Lived Experience Coordinator (South) Dependency and Recovery

The Forward Trust; Remote; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A social enterprise is seeking a Lived Experience Coordinator to support individuals in dependency recovery. The role involves managing peer mentors, engaging with clients, and implementing tailored support programs. Candidates should have experience in the criminal justice sector, strong communication skills, and the ability to handle caseloads. This position offers remote work flexibility and requires adherence to professional standards as well as background checks.

Qualifications

• Experience providing a peer support service to clients or working closely with volunteers.
• Experience of delivering 1:1 and group work interventions using motivational techniques.
• Commitment to principles of equal opportunity and client confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Contact new POPs and promote services.
• Establish a referral pathway and manage marketing activities.
• Develop and manage the LEP's Mentor service.

Skills

Knowledge of the issues facing service users in the criminal justice sector

Managing high caseloads

Strong communication skills

Ability to set professional boundaries

Organizational skills

Time management

Job description

Lived Experience Coordinator – Dependency & Recovery

We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward and live fulfilling lives.

We deliver a range of MOJ Commissioned Rehabilitative services (CRS) directly for Probation in three key areas: Accommodation, Personal Wellbeing and Dependency & Recovery. Accommodation is delivered in Wales, Dependency and Recovery in London and Humberside, Personal Wellbeing in East of England, Sussex, Surrey and as a subcontractor in Kent and Cheshire.

These services work with Men 18+ who are under probation supervision, supporting them to navigate through their desired outcomes in order to achieve transformational change, break the cycle of offending and achieve long‑term integration into society.

Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends, and a sense of community. No matter what your past, we believe anyone is capable of lasting change.

Responsibilities

You will be working remotely as part of a flexible, multi‑disciplinary team, covering boroughs across London as a Lived Experience Co‑ordinator in the Dependency and Recovery Services as part of the CRS probation system.

You will contact new POPs, providing an information pack, promote the benefits of working with us and introduce them to our Lived Experience Peers (LEPs). You will establish a referral pathway and continually promote our service in London via locally tailored marketing/publicity, e.g., roadshows/events, workshops, surgeries, local media, leveraging material from our ongoing "More Than My Past" campaign, giving voice to people with lived experience, and reinforcing the message that recovery is possible.

Our aim is to reduce re‑offending through a comprehensive, holistic and person‑centred package of support. Our service is tailored to meet individual needs by delivering a range of programmes within the Dependency and Recovery framework.

This role is primarily responsible for the development and management of the LEP’s Mentor service. You will be required to recruit, train and supervise day‑to‑day management of volunteers and LEPs.

You will also co‑ordinate team meetings, update training and provide supervision for LEPs and volunteers, and where applicable support with Level 2 peer mentoring qualification.

You will be required to manage a diverse caseload with a range of complexities and risk levels. You will be responsible for completing comprehensive assessments, creating a collaborative action plan, maintaining accurate record keeping throughout.

You will be responsible for adhering to the targets set by Forward and the local commissioners. Co‑operative working relationships with other partner agencies and probation staff are vital to this role.

In addition to Monday‑Friday we will provide out of hours support, so some degree of flexibility will be required (e.g., evenings 5‑9 pm/weekends 9 am‑5 pm) provided virtually 1:1 and through an online and telephone helpline.

You may at times be required to attend our head office for training.

All probation‑based roles will require enhanced DBS and HMPPS security vetting. Please note this process can take up to 3‑6 weeks. All offers are subject to receiving both HMPPS vetting and DBS clearances.

Checks

• Personal information, financial information, police information, criminal history
• Family (parents, parents' partners, siblings, partner(s), children)
• Co‑residents
• Associations that may cause a conflict of interest with your role or the prison service
• Background checks across police information systems on you, your family and other associates
• Credit reference checks
• Social media and Open‑Source checks (these are checks on content about you that's publicly available on the internet to ensure there's nothing linked to you that could undermine public trust and confidence in the prison service)
• Other government and overseas agency or police checks

Qualifications & Experience

• Knowledge of the issues facing service users in the criminal justice sector
• Previous experience of providing a peer support service to this or a similar client group or working closely with volunteers
• Demonstrable experience of managing high caseloads, carrying out risk/comprehensive assessments, SMART action plans and effective case records
• Experience of delivering both 1:1 and group‑work interventions using motivational techniques
• Experience of providing training and support for peer support services to prisoners, or those with drug or alcohol problems
• The ability to set and stick to professional boundaries
• Ability to work effectively with key partners in order to successfully deliver projects
• Demonstrate the ability to organise workload, ensuring effective time management and prioritisation to meet targets
• Understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of equal opportunity and GDPR requirements including client confidentiality
• Experience of strong communication skills with people from a range of backgrounds in a sensitive, supportive and professional manner