Part-time – expected commitment of 1.5 days per month, for at least six months

£10.80 /hr outside M25; £12.55 /hr inside M25. Travel expenses paid

Location - UK wide

Fixed term contract of 6 months

Ref: PCO-221

Are you a proactive, organised and compassionate individual with lived experience of the prison and probation services across England and Wales?  If so, St Giles Trust is looking for a Peer Consultant to join our team and deliver activities that will support and advise the National Probation Service on change as part of our ground-breaking Engaging People on Probation (EPOP) contract.

About St Giles Trust

An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need. Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others. 

The Wise Group is a leading social enterprise working to lift people out of poverty.  St Giles and The Wise Group came together to form a partnership with the aim of supporting the Probation Resettlement reforms by offering a high-quality service underpinned by staff who have lived experience and cultural competency.  This partnership includes the EPOP project, an exciting new opportunity to work closely with the National Probation Service and Peer Consultants will be at the centre of this project.

About this exciting opportunity

As Peer Consultant, you will participate actively in initial training in peer-led evaluation and consultancy approaches and in specialist and refresher training workshops on tools and techniques.  You will also work with regional and national NPS representatives to self-assess progress in engaging people on probation and identify areas of strength and for development, plus support the development of regional actions plans and measures of success.

We will also count on you to support, co-deliver, or lead activities to address areas for development in the region e.g. workshops, surveys, comms activities and to promote and demonstrate the value of POP involvement to everyone involved in the project.

What we are looking for

• Relevant lived experience, e.g. either on license, recently left the justice system, with other lived experience welcomed (e.g. of homelessness, mental distress, substance misuse, domestic violence/abuse)
• The ability to relate directly and authentically to people on probation as a peer
• A background of having links to people on probation
• The ability to follow processes and/or completing tasks, where accuracy is important
• A good knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by people on probation
• Sound IT, organisational and communication skills, both verbal and written

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, childcare vouchers, season ticket loan and much more.

For further information, or to apply, please visit our website via the ‘Apply’ button.

Closing date: 11pm, Sunday 24th July 2022.  Please apply early as interviews will be conducted when suitable applications are received.

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.

Detention Action is a growing organisation working to challenge immigration detention, unjust deportations, and other areas of the Hostile Environment in the UK. 

We provide emotional and practical support to people detained in detention centres and prisons through in-person visitors and a casework service which is accessible through a freephone helpline. We also provide holistic and accessible advice and support on-site at detention centres and prisons by holding regular advice workshops.

We campaign for reform to immigration detention policy and practice, drawing on evidence obtained from our frontline work, and we also train and support people with experience of detention to campaign and lobby for change. We currently facilitate two lived experience campaigning networks – Families for Justice (FFJ) and Allies for Justice (AFJ).

We campaigned for an end to the Detained Fast Track asylum process, successfully bringing a strategic legal challenge which led to the suspension of the process in 2015 and we continue to campaign against its re-introduction.  In 2020, we brought several prominent legal challenges, preventing the removal of those due to be deported on a charter flight to Jamaica in February, and pressurized the Government into releasing the majority of people detained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022 we continue to campaign and take action to challenge the Hostile Environment and are currently involved in a strategic legal challenge around the Government's plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda.

We are looking for a Communications and Campaigns Officer to join our busy Campaigns Team.

Our successful candidate will work across our communications and campaigns activities, taking on a varied set of responsibilities. Alongside working with the rest of our Campaigns Team to develop strategies to achieve our longer-term goals of the organisation, they will also provide ongoing policy support, and work on our press office function, acting as the first point of contact for media enquiries.

They will take a leading role in managing our social media channels and work to build and engage our support base, deliver digital campaigning activities and contribute to the creation of fundraising appeals. 

They will also work closely with our two lived experience campaigning networks, helping to train and support people with experience of the detention, asylum and the deportation system to campaign and lobby for change.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and passionate individual who is looking to make their mark and join us in defending the rights of people in detention at a critical time for our organisation and the wider immigration and human rights sector.

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Pecan's Women's Service offer one-to-one advocacy to women who are exiting the criminal justice system, women at risk of entering the criminal justice system, and other women at multiple disadvantages with complex needs in the boroughs of Southwark and Lewisham. Our hub spaces provide a safe space for women in the boroughs, where they can make new social connections and build their confidance through our programmes of workshops.

The Mental Health Advocate role is an exciting new role aimed at breaking down barriers to mental health services for vulnerable women and improve the general wellbeing of our client base.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Provide advocacy, emotional and practical support to women referred to our services, with a focus on women who are high need in terms of their mental health
2. Advise clients of pathways into NHS mental health support, assist clients with requesting the correct care for their needs, write referrals for clients into NHS and other mental health organisations
3. Be responsible for establishing and maintaining professional relationships with new partners in the NHS to make referrals pathways smoother
4. Maintain an up-to-date knowledge and awareness of developments in public and legislation regarding mental health services and treatment

Essential Requirements:

1. Thorough understanding of disadvantages specifically faced by women and strong commitment to achieving equality for women
2. At least basic understanding of trauma, the most common mental health conditions and their treatment options
3. Excellent interpersonal skills including ability to sensitively manage issues arising with clients
4. Ability to communicate and motivate both verbally and in written media

Pecan is committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post will require a DBS check to be undertaken. Having a criminal record will not necessarily disqualify you from acquiring the post.

Pecan strongly encourages applications from women from minority ethnic groups and women with direct experience of the criminal justice system.
 

Pecan is an equal opportunities and disability-friendly employer. We guarantee to offer an interview to those with a disability who meet the minimum criteria.

Please read the Recruitment Pack and Application Instructions below before applying.