Peer Support Worker Jobs

About Gaddum

At Gaddum, we treat everyone as individuals. We really get to know those we help, understanding their world to offer a range of support that’s right for them. Our promise of tailored support is made possible by our breadth and depth of knowledge, through our unwavering commitment to the local people of Greater Manchester.

Our experience listening to generation after generation, for nearly 200 years, has taught us the importance of considering not just the individual but also the relationships around them. Our innovative approach means we can, not only build resilience, but identify further risks and offer preventive support now and in the future. At Gaddum, we believe that by supporting individuals, we ultimately help support entire communities.

Our aim is to empower and enhance the lives of people in Greater Manchester.

Outline of service:

Gaddum and Manchester Mind have come together to provide a new and innovative service which will support people to leave inpatient mental health settings and return to their community with the support they need to recover and remain well.

As a team, we will deliver psycho-social interventions, advocacy, housing and welfare rights advice and peer support. There will also be tailored support to young people (those under the age of 25). All we do is underpinned by listening and ensuring people feel heard – because we know that when people are listened to, they recover. The team will be working with colleagues within the mental health, primary care, inpatient and community sectors.

Job summary:

As a Peer Support Worker, you will have lived or living experience of receiving mental health care or treatment. As an ‘Expert by Experience’ you will support peers (people with similar experiences to your own) who are ready to leave hospital after being treated for their mental health needs. Receiving support from your colleagues, you’ll develop and manage your casework practice and hold a small case load.

Walking alongside people prior to discharge from mental health hospital, you’ll support people in the discharge process to get the care they need, and then into a community setting where they can continue to recover and begin to explore their aspirations. Ultimately, people will feel connected to their communities – to the right services, friends and family.

This role will work with a small but intensive caseload (max 12 cases for a full-time peer support worker) to focus on:

· Repatriate: when people are sent to an out of area placement (OAPs) advocate to get them back to Greater Manchester so they can recover in their community.

· Discharge: Supporting people when they’re ready to be discharged from inpatient mental health services to get back to the community and recover.

· Prevent re-admissions: Work with people, post-discharge, to ensure they continue to get the support they need to make informed choices, stay well and ultimately thrive.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

· To provide bespoke support to people that are ready to be discharged from inpatient psychiatric care to return to the community, building (with support) packages of care so they have a positive and sustained recovery.

· To work alongside people post-discharge, in their community setting (e.g. home or supported accommodation) to ensure they get what they need to stay well.

· To effectively manage a small but intensive caseload (max 12 cases for a full time worker), being flexible to people’s needs and short-term changes in schedule.

· To work in a person-centred, trauma informed, empowering and culturally appropriate way that enables people to feel listened to and heard.

· To help people engage with services and make sustainable links with their communities.

· To use and develop your knowledge of community care, policies, legislation and services to get people the support they need to recover and stay well.

· Identify when cases need escalation or onward referral and keep your line manager aware of case developments.

· Independently visit people in inpatient and community settings in Manchester and across Greater Manchester, adhering to lone working and risk management procedures.

· Occasionally visit people out of the Greater Manchester area who need to return to their community in Manchester (all travel expenses will be paid and non-commute travel time will be part of your working day).

· Build relationships with colleagues within services (e.g. inpatient staff, social care, CMHTs etc) to enable improved collaborative working

· Take part in multi-disciplinary meetings, representing the views of people, and their aspirations on returning to community settings.

· Support the development of this new service, drawing on your role as an ‘Expert by Experience’ and using what you hear from the people you support to contribute to the development of the services by reviewing and contributing to improvements.

The post holder will be required to undertake other tasks as reasonably directed by the Programme Management and Senior Management Team, which will usually be commensurate with the skills and experience of the post-holder.

All staff aree expected to work within all Gaddum / Manchester Mind policies and procedures. This role is subject to a standard DBS check.

The Hepatitis C Trust has developed projects nationally whereby peers use their lived experience of injecting drug use and hepatitis C, to provide education and training to service users and staff in drug and alcohol, hostel and homeless services, increasing hepatitis C awareness, access to testing and referral to treatment, for people living with hepatitis C. 

