Volunteer Mentor with People in Prison

BELONG: MAKING JUSTICE HAPPEN; Greater London; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A community-focused organization in Greater London seeks dedicated volunteers for a mentoring role with individuals serving prison or community sentences. Responsibilities include building professional relationships, conducting mentorship sessions, and aiding access to education and training. Ideal candidates should have qualifications in criminology or psychology and possess experience with disadvantaged individuals. A commitment of at least one year is required, and applicants must be over 21 and pass a DBS check.

Qualifications

• Qualification in criminology, psychology or a relevant area, and/or at least one year of experience working with disadvantaged groups.
• Must be aged 21 years or over due to genuine occupational requirements.
• Prison security vetting and enhanced DBS check are required.

Responsibilities

• Build a professional relationship with individuals serving sentences.
• Provide one-to-one mentoring sessions weekly or biweekly.
• Support access to education, training, and employment.

Skills

Mentoring

Communication

Empathy

Criminology Knowledge

Education

Qualification in criminology, psychology or relevant area

Job description

Overview

Could you help someone change their life and avoid reoffending?

Belong’s vision is of hope, rehabilitation and recovery for victims and perpetrators of crime. We inspire change by providing long term, individualised responses to conflict and crime through restorative Justice, psychotherapy, mentoring, and training for criminal justice professionals.

We have exciting opportunities available for committed, compassionate people to volunteer as one-to-one mentors with us. Volunteers will work with young people and adults serving prison sentences at HMPYOI Feltham and HMPYOI Isis or serving community sentences in London.

Responsibilities

• Build a professional working relationship with individuals as they serve their prison or community sentence and work towards a crime-free future.
• Provide one-to-one mentoring sessions once per week or fortnight, lasting one to two hours per session.
• Support individuals to access education, training and employment; develop life skills; work through previous traumas; and build positive relationships.
• Deliver mentoring sessions during weekdays or weekends.
• Commit to the role for at least one year.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Qualification in criminology, psychology or a relevant area, and/or at least one year of experience working with children, young people or adults facing disadvantages.
• For genuine occupational requirement reasons, applicants must be aged 21 years or over (exemption under the Equality Act 2010 Part 1 Schedule 9).
• Prison security vetting and/or an enhanced DBS check are required for this role; all volunteers will be supported to undergo this.
• After vetting, further training will be provided at the prison where mentors are volunteering, with a range of dates available.

Support, Inclusion and Supervision

Full support and supervision will be provided to volunteers. We particularly encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from people with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter as soon as possible, and by Sunday 22 February. Interviews will be held remotely on Zoom or via phone. Applications will be screened on a first-come, first-served basis, and we have a limited number of spaces available on the March training course. We reserve the right to close recruitment before the closing date if we receive a high number of suitable applications.