Community Engagement Worker

TN United Kingdom; Salford; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits as a Community Engagement Worker, leveraging personal experiences with substance use to foster recovery in Salford. Join a dynamic team dedicated to enhancing community support networks and reducing stigma around recovery. This role empowers you to inspire hope and promote positive change through effective communication and collaboration with local resources. If you have a passion for community engagement and possess the necessary qualifications, this position offers a fulfilling chance to make a real difference in people's lives while working in a vibrant and supportive environment.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Cycle to work scheme

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Qualifications

• Lived experience of substance use or supporting someone with substance use.
• Ability to engage with community groups and promote recovery.

Responsibilities

• Support and promote recovery from drug/alcohol use.
• Coordinate plans with Salford peers for positive change.
• Engage with community resources to optimize project outcomes.

Skills

Organisational Skills

Communication Skills

People Skills

Motivational Interviewing

Event Planning

Education

Level 2 Peer Support Qualification

Competent in Maths and English Level 1

Job description

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An exciting opportunity has arisen due to a promotion! We’re looking for a person with lived experience of drug/alcohol problems (either personally or through a loved one) to join the Next Steps Network working with and for the people of Salford to improve recovery options and wellbeing. The project works to bring Salford’s recovery community together and help more people sustain recovery by raising awareness of services and support.

You will use your organisational, communication and people skills to support on a range of project work streams, which may include planning and running events, contributing to online and offline content, promoting the network to individuals and groups, and helping to point people in the right direction when they need support.

Using your lived experience, understanding of recovery models and knowledge of Bolton as a place as a current or former resident, you will play a key role in promoting a healthy, happy, visible form of recovery that feels accessible and achievable for all residents of the town.

If you can answer YES to ALL the following questions, we'd love to hear from you!

- Do you live or work in Salford, or have strong connections to Salford?

- Do you have a passion to use your lived experience of drugs/alcohol (personal or a loved one's) to support the growth of the Next Steps network?

- Do you hold Level 2 Peer Mentor qualification or are willing to undertake it?

We're excited to find our new colleague!

Main duties of the job

This role is for people who have lived experience of substance use (drugs/alcohol) either personally or through a loved one. The aim of the role is to enable the engagement of others who may benefit from enhanced community involvement and support networks, increasing visible ‘recovery’ and reducing stigma.

The Community Engagement Worker will act as an advocate, agreeing goals with the networks and people of Salford. They will provide ongoing practical support related to the project.

Using wisdom from your own experiences, you will inspire hope and belief that living well is possible in others. You will use your skills to support new initiatives including

• Support and promote recovery from drug/alcohol use as achievable
• Co-ordinate plans with Salford peers to promote positive change
• Emphasise hope and optimism in engagement methods, using techniques such as motivational interviewing and rapport building.
• Work with local community resources and services to obtain optimum outcome for the project
• Focus on strengths rather than deficits, using an asset based approach
• Maintain accurate records to monitor delivery and improvement
• Support peer led, autonomous decision making with respect for difference and diversity
• Support the Community Development Coordinator with events and activities that highlight the Next Steps network

You will also be involved in opportunities to develop the community based project through training and participation in improvement initiatives.

Working for our organisation

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car scheme

Person specification

Education Quals

• Level 2 Peer Support or will work towards
• Competent in Maths and English level 1 (GCSED-E)
• Engagement with community groups

Experience

• Lived experience
• Living/working in Bolton
• Engagement with community groups
• experienceof working with people with drug/alcohol problems

Knowledge

• knowledge of diverse communities in Bolton
• Understanding of local recovery networks
• knowledge of activities or event planning

Skills/Abilities

• Effective comms with wide range of people/SUs/carers/public/groups

Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.

Sponsorship will be offered for eligible roles that meet the salary requirements. Please review guidance from the UK Government . Please note, most health and care jobs must have a salary of at least £23,300, and other eligible jobs may require have a salary of £38,700 or higher, depending on your individual circumstances.

Do you have experience outside the NHS?

We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.

We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.