Do you have experience of working in drug or other community services and with volunteers? Have you been affected by hepatitis C, or have you supported anyone who has hepatitis C?

We are looking for a passionate and skilled peer lead who has excellent communication and organisational skills.

Working under the guidance of the Peer Programme Manager and as part of the wider team programme to eliminate hepatitis C, the Peer Support Lead will provide volunteer peer support, coordinate the delivery of educational workshops, promote and provide hepatitis C testing and prevention interventions across community settings, and ensure that patients are supported throughout hepatitis C treatment and care.

This post will require extensive travel across the region and it’s desirable the post holder holds a clean driving licence and have their own vehicle for work related travel.

The post holder will share and embrace the vision of ‘developing an innovative Gloucestershire Family Hub model which puts the well-being of all families, children, and young people at the heart of its work and leads to systemic and transformative change for individuals and the community’.

Summary of job:
You will provide support to children and families. This includes practical and emotional assistance delivered through a flexible program. You will also provide home visits, support groups, and structured learning sessions held in the Family Center, family homes, and community settings. Our approach focuses on empowering families. By using restorative practices, we build on their strengths and encourage their participation. This collaborative approach helps families achieve their goals quickly and effectively.

Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme)

Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme) is a three-year master’s programme, building a new, diverse generation of social workers. Designed and delivered by social work charity Frontline, we teach social work differently. By blending learning and practice, what you discover in theory is eased into real-life settings, supervised by a social worker. Gaining your postgraduate diploma within 12 months, will be the first step in your life-changing career.

You’ll learn how to connect with children, young people, parents and carers. How to gain all important trust, so a family opens their door to you again. You’ll gain the technical knowledge and build on your relational skills. We’ll give you the time and support to develop your approach, with confidence.

You earn while you learn, and once you gain your qualification you’ll step right into a job. And through our Frontline Fellowship, you’ll join a network of peers intent on transforming social work practice in England.

Be part of something bigger. Join the next generation of social workers.

What’s in it for you?

• Get paid from day one with a bursary in year one and a salary from year two.

• You’ll receive a tax-exempt bursary in year one of £18,000, that’s equivalent to a salary of £21,000. From your second year you’ll be a full-time employee with your local authority, with a salary of up to £34,000

• Qualify as a social worker and complete a fully funded master's degree.

• Get high-quality training and supervision from experienced social workers, academics and coaches in a rich, supportive environment.

• Become part of the Frontline Fellowship and receive ongoing support and training throughout your career.

What to expect as a trainee social worker

Year 1: 

• Start with five weeks of intense online study, including five in-person sessions, led by experts in social work theory.

• Begin your 12-month placement in a local council social work team, where you'll work closely with fellow trainees and an experienced social worker. You'll gradually take on more responsibility in supporting children and families.

• Qualify as a social worker by the end of your first year.

Year 2:

• Manage your own caseload, building on your skills and confidence.

• Engage in ongoing study to further develop your professional abilities.

• Receive continued support from Frontline tutors, your employer and fellow trainees.

Year 3:

• Conduct a research project and complete the academic credits needed for your fully-funded social work master's degree.

• Receive leadership coaching to enhance your professional capabilities.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for your potential to become an outstanding children’s social worker and leader, empowering families to achieve positive change. No specific experience is required to apply. We value diverse perspectives and experiences and a commitment to advocating for the communities’ social workers serve. We're dedicated to fostering diversity in our programme and supporting applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.

You will also meet the following criteria:

• Have at least a 2.2 (predicted or obtained) in an undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent) 

• Have obtained GCSE English Language at Grade C/4 or above (or approved equivalent qualification)

• Possess the right to work and study in the UK (including access to public funds) for the duration of the programme (until September 2028)

• Be resident in England by the time the programme commences

• Not be a qualified social worker

Be part of something bigger. Join the next generation of social workers.

