Peer Support Worker

Job overview

Liaison & Diversion Peer Support Worker

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual with lived experience of criminal justice system to join our Liaison and Diversion team. You will have a keen interest in Liaison and Diversion and a passion about supporting our service users as they make their way through police custody, court and prison.

We are a dynamic, people-centred team who are looking for some who is passionate about health outcomes for those making their way through the criminal justice system.

With a reputation for excellence, our service is committed to improving the health of our clients, identifying care pathways, and reducing reoffending.

Recognised with a number of awards, including a Thames Valley/Hampshire Constabulary Police Commendation, Berkshire Healthcare ‘Team of the Year’ and runner-up for the Howard League for Penal Reform ‘Liaison and Diversion Service of the Year’.

We value our employees and put people first. We achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating overall in our latest CQC inspection, which found that: ‘Managers across Berkshire Healthcare promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values.’

Main duties of the job

• To hold a caseload of service users for up to 12 weeks (for Liaison & Diversion cases) and up to 6 months (for Reconnect cases) to support them to access a wide range of agencies and services that can provide help and advice.

• To facilitate engagement with appropriate services, by identifying unmet needs including, but not limited to, mental health, learning disability, ASD, ADHD, housing, social isolation and exclusion, education, debt management, drug and alcohol, and employment problems.

• Support service user who are typically hard for services to engage with, to access and utilise community services in order to meet identified health and social needs.

• Build on professional and supportive relationships, including family, police, court staff, and other partner agencies etc.

Working pattern + Service operating hours  Our service operates in police custody from 7am-8pm, 7 days a week currently using early/late/long days to fulfil this. Our service operates in court from 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. Our service operates across the Hampshire area so travel across our sites will be expected, some of these sites are not accessible via public transport. policy.

This role operates on Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm. Any request for specific working pattens can be considered in line with our flexible working.

Work base:You will work from within community settings across Hampshire when required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The “must haves” for this role:

• Lived experience of the criminal justice system a minimum of being arrested and taken into police custody and demonstratable recovery of a minimum of 1 year of no longer being in-contact with criminal justice system.

• Having direct lived experience of recovery from substance use, mental health or other vulnerabilities.

• Required to demonstrate a recovery capital and period of desistance 1-3yrs from misusing substance (inc alcohol) and a minimum of one year completing any licence conditions/requirements.

• Flexibility to travel to all sites across Thames Valley/Hampshire.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Engagement Lead Danielle Forster on 0300 123 5066 or Danielle.Forster@berkshire.nhs.uk who’ll be delighted to help. You can find out more about the service on our website.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.