Relief Peer Support Coordinator

**This job is an opportunity to make a difference and shape lives**

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**Collaboration. Choice. Integrity. Resilience. Continuous improvement.**

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These are our values that we hold as an organisation. Aligned with yours? Then keep reading

Here in Together one of the things we are proud of is our Peer Support. Peer support takes place when people with experience of mental distress support each other towards better wellbeing, as people of equal value and on a reciprocal basis, using their own lived experience as a tool for support.

**Let’s make a difference Together**

Peer support in our criminal justice services: Our Peer Supporters draw on their own experiences of emotional distress and the criminal justice system, as a tool to support others overcome similar challenges.

**Peer Support Coordinator**

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Together Wellbeing Pathway service (TWP) and RECONNECT service as a Peer Support Coordinator. TWP service is supporting people who identify as male, who are impacted by personality difficulties and are screened on the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway in London. The service focuses predominantly, but not exclusively, on young men aged 18-30 years old and individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds (BAME).

RECONNECT is delivered in HMP Brixton and HMP Bronzefied, the service supports adults who will be residing in London post upon release. The RECONNECT project is supported by Peer Supporters and aims to provide emotional support to people in the lead up to, and post release from custody, to ensure their well-being needs are met.

**Some key tasks in the role**:

- Recruit, induct, support and supervise Peer Support Volunteers
- Deliver training for Peer Support Volunteers and staff across teams
- Support Peer Support Volunteers with the development and implementation of the Peer Support Service
- Use your own lived experience of mental distress in an appropriate way and act as a role model for Peer Support Volunteers
- Work in partnership with service users, volunteers, and internal teams to develop a Peer Support Service and share learning with others
- Manage the referral pathway for Peer Support Volunteers and facilitate the allocation of Peer Support Volunteers to service users

We are committed to fair chances for all and making sure everyone can access the support they need to make positive changes in their recovery journey. You really can make a difference by believing in our service users and their ability to make changes, when they do not always believe in themselves.

The Criminal Justice service has multiple projects working within courts, prisons, probation and the community, aiming at providing mental health support in all these stages of the criminal justice system. We’ve seen impressive growth over the last two years extending our remit of work and this is something we’re highly motivated to continue.

**What you need to know about Together**:
Together is England’s oldest mental health charity and since we were formed in 1879, we have believed that people with mental health issues have the right and the abilities to lead independent, fulfilling lives as part of their communities. We offer a wide variety of support to help people deal with the personal and practical impacts of mental health issues. The services we provide include supporting people in criminal justice settings who’ve experienced mental distress, one-to-one support in the community, supported housing and 24 hour accommodation services and advocacy.

Our core principle at Together is service user leadership as we believe that benefits those people who are accessing support and has positive impact on all aspects of Together, and wider society. We want to be able to learn from people who have a range of views and who have experienced mental distress. By learning from the people who use our services in that way we aim to inform and influence Together from a Lived Experience perspective.

**What We Can Offer You**
- You will be part of an organisation that values you. We will seek your input, encourage effort and facilitate growth and opportunity whilst caring about you and your wellbeing
- You will gain worthwhile personal development training, where you are encouraged to stay and grow to further your career progression with Together
- A Positive culture - we are proud of our leadership and management style that encourages teamwork, open and honest communication and has a strong purpose
- One-on-one supervision/manager meetings, peer learning groups, career or talent management guidance and dedicated learning time