Please note: There are only limited places remaining for the 2025 cohort. We have already closed many locations and will continue to close locations as places are filled. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible, to avoid missing out.

Applications close Monday 17 March at 11.55pm.

Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme)

Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme) is a three-year master’s programme, building a new, diverse generation of social workers. Designed and delivered by social work charity Frontline, we teach social work differently. By blending learning and practice, what you discover in theory is eased into real-life settings, supervised by a social worker. Gaining your postgraduate diploma within 12 months, will be the first step in your life-changing career.

You’ll learn how to connect with children, young people, parents and carers. How to gain all important trust, so a family opens their door to you again. You’ll gain the technical knowledge and build on your relational skills. We’ll give you the time and support to develop your approach, with confidence.

You earn while you learn, and once you gain your qualification you’ll step right into a job. And through our Frontline Fellowship, you’ll join a network of peers intent on transforming social work practice in England.

Be part of something bigger. Join the next generation of social workers.

What’s in it for you?

• Get paid from day one with a bursary in year one and a salary from year two.

• You’ll receive a tax-exempt bursary in year one of £18,000, that’s equivalent to a salary of £21,000. From your second year you’ll be a full-time employee with your local authority, with a salary of up to £34,000

• Qualify as a social worker and complete a fully funded master's degree.

• Get high-quality training and supervision from experienced social workers, academics and coaches in a rich, supportive environment.

• Become part of the Frontline Fellowship and receive ongoing support and training throughout your career.

What to expect as a trainee social worker

Year 1:

• Start with five weeks of intense online study, including five in-person sessions, led by experts in social work theory.

• Begin your 12-month placement in a local council social work team, where you'll work closely with fellow trainees and an experienced social worker. You'll gradually take on more responsibility in supporting children and families.

• Qualify as a social worker by the end of your first year.

Year 2:

• Manage your own caseload, building on your skills and confidence.

• Engage in ongoing study to further develop your professional abilities.

• Receive continued support from Frontline tutors, your employer and fellow trainees.

Year 3:

• Conduct a research project and complete the academic credits needed for your fully-funded social work master's degree.

• Receive leadership coaching to enhance your professional capabilities.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for your potential to become an outstanding children’s social worker and leader, empowering families to achieve positive change. No specific experience is required to apply. We value diverse perspectives and experiences and a commitment to advocating for the communities’ social workers serve. We're dedicated to fostering diversity in our programme and supporting applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.

You will also meet the following criteria:

• Have at least a 2.2 (predicted or obtained) in an undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent) 

• Have obtained GCSE English Language at Grade C/4 or above (or approved equivalent qualification)

• Possess the right to work and study in the UK (including access to public funds) for the duration of the programme (until September 2028)

• Be resident in England by the time the programme commences

• Not be a qualified social worker

Be part of something bigger. Join the next generation of social workers.

Please note: There are only limited places remaining for the 2025 cohort. We have already closed many locations and will continue to close locations as places are filled. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible, to avoid missing out.

Applications close Monday 17 March at 11.55pm.

Would you like to make a difference?

Would you like to bring your lived experience of mental health problems to support others?

Well take a look at this job – so new that we haven’t got a team name yet – that might be for you to contribute to. Manchester Mind and Gaddum have come together to provide a new and innovative service which will support people from hospital back to their home and crucially, onward support to stay in their communities. They will provide holistic and person-centred support.

Our purpose is to provide a collaborative and multi-disciplinary service to enable successful discharges from hospital. Part of what the team will be providing is peer support. All our roles are underpinned by listening and ensuring people feel heard. The team will be working with colleagues within the mental health, primary care and community sectors.

Manchester Mind will be employing a Peer Support Worker.

Position:  Peer Support Worker

Salary: £24,421

Hours: 35 hours per week

The skills and knowledge that are important to us are:

· Ability to create a sense of belonging through the development of kind relationships that lead to people feeling accepted and heard.

· Lived or Living Experience of mental health problems is essential.

· Keenness and ability to work in a collaborative way, sharing skills and talents in order to bring about better outcomes for the team.

