervention and emotional support to people experiencing a mental health crisis in Hertfordshire as an alternative to statutory pathways. We provide support to adults across Hertfordshire 7 days a week, 365 days a year through our helpline, crisis cafes and 24/7 Crisis Centre. We aim to provide a safe space for people in crisis to talk and feel supported, be listened to without judgement, access relevant support with problem solving and facilitate access to external services when necessary.
As a member of our diverse team, you will work closely with service users in crisis by using a person-centred approach to ensure that each individual is supported with dignity and respect. By honouring the individual experience of each service user, we are able to respect their autonomy as well as encourage and facilitate positive steps towards management of crisis and recovery.
About the Role
Alongside other Crisis Centre Coordinators, to be a key member of the Crisis Centre team, providing effective operational leadership delivering the Nightlight Mental Health Crisis Centre Service. You will be ensuring the delivery and development of quality crisis support services and instilling Hertfordshire Mind Network’s values throughout the provision. You will provide management support to Crisis Centre Mental Health Support Workers and support the Crisis Centre Team Leader in ensuring practice within the service is safe, effective and person centred.
Key Responsibilities
- Providing emotional support and developing, alongside service users, flexible and realistic crisis support/person-centred plans within agreed guidelines with support from the leadership team (including assessments of need, risk, crisis support plans and review forms) in person or via telephone.
- Draw upon own lived experience as appropriate to inform the delivery of person centred support.
- Providing immediate advice and information to clients to support with crisis presentations.
- Liaise with Nightlight management and external services e.g. police, ambulance service, Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team, Single Point of Access, Safeguarding Out of Hours Service, Mental Health Liaison Teams, Adult Community Mental Health Services etc. as needed in terms of accepting referrals and proactively recognising the indicators of deteriorating mental health and facilitating appropriate support.
- Complete appropriate signposting/onward referrals to both internal and external services in accordance with identified needs and risks.
- Ensuring record keeping is maintained to the required standards at all times and contributing to service monitoring requirements.
- Arranging transport for service users to facilitate access to services as needed.
- You will line manage a number of Crisis Centre Mental Health Support Workers and be part of the operational management for the Nightlight Crisis Centre.
We offer:
- Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising in increments to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays)
- An additional day of leave each year for your birthday following completion of probation period.
- Ongoing training relevant to your role.
- An Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health cover (after 6 months employment) – compensation payment for Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 5th May 2024
Interviews shall take place week commencing 6th May 2024
Please note: We reserve the right to close the advertisement once sufficient applications are received so would encourage early applications.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.
Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. We recognise and value the unique combination of skills, knowledge and perspective that employing people with a lived experience, at all levels across the organisation, brings. We create an environment where the sharing of experiences and vulnerabilities to support others and create positive change is welcomed and work towards breaking down the ‘them’ and ‘us’ culture. The organisation is committed to nurturing peer relationships that allow all staff to thrive.
We are delighted to have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.
No agencies please.
HMP Bullingdon, Oxfordshire
Ref SEF-242
Are you a dynamic and collaborative individual who wants to support people entering prison to gain the skills and tools to develop their emotional resilience? Looking for an exciting and highly rewarding new career opportunity?
If so, join St Giles as our Settling in Facilitator, where you will provide vital classroom sessions on emotional resilience to all new prison receptions and deliver tailored one-to-one support to people in prison who are not able to access the classroom sessions.
About St Giles
St Giles is an award-winning social justice charity using expertise and real-life past experiences to empower people who are not getting the help they need. People held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues and others. We show people there is a way to build a better future for themselves and those they care about and help them create this through support, advice, and training. Our peer-led services form the backbone of our work, putting people with lived experience at the centre of delivery, design, and evaluation of support and services across the UK.
About this key role
As a Settling in Facilitator, you will be embedded within a prison-based setting and provide a quality service to people first entering prison. We will count on you to prepare, plan, and deliver the emotional resilience interactive sessions to individuals in prison, ensuring all sessions are appropriate and contextualised to reflect the local needs of the prison and its changing population and utilising expertise around lived experience and local knowledge to empower people in prison.
You will also be expected to deliver additional tailored sessions to individuals who are unable to attend the group sessions or require additional support and to use a trauma-informed approach to build trust and create a safe space for people in prison to explore challenging and potentially traumatic issues and topics.
What we are looking for
• Personal experience of the social care system; criminal justice system; or lived experience of the issues facing this client group. However, we also encourage applications from those without lived experience.
• The ability to build positive relationships with people in prison and be comfortable and confident working in the prison environment.
• A professionally competent approach and confidence facilitating group sessions, as well as being able to tailor the support given to meet the needs of people in prison.
• An invested interest in supporting people in prison to develop healthy coping strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, verbal and written.
What we will do to support you in this role
We will provide the following resources to assist in the successful achievement of the responsibilities outlined above:
• A full induction.
• On-going and targeted learning and development will support and enable you to deliver the role to a high standard.
• Continuous support and supervision including reflective practice to develop your learning and skills as a practitioner.
In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, 4x Group Life Insurance, season ticket loan, eyecare scheme and much more.
Due to the nature of this role, we are looking for male applicants only. The Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1, Paragraph 1 applies to this post.
For further details on how to apply, click on the apply button.
Closing date: 02 June 2024 11:45pm.
We are actively reviewing applications week-to-week and encourage you to apply as soon possible.
As an equity and inclusive employer, we welcome all applications, but we would particularly welcome applications from Global Majority People (Black, Asian, Brown, Dual Heritage), those living with a disability, those from a neurodiverse group, or have another protected characteristic. We value the positive impact and diversity that your lived experience can bring to our organisation.
As an organisation that works with children and adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients. Successful applicants must therefore submit an Enhanced Adult Workforce with Adult Barred List DBS DBS Check. Prison vetting is also a requirement for the role.