Lived Experienced Peer Volunteer

ST GILES TRUST; Walsall; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A charity organization in Walsall is seeking a Lived Experienced Peer Volunteer to support individuals in engaging with drug and alcohol treatment services. The ideal candidate will have personal experience related to the criminal justice system and possess excellent interpersonal skills. Responsibilities include providing peer-led support and practical assistance to encourage client engagement. This role is part-time with flexible hours, offering a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Qualifications

• Personal experience of the criminal justice system or issues facing the client group.
• Knowledge of the issues facing those arrested for potential criminal offenses.
• Ability to record all aspects of the work using monitoring systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer-led support to encourage client engagement in treatment services.
• Build trust and motivation among disengaged clients.
• Assist with practical support such as appointment reminders and transport assistance.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Self-motivating

Ability to manage wellbeing

Job description

Part Time, 14 hours per week, Flexible - Monday to Friday

Closing date : Monday, 29th December 2025 at 9.00am

Ref LEP 252

Are you a proactive, collaborative and compassionate individual with proven experience of working positively with adults to engage successfully despite ‘challenging’ behaviour? Do you have the ability to be a positive role model, demonstrating the virtues of engaging with treatment support services?

If so, St Giles is looking for a Lived Experienced Peer Volunteer to join our team and provide interventions and build meaningful, peer-led relationships with service users to encourage them to engage in drug and alcohol treatment following arrest.

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.

About this key role

As a Peer Volunteer , you will increase client engagement with drug and alcohol treatment services by providing vital peer-led support and building trust and motivation among a client group that has been historically disengaged / not offered support previously. You will provide holistic, short-term intervention to bridge the gap between referral and full treatment engagement, capture client experiences and barriers to improve service design and accessibility and develop a strong service user voice to inform future service improvements.

Areas of support from Peer Volunteers may also include initial engagement and motivation such as welcome calls, check-ins, peer-led conversations and motivational chats over coffee. You may also offer practical support such as appointment reminders, transport assistance and paperwork support, plus help to build positive routines such as activity-based engagement and supporting small lifestyle changes, including meal planning, budgeting, and time management.

What we are looking for

Personal experience of the criminal justice system or lived experience of the issues facing this client group (i.e. experience of substance misuse andp>

Proven experience of working in a high intensity environment, being self-motivating, with an ability to effectively manage your own wellbeing

Knowledge of the issues facing those arrested for potential criminal offences

Knowledge of, and commitment to, safeguarding practices and policies

The ability to use monitoring systems to record all aspects of the work

Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, verbal and written.

Please note: as an organisation that works with children and adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients and successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Child Workforce with Child Barred list DBS.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications, and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and / or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation.

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

To apply visit our website via the apply button.

Closing date : 29 / 12 / 2025

Interviews to be held on a rolling basis

We will be reviewing applications as they are received and reserve the right to close this advert early if a suitable candidate is appointed. We therefore strongly encourage early applications to avoid any disappointment.