You can download the job description/person specification and guidance notes from our website.

The deadline for these posts will be 12 noon on 18th February 2025 with interviews to be held week commencing 3rd March 2025.

Manchester Mind is striving to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Manchester Mind sees it as a positive advantage if you have experience of mental health issues and/or have used mental health services, or had experience of volunteering.

This peer support project is delivered in partnership with South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust to support Carers of people with mental health conditions.  This project will work to support Carers through one-to-one support, outreach, training and peer support groups.

About The Role: 

Using your lived experience of caring for someone with a mental health condition, and a strengths-based approach, you will support mental health Carers in their caring role.  You will provide person centred one-to-one- support, information, signposting, and advocacy, develop, and facilitate peer support groups and deliver training and outreach sessions at different locations across the borough. 

Key Requirements Include: 

• Lived experience of Caring for someone with a mental health condition 

• Knowledge and understanding of mental health and the associated challenges and support needs. 

• The ability to work within the principles and values of peer support. 

• Confidence supporting people on a one-to-one basis. 

• Experience of / ability to facilitate peer support groups and training. 

• Clear communication and good interpersonal skills  

• Efficient organisation and time management skills 

• Developed IT skills, with experience using databases and communication platforms. 

The Hepatitis C Trust has developed projects nationally whereby peers use their lived experience of injecting drug use and hepatitis C, to provide education and training to service users and staff in drug and alcohol, hostel and homeless services, increasing hepatitis C awareness, access to testing and referral to treatment, for people living with hepatitis C.

Do you have experience of working in drug services and with volunteers?

Have you been affected by hepatitis C or have you supported anyone who has hepatitis C?

This project has been commissioned in partnership with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council to focus upon the community of Sefton and work in strong collaboration with the local substance misuse provider in this region. We are looking for a passionate and skilled peer lead who has excellent communication and organisational skills.

Working under the guidance of the Peer Programme Manager for Cheshire and Merseyside, this post will continue the development of the project, recruiting and coordinating peers across Sefton, with a focus on supporting the local substance misuse services. Working in partnership with hepatitis C clinical teams, outreach services and homeless service providers, the post will coordinate delivery of educational workshops, hepatitis C testing in community settings and ensure that service users are referred and supported through hepatitis C treatment and care. 

This post will require extensive travel across the region it is desirable that the post holder has a clean driving licence and their own vehicle for work related travel.

This is a new and exciting role to support the Hepatitis C Follow Me Project and the Liver Surveillance Project, specifically for Eastern European communities across West London. 

The Hepatitis C Trust develops projects nationally where peers use their lived experience of injecting drug use and hepatitis C, to provide education and training, increase hepatitis C awareness, and access to testing and treatment for people living with hepatitis C. 

Are you looking for a new and exciting challenge? Do you have experience of working within drug services and with volunteers? Have you been affected by hepatitis C or have you supported anyone who has hepatitis C?

We are looking for self-motivated individuals who can work on their own, engage with stakeholders and have a desire to make a difference in promoting hepatitis C awareness & liver health among services and affected Eastern European communities by increasing access to hepatitis C treatment and liver disease care. We are looking for a passionate and skilled Peer Support Lead who is fluent in Russian and Lithuanian and has excellent communication and organisational skills.

Working in partnership with hepatitis C & liver surveillance teams, drug and alcohol services and homeless service providers, the post holder will deliver education on hepatitis C & Liver Health to Eastern European communities deemed at risk of HCV infection & liver disease across all of the West London ODN area and ensure that everyone is offered and supported to treatment. Working under the guidance of the Peer Programme Manager the post holder will ensure that Eastern European people with an identified diagnosis of hepatitis C & liver cirrhosis are offered a referral to specialist hepatitis treatment & liver surveillance services in West London area. 

We are a patient-led organisation – you will be working in an environment where the patient/service user/client is placed at the centre of all that you do. It is desirable but not essential the post holder hold a driving licence. 

