We are looking for people with lived experience of the Criminal Justice system and community services to be a part of our diverse team. Sharing your own lived experience of what helped you and the knowledge you have built navigating those support services.
The aim of a Community Peer Mentor Volunteer is to promote hope and opportunity for change for those going through challenging situations.
Our service users tell us that they value support from others who have lived experience of the criminal justice system or of vulnerabilities such as housing issues, mental health challenges, substance misuse, to name a few. It is part of the national NHS Five Year Plan to integrate people with lived experience of such difficulties themselves, into the workforce. Our service users tell us that they would welcome support from someone who has experience of what they are going through, in order to help them in their recovery journey. We have feedback from many service users supported by our Volunteers, that tells us that creating this connection between peers offers hope, aspiration and motivation.
Key information
- Duration: Ongoing
- Start Date: 1st March 2023
- End Date: 1st January 2027
- Volunteer: Weekly
- Availability: Monday AM, Monday PM, Tuesday AM, Tuesday PM, Wednesday AM, Wednesday PM, Thursday AM, Thursday PM, Friday AM, Friday PM
- Tasks: Through sharing wisdom from your own experiences, you will inspire hope and belief that living well is possible for others. You will:
Support and promote living well as a user led concept.
Emphasise hope and optimism, inspiring individuals to achieve their aspirations/goals.
Value experiential learning alongside other people.
Focus on strengths rather than deficits.
Provide beneficial and meaningful support
Support attending appointments.
Collaboration between those who need support and those who support them.
Enable and promote autonomy and self-management.
Navigate service users to the correct services.
Support service user engagement.
Support our service users in the community by:
Being available for at least half a day per week (hours are negotiable as this is a volunteer role but for continuity, we would ask for a weekly commitment)
Using your own lived experience to enrich your relationship with service users and offer mentorship in the community
Respecting an individual’s rights to choose the community interventions that will help and support them in their own recovery journey
Supporting people to access and