Reconnect Peer Support Worker - Essex

Ad Warrior Ltd; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Health Cashback Scheme

Season Ticket Loan Scheme

Cycle to work scheme

25 days annual leave

Job summary

The Forward Trust is recruiting a RECONNECT Practitioner to provide comprehensive, personalised support to individuals leaving prison in Essex and at HMP Chelmsford. You will work with service users before release and for up to six months afterwards, helping them connect with health, wellbeing and community services.

You will manage a busy caseload, carry out assessments and develop person-centred plans, ensuring effective referrals and ongoing post-release support tailored to individual needs.

Qualifications

• Lived experience of health issues or involvement with criminal justice systems is preferred.
• Passionate about helping people transition from prison to the community.
• Ability to build trusting, respectful relationships with people with complex needs.
• Experience completing assessments and identifying support needs.
• Knowledge of local health, wellbeing and community services.
• Understanding of safeguarding and safe working practices.

Responsibilities

• Manage a busy caseload of people preparing for release from prison.
• Process referrals and provide feedback to referrers.
• Complete comprehensive, person-centred health and wellbeing assessments.
• Develop individualised care and support plans with service users.
• Identify needs and help access appropriate health and community services.
• Provide ongoing support for up to six months post-release.
• Support reintegration into the community after release.
• Facilitate access to GP, mental health and substance misuse services.
• Make appropriate referrals and signpost to services.
• Encourage engagement with The Forward Trust community.
• Coordinate referrals with Meet and Greet and Meet at the Gate releases where relevant.
• Ensure users are connected with local services before and after release.
• Support development of referral pathways with partners.

Skills

Lived experience

Relationship building

Assessments

Caseload management

Health & wellbeing knowledge

Job description

RECONNECT Peer Support Worker – Essex

Location: Essex

Salary: £26,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

The Forward Trust’s NHS-commissioned RECONNECT service supports people leaving prison to access and sustain the health, wellbeing and community services they need following release.

As a RECONNECT Practitioner, you will provide a comprehensive, inclusive and personalised service to people at HMP Chelmsford and across the wider Essex community. You will work with individuals before release and for up to six months afterwards, helping them establish connections with appropriate health, wellbeing and community services.

What you’ll be doing

• Managing a busy and varied caseload of people preparing for release from prison.
• Processing referrals and providing feedback to referrers following assessments.
• Completing comprehensive, person-centred health and wellbeing assessments.
• Working collaboratively with service users to develop individualised care and support plans.
• Identifying health, wellbeing and social needs and helping individuals access appropriate support.
• Providing ongoing support for up to six months post-release.
• Supporting people to successfully reintegrate into the community following release.
• Helping service users access and engage with GPs, mental health services, substance misuse services and other community healthcare providers.
• Making appropriate referrals and providing effective signposting to relevant services.
• Supporting individuals to connect with the wider Forward Trust community.
• Making referrals to the Forward Trust Meet and Greet service and supporting Meet at the Gate releases where appropriate.
• Ensuring service users are fully connected with local services before and following their release.
• Supporting the development and maintenance of effective referral pathways with internal and external services.
• Working closely with Offender Management in Custody, prison healthcare, families, self-referrals and external agencies.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with partner organisations and key stakeholders.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who:

• Has relevant lived experience of physical or mental ill health, substance misuse and/or the criminal justice system, or has significant experience supporting people with these needs.
• Is passionate about helping people make positive changes and successfully transition from prison into the community.
• Can build trusting, respectful and professional relationships with people who may have complex or multiple needs.
• Has experience of completing assessments, identifying support needs and developing person-centred plans.
• Is confident managing a busy and diverse caseload.
• Has good knowledge of, or experience working with, health, wellbeing and community services.
• Understands the importance of safeguarding, risk assessment and safe working practices.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people at a crucial point in their lives. By supporting individuals before and after release, you will help them access healthcare, build stability and establish connections within their local community.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. 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.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity.

• Flexible working
• Support for Families -
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme - Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.