We offer employees great benefits – from generous annual leave entitlements to training opportunities. These include: 

25 days paid annual leave, plus bank holidays and closure over the Christmas period 

Extensive internal and external training to support you in your role; including a generous annual training allowance 

Company pension scheme with employer contribution of 5% 

Cycle to work scheme 

Employee Assistance Programme, including financial and wellbeing advice 

Funding at 75% for a London travelcard will also be available for this role.   

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Coordinator to join our team.

Are you looking for your new role within Peer Support?
Are you ready to manage support workers and facilitators? 
We would love to hear from you.

Post Overview

Viewpoint's Peer Coordinator will lead the development of Peer support and facilitation for the organisation. This involves managing, coordinating and driving forward the development of Peer support within our organisation. As the primary lead, you will be instrumental in the recruitment of Peer Support workers and facilitators, crafting individualised development plans in collaboration with peers, and providing essential supervision to guide their growth and success.

In addition to your involvement in peer support operations, you will take charge of coordinating and enhancing service user engagement initiatives focusing on drug and alcohol support services. Your expertise will contribute significantly to driving these critical engagement programs forward while making a lasting impact on the individuals we serve.

Your role as the Viewpoint Peer Support Coordinator, will mean that will be at the forefront of innovation, leading by example to inspire a team of dedicated Peer Support workers / facilitators.

The Important Bits

Location: This position is hybrid, meaning you'll split your time between working in the office and working remotely. You will need to be able to travel around Hertfordshire either by car or public transport regularly.

Hours: 30 hours per week

Salary: FTE £27,300 (Pro-rota for 30 hours £25,613)

Contract Term: 12 months fixed term

Pension: Viewpoint will contribute a sum equal to 5% of your annual salary to a pension provided that you contribute at least 3% of your annual salary to the pension scheme.

Annual Leave: Annual leave will commence following six months probationary period and will rise to 25 days plus 8 Bank holidays.

Other benefits: Training, Development, Supervision and access to an Employee Assistance Wellbeing Program

For the full job description and person specification please see attachment. 

Head to our website to apply!
Please note: We do not accept CVs

Do you want to use your skills and expertise to really make a difference and help support people with mental health problems? If so, this could be a great role for you.

About the role

Working in partnership with our NHS colleagues, Solent Mind are providing Peer Support from within Community Mental Health Teams across Southampton.

This roles includes:

• Working with community mental health team colleagues to identify service users that may benefit from peer support and plan work accordingly in a collaborative, person-centred way, including on entry and discharge to/from the service.
• Working with people in one to one and group settings, including managing your own caseload of service users, to support their recovery and build support networks, whilst supervising peers and volunteers and attending appropriate meetings
• Supporting people to develop and use a range of skills and techniques to help their wellbeing.

Hours: 18.5 hours per week (job share).

Any offer for this role may be subject to a relevant Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks.

About you

It is essential that you have your own lived experience and have a key understanding of the role of peer support in mental health as well as the ability to manage your own time with competing priorities taking responsibility for your own work and accountabilities.

About us

We're Solent Mind! We’re part of a network of over 100 Local Minds who tailor trusted mental health services to our communities. We set our own strategies and partnerships and rely on the support of our brilliant local fundraisers.

We collaborate with Mind to make sure their pioneering campaigns, information and research make a difference in Hampshire. Together, we make better mental health possible both locally and nationally.

Benefits 

Our Gold Award for Workplace Wellbeing Index 2022/2023 and being a Mindful Employer reflects our commitment to our lively, friendly teams. We empower our people to have a voice, discover new opportunities and develop their careers. In addition to knowing you’re making a difference, you’ll also enjoy excellent benefits, including:

• Flexible working to promote a healthy work/life balance
• 25 days’ annual leave rising incrementally to 30 days per year (pro rata for part-time)
• Pension plan
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Season ticket and cycle-to-work scheme

If you’re ready to join the fight for mental health, visit our website to find out more and apply.  

Closing date: Sunday 16 February 2025 (23:59)

Interview date: Friday 28 February 2025

Posts may be subject to a relevant DBS check.

