Criminal Justice Peer Support Worker

Job Introduction

Please note: This role is aimed at applicants with little to no previous professional experience or qualifications. Instead, you must have lived experience of substance use and/or the criminal justice system to be considered for this role.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Criminal Justice Peer Support Worker to join Horizons, a vibrant new partnership delivering substance use treatment and recovery services in Bristol. Horizons is delivered in partnership between Turning Point, Bristol Drugs Project, and seven other local and national partners. The partnership combines Turning Point’s experience as an outstanding national substance use provider together with Bristol Drugs Project’s long history of excellent service delivery in the city.

The role of a Peer Support Worker will be based in our central Bristol hub and has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of the criminal justice system and substance use. Through sharing examples of their own experiences, Peer Support Workers will inspire hope and belief in individuals to encourage them to engage with Bristol Horizons drug and alcohol service.  As a pivotal and highly valued member of the team, the Peer Support Worker will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users, in order for them to regain control of their lives, and help them to develop their own unique skill set.

The Peer Support Worker will work alongside a clinically informed Team with oversight from the dedicated peer lead.  The Peer Support Worker will promote recovery (in all its forms) choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.

Please note that this is a part time position for 2 days a week.

Role Responsibility

• To deliver therapeutic interventions and have supportive and respectful relationships with people using our services.
• To support and guide people who use out services to identify and acknowledge their own recovery goals
• To support people who use our services to overcome their fears within a relationship of empathy and Trust
• To share ideas about ways of achieving recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self-help and self-management techniques
• To model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness
• To sign-post people who use our services to various resources, opportunities and activities within communities and promote choice and informed decision making
• To raise awareness of recovery language amongst Bristol Horizons staff by modelling positive, strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work
• To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery focused activities and disseminating information and educating people who use our services as and when required.
• Be actively involved in the continued development of the PSW training programme and in the on-going evaluation of the PSW role
• To act as an ambassador for Bristol Horizons with external agencies and partner organisations
• To undertake any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities/grade of the post as defined, subject to the proviso that normally any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms.
• To continuously review own performance and development needs to assist growth and development

The Ideal Candidate

You’ll have an understanding of substance and alcohol use and the challenges and opportunities for individuals on a recovery journey. However, we also recognise that many people have transferrable skills from other backgrounds such as mental health, housing or other health and social care provision. The roles are varied, so flexibility, an ability to work dynamically on a one to one and group basis and knowledge of relapse and other barriers to recovery will be useful but we can help to shape these skills where needed. We also look for candidates with excellent communication skills and who share our values as an organisation. This role is specifically aimed at people with lived experience and an excellent role for those wishing to progress from voluntary roles as a peer mentor or looking to develop in a career in substance misuse.

We value individual creativity and initiative and, whatever your role, you will be fully involved in identifying opportunities to improve the quality of our services and the service user experience. Your ideas will be listened to and your suggestions implemented wherever possible. You will be supported in your role by extensive training to help develop your skills. Our learning culture encourages everyone to stay on top of the latest developments in their field and helps drive service improvement.

About us

As a leading health and social care provider with more than 300 locations across England, we take real pride in the services we offer.

We run all of our services on a not-for-profit basis; instead, we invest every penny back into our services and people. We never stop believing in change for the better, and we work constantly to improve the lives of the people we support.

What Benefits Will I Receive?

We know reward looks different to each person and so whether its ways to make your money go further, a culture supporting recognition and celebration, or opportunities to boost your career – we want to support you in every way we can with our total reward package that includes

25 days’ paid holiday a year + Bank Holidays, increasing with each year of service up to 27 days + Bank Holidays. Plus the option to buy additional holidays and spread the cost. (Pro Rata for Part Time)

Join our team and discover the comprehensive benefits we offer by following this link to explore all the exciting perks available to our employees.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closing date.

Turning Point