RECONNECT Peer Support Worker

Location: Essex

Salary: £24,484 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

We are Forward, the social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward and live fulfilling lives.   

RECONNECT is a care after custody service that seeks to improve the continuity of care of people leaving prison or an immigration removal centre (IRC) with an identified health need. We operate a hybrid model of support where we work with individuals up to 12-weeks before their release and up to six months post-release in order to support the transition to community-based services, thereby safeguarding health gains made whilst in prison or an IRC.

Our East of England RECONNECT service is available for adults over the age of 18 with a designated healthcare need and who are due to be released from prison or an IRC in the next 12 weeks. We also accept referrals up to 28 days post release.

Role Responsibilities

Within this role, you will be responsible for providing a comprehensive, inclusive and bespoke RECONNECT service, including advice and guidance to Forward Trust clients across HMP Chelmsford and the wider community in Essex.

RECONNECT enables service users to access and sustain supportive interventions upon release from prison, whether that be substance use needs, physical health or mental health support, in addition to general well-being advice and guidance. The service will offer mentor link in, signposting, GP referrals, aftercare support and a connection to the wider Forward community. Following a referral 12-weeks prior to release, the service will identify the service user’s health needs via a robust assessment with a bespoke care plan then created with the client at the centre.

Some of the Key responsibilities of the role are as follows:

• Process referrals and provide updates to referrer on assessment outcome.
• Conduct in-depth needs assessment for all suitable referrals.
• Maintain contact and support to Service Users for up-to 6 months post-release with health and wellbeing needs as identified during assessment.
• To manage a busy caseload of diverse service users, supporting them with the reintegration into society and to engage with local healthcare providers in the community.
• To support Team Leader with the recruitment and training of prison peer supporters.
• Maintain excellent partnerships with external agencies and key-stakeholders.
• To demonstrate high level admin skills, including keeping clear and concise case notes as well as completing detailed assessments, care plans and risk assessments.
• Support with implementing and maintaining clear referral pathways for external agencies and stakeholders such as Offender Management in Custody, Family / Self, Prison and Healthcare.
• Ensure that a holistic service is delivered safely to our clients in line with individual and team targets.
• Working closely with your colleagues you will discuss and share best practice and fully engage with risk assessment processes to deliver a high-quality service safely.
• To make referrals to Forward Trust Meet and Greet service and support with Meet at the Gate releases as applicable.  
• Ensuring that service users are fully connected in with local services in preparation for release into the community.

This is a new position added to the RECONNECT contract to enhance the lived experience element of the service.

This is a hybrid role which involves some remote working from home as well as from various locations such as HMP Chelmsford, Probation Offices & Drug & Alcohol Services.  You will be working within an immediate Team 6 across Essex but also with the wider EoE RECONNECT Staff. You will be reporting to your line manager and will also receive ongoing training including organisational and Prison training.

All prison-based roles will require enhanced DBS and HMPPS security vetting. Please note this process can take up to 3-6 weeks. All offers are subject to receiving both HMPPS vetting and DBS clearances.

Checks will require you to provide information on the below:

• Yourself (personal information, financial information, police information, criminal history)
• Your family (parents, parents’ partners, siblings, partner(s), children)
• Co-residents
• Associations that may cause a conflict of interest with your role or the prison service.
• Background checks across police information systems on you, your family and other associates
• Credit reference checks
• Social media and Open-Source checks (these are checks on content about you that's publicly available on the internet to ensure there's nothing linked to you that could undermine public trust and confidence in the prison service)
• Other government and overseas agency or police checks.

Please also see below a list of skills and experience needed for this role;

• Lived Experience of either the Criminal Justice System, Substance Use and/or Physical or Mental ill Health.
• Experience of carrying out comprehensive assessments and the design and implementation of SMART care plans.
• Experience of delivering structured interventions to service users
• Use of motivational interviewing techniques in both 1:1 and group settings
• Strong IT skills and Admin Skills to support project and caseload management
• Flexibility to meet the needs of the service as it develops
• Ability to represent The Forward Trust in a positive and professional manner
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and in a variety of formats

About Us

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits:

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please proceed through the following link to be redirected to their website to complete your application.

https://careers.forwardtrust.org.uk/vacancies/56/reconnect-peer-support-worker--essex.html

Contact information

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