Solent Mind welcomes applications from all the communities in which we work. Appointments are made on merit.

Registered Charity No: 1081116. Registered with Limited Liability in England and Wales No: 4004500.

Perinatal Mental Health (PNMH) Peer Support Service Manager/Deputy Chief Executive

• Are you ready to use your service management and leadership skills in a team passionate about improving emotional and mental well-being in the perinatal period? 

• Do you understand the emotional and mental health challenges during pregnancy or after the birth of a baby? 

• Have you got significant experience of service and performance management? 

• Can you lead, motivate and inspire a team? 

If this is you, Light Peer Support has an exciting opportunity for you to play a central role in the delivery and development of our core peer support services across South Yorkshire and contribute towards the growth of a small but ambitious charity supporting women and families in the perinatal period. 

About Light Peer Support 

Light is a mental health peer support charity, set up in 2010, which has grown to support parents and their families across South Yorkshire. We’re led by our passion to support mental health during pregnancy and beyond for all families from all communities.

From our hub in Sheffield as well as in Family Hubs across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley, we work with families who are experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties in the perinatal period, working in partnership across the statutory and voluntary sector to raise awareness of perinatal mental health difficulties and the support available.

We’re committed to providing services that embrace diversity to support equity in service access and promote equality of opportunity.

The role 

Light delivers a perinatal mental health peer support service across South Yorkshire, working in partnership with multiple statutory and public sector funders to ensure that women and families have access to high quality peer support in the perinatal period, as part of an integrated mental health care pathway. 

Light is seeking an experienced and innovative service manager to lead and inspire the team and hold operational responsibility for the day-to-day management of our peer support service. This will include all aspects of service delivery, service development and performance management of the team to ensure our contract requirements are met and we continually promote excellence in peer support practice. 

The role will play a pivotal role in the continued development of Light, acting as a key contact for our commissioning partners and undertaking activities to support the growth and sustainability of Light. The post holder will deputise for the Chief Executive in her absence, supporting with the operational management of Light and the efficient running of the charity from our main hub in Sheffield. 

Equality at Light 

Light is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all that we do and we welcome applications from people from all communities particularly under-represented groups. We're aiming for a workforce that is truly representative of the communities we serve. 

We're a family friendly employer and open to discussion on flexible working subject to service needs. 

How to apply

To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please download the Job Description/Person Specification and Application Form Below below and click the 'How to apply' button.

All appointments are subject to a DBS check. 

Applicants must have a Right to Work in the UK. 

Fixed term to end March 2026 (with possible extension for another year)

North Lincolnshire

Internally your job title will be Peer Support Worker

We are currently recruiting a team of 5 Peer Support Workers to provide recovery-focused, peer support to adults living in North Lincolnshire.  You will use your lived experience of mental health challenges to help people develop the skills and confidence needed to manage their home and finances, reconnect with family and friends and explore social or vocational interests. This support will empower individuals to engage more actively in their local community and maintain their physical and mental well-being

This is a non-clinical role, which will require the use of simple evaluation tools and impact data. This role is pivotal in developing a collaborative environment where service users are actively engaged in their care and decision-making process

About you
You must have lived experience of mental health-related challenges and understand the difficulties clients face and be able to work respectfully with empathy and sensitivity. Experience in safeguarding issues and working with a diverse range of clients, including isolated individuals and communities, is essential.

Commitment to equality of opportunity and understanding of the importance of maintaining boundaries and how to ensure this occurs are essential. You will work flexibly and must be willing and able to travel easily around the North Lincolnshire area.

We currently have the following vacancies:

• 1 post for 35 hours a week
• 2 posts for 28 hours a week
• 2 posts for 21 hours a week

Please state on your application which post or posts you are applying for.

About Us
Family Lives is a national charity with over four decades of experience in helping parents deal with the changes that are a constant part of family life. We provide targeted early intervention and crisis support to families online, via our national services or in the community.

Please ensure that you cover all criteria on the person specification as this will be used for shortlisting purposes.

Closing date: Sunday, 23rd February 2025.

