Reconnect Peer Support

Derbyshirehealthcareft; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

27 days annual leave + bank holidays (

Yearly appraisal and ongoing training

Maternity, paternity and adoption…

Job summary

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Peer Support Worker for the Reconnect service. You will help people before and after release from prison, building supportive, recovery-focused relationships and guiding them to engage with health and community services.

Your lived experience will be used to inspire hope and reduce stigma, with emphasis on practical planning, independence, and longer-term stability in the community.

Qualifications

• Requires recent direct lived experience of the criminal justice system including contact with prison/probation services.
• Experience in peer support or recovery-focused work is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop trusting, compassionate relationships with service users before and after release from prison.
• Provide practical and emotional support, promoting choice and helping individuals set achievable goals.
• Support engagement with health, substance misuse, housing, financial, employment and wider community services.
• Attend appointments with service users and contribute to care planning and reviews.
• Work with Reconnect practitioners and partner agencies to inform plans and ensure continuity of care.

Job description

View our current vacancies by professional area below, or view all our vacancies at healthjobsuk.com

Want to make a real difference and have a truly rewarding career? Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of 'making a positive difference in people's lives'.

We’ve been rated 'good' overall by the CQC, with some outstanding services. The CQC commented at our most recent inspection on how our colleagues "treated patients with compassion and kindness" and "felt positive and proud about working for the trust."

We are passionate about making equality, diversity and inclusion part of our DNA. We take pride in our "People First Culture" which creates a workplace where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging, difference is celebrated, and people are comfortable to bring their whole selves to work. We value the richness that comes from having colleagues that are fully representative of the local community. We welcome people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, protected characteristics, and with all backgrounds and experiences.

Job overview

Applicants require recent direct lived experience of the criminal justice system, including contact with prison and/or probation services.

The Peer Support Worker (PSW) will work as an integral member of the Reconnect service, supporting people before and after release from prison. Reconnect aims to improve continuity of care, reduce health and social inequalities and help people engage successfully with health, substance misuse and wider community services.

Using their own lived experience appropriately, the PSW will develop trusting and compassionate relationships with service users, providing practical and emotional support, promoting choice and helping individuals identify and work towards their personal goals. The role will support people through the transition from prison into the community, including engagement with appointments, services and other sources of support, helping to build confidence, independence and longer-term stability.

Main duties of the job

Develop trusting, compassionate and recovery-focused relationships with people supported by the Reconnect service before and after release from prison.

Use lived experience appropriately to help service users identify their own achievable and meaningful goals, build confidence and develop greater independence.

Share elements of personal lived experience in a safe and purposeful way to provide hope, challenge stigma and support motivation and engagement.

Act as a positive role model for service users and colleagues, demonstrating professional boundaries, empathy, respect and a trauma-informed approach.

Support service users to develop practical strategies for maintaining wellbeing, managing setbacks and increasing self-management, including contributing to crisis or relapse planning where appropriate.

Support people to access and remain engaged with health, substance misuse, housing, financial, employment and wider community services, including accompanying them to appointments where appropriate.

Work alongside Reconnect practitioners and partner agencies to contribute relevant information to support plans, reviews and multi-agency discussions.

Use role-specific training, supervision and personal experience to guide practice, maintain appropriate boundaries and reflect on the impact of the work.

Promote choice, participation and personal responsibility, helping service users to recognise their strengths and work towards greater stability in the community.

Working for our organisation

Join 'Team Derbyshire Healthcare' and become part of a talented, compassionate and enthusiastic workforce committed to a vision of 'making a positive difference in people's lives'.

CQC rated us as 'GOOD' overall, commenting on how our colleagues "treated patients with compassion and kindness" and "felt positive and proud about working for the trust."

Benefits include:

Commitment to flexible working where this is possible

27 days annual leave/year plus bank holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years & 33 days after 10 years' service

Yearly appraisal and commitment to ongoing training

Good maternity, paternity and adoption benefits

Health service discounts and online benefits

Incremental pay progression

Free confidential employee assistance programme 24/7

Access to our LGBT+ network, BAME Network and Christian Network

Health and wellbeing opportunities

Structured learning and development opportunities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Work within multi disciplinary team and develop positive working relationships with service receivers and colleagues

Communicate with team members and provide information to inform future care planning

Provide relevant information to care plan co-ordinators as required and feedback information into CPA process to ensure recovery goals are integrated into future care planning

To work with teams in the wider organisation to raise the profile of recovery and peer support.

Person specification

• Contact with the Criminal Justice System
• Peer mentor training
• Mental health awareness

Additional Information

Flexible Working

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for our service and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern.

Disability Confident Employer

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you in the recruitment process please let us know.

If you require any support in completing the application form please do not hesitate to contact the Recruitment Team, 01332 564856, option 1, option 1 or email [e-mail] and we will be happy to provide assistance.

DBS Checks

The cost of undertaking a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) disclosure will be met by the individual. The Trust will meet the initial costs of the disclosure which will be deducted from your first month’s salary.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety.

Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Information about joining our bank of temporary workers

Information on the support and education we provide to junior doctors during their years of clinical training

Information about the agreed set of commitments that employees can each expect from the Trust, and give in return