Peer Support Worker

**About Aspire Oxfordshire**

Aspire is a multi-award-winning employment & housing charity and social enterprise, established in 2001. Practicing our values of being “Ambitious, Supportive, Participatory, Inspiring, Reliable and Enterprising”, Aspire supports people across Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley area, who have faced significant challenges in their lives such as homelessness, offending histories or substance misuse to find sustainable employment and housing, to break the complex cycles of re-offending, poverty and homelessness. Aspire provides intensive employability, personal development and housing support.

Aspire is a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, enjoying rapid growth and tackling some of the most complex social issues that our communities are facing. Last year, Aspire supported over 2,000 local people experiencing disadvantage to move closer to employment and housing and achieve remarkable, lasting change.

Aspire is working in partnership with the Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion Service in the Thames Valley. This partnership includes appointing Peer Support Worker roles into our team in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We are now recruiting for the Buckinghamshire role, as a full-time position offered as a 12 month placement at Aspire on a fixed term contract, with an extension upon review.

**Essential Criteria for this role**:
We are looking for a Peer Support Worker with lived experience of the criminal justice system, (police custody, court or prison) and have overcome and recovered a vulnerability such as a mental health condition and/or substance misuse addiction. These are all issues the people we support face. Your lived experience proves to them that recovery is possible and can help others overcome that barrier they have faced.

As part of Liaison and Diversion, PSWs use their experiences to support people going through the criminal justice system. As well as leading by example, you'll receive training and excellent managerial support to thrive and grow your skills in this unique role and will be provided with opportunities to learn and develop new skills for future employment in the sector, in a supportive and positive, professional environment.

**Overall Purpose of Job**

Reporting to Aspire’s Prison Leavers’ project lead, the post holder will be responsible for supporting the effective establishment and successful delivery of the Peer Support project outcomes.

The Peer Support Worker role is focussed on developing skills, knowledge and experience in all aspects of Peer Support within the Criminal Justice sector. It entails providing appropriate, effective interventions to individuals within the Criminal Justice System who may present with a range of vulnerabilities that may be linked to their offending behaviour. This may in addition include, support to carers (including friends and relatives) and their supporters in the community by enabling and assisting them to meet daily health, social care and well-being needs, in line with personal recovery goals, and facilitating engagement with mainstream community services.

The Peer Support Worker will, under the direction of a senior member of the Aspire team and within the partnership approach with the Liaison & Diversion Service, provide information, advice, support, and encouragement to current service users in contact with the Liaison and Diversion Service in the Magistrates, Crown Courts and within community settings, acting as a role model by utilising their life experiences to facilitate engagement and recovery.

**Key tasks and accountabilities**

Key tasks and accountabilities are intended to be a guide to the range and level of work expected of the post holder. This is not an exhaustive list of all tasks that may fall to the post holder and employees will be expected to carry out such other reasonable duties which may be required from time to time.
- The post holder must demonstrate their ability to commit to Aspire’s way of working; adopting a client-centred, multi-agency, partnership working approach, in order to achieve meaningful, sustainable rehabilitation and recovery outcomes.
- Promote and maintain good relationships and effective communication with service users, colleagues, families and carers, Courts, Police, Probation and community partners to ensure that a professional and consistent service is provided.
- Work with service users in a holistic way ensuring that their needs are met, including areas such as safeguarding, housing, criminal justice, physical and mental health including referrals to appropriate services and joint working arrangements.
- Promote the rights of individuals by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
- Share information sensitively within the terms of information sharing protocols with a range of agencies when necessary in line with Aspi