Help build powerful and sustainable communities of peer support groups for kinship carers.

About the role:
Funded by the Department for Education, the National Peer Support Service is a game-changing service that creates a sustainable and life-changing legacy. It builds on Kinship’s 10 years of experience in developing peer support groups and two years of delivering a national service that has set up 145 new groups.

This role is community-based and focuses on engaging kinship carers, bringing them together to form Peer Support Groups, and supporting them to achieve independence at which point they will receive ongoing support from our national Hub.

You will do this by working with local authorities, schools, other charities and community groups. Arranging information events such as coffee mornings to engage kinship carers. You’ll create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community for kinship carers, building belonging, resilience, and empowerment.

Who we are looking for: 

We are seeking an person who possesses the drive, passion, and skills to:

• Develop new Peer Support Groups across a diverse range of communities
• Demonstrate the energy and enthusiasm required to achieve key targets and objectives
• Work collaboratively within the Peer Support and Community Team, as well as throughout the broader organisation, to ensure the development of safe and effective support services for the kinship community
• Maintain current Peer Support Group levels, taking the lead from the national Hub
• Maintain accurate records that are used to populate reports, identify learning and share key insights across Kinship that allow the organisation to continuously improve our services and products

You should have experience in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with various community-based stakeholders such as local authorities, health services, schools, charities, and kinship carers. You will need to understand the key success factors involved in establishing and developing new in-person groups in areas of high need, as well as how to support existing groups in their journey towards sustainability.

As a practical thinker, you will work creatively to identify stakeholders and assets in areas of high need. You will build local connections and bring together kinship carers across the region, empowering them to build resilient and robust peer support communities.

You will be confident in building relationships that generate referrals from external stakeholders and in contacting kinship carers directly to secure engagement with local coffee mornings, community, and training events that will help kick-start a thriving peer support group.

As you establish new groups, you will provide support and training to help them lead their groups effectively, and develop their group culture, resilience, and skills to function independently while offering reassurance and support to empower them.

We are ideally looking for candidates based close or within easy reach of our priority development areas which include; Reading, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Slough and Hampshire but also able to travel to other key locations across the South East and along the M4 corridor.

An essential requirement of the role is to be a driver with access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Key responsibilities: 

Service delivery:

• In-person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local communities including setting up and attending local engagement events
• Set up and develop sustainable in person peer support groups, initially attending and leading sessions in person before transition to self-sufficiency
• Working with existing groups that are at risk, closed or need support that need replacing or rejuvenating to maintain DfE service level agreement, in addition to new groups. Targets are subject to change and are not fixed
• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups
• Assist with the delivery of training to support group leaders and groups to become self-sufficient
• Develop strong boundaried and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment and community
• Support established groups (including independent) in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community
• Follow (and where appropriate support further development off) the service blueprint to develop sustainable peer support groups
• Collaborate with the Peer Support Hub team to provide a joined-up and positive user experience for kinship carers
• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to ‘Hub’ team for sustainability and work with partners 

Service quality, development and data management:

• Accurately record all recruitment, contact information and volunteer case management in Salesforce in line with service framework and data protection requirements
• Ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce to support service performance, evaluation and learning
• Provide regular reports to ensure targets and SLA are met for the service
• Support continuous development and improvement of the service (new systems and processes) as required

Team culture:

• Act in the best interest of Kinship and the families we support
• Maintain and contribute up to date understanding of kinship care
• Deliver effective administration with attention to detail and keeping to deadline
• Identify and contribute to appropriate case studies to demonstrate the impact of Kinship services and contribute to policy and campaigns work
• Actively contribute to delivering and evidencing a high performing service
• Take responsibility for your ongoing continued professional development
•  Work in line with the Kinship values

Some tips for your application:

• Please provide a 2 page cover letter and a CV.
• Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your answer reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
• Really tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values in the job pack available for download below.
• Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to really focus on your answer.
• Don’t go over 2 pages on your covering letter.
• As part of the interview process, we will send you some of the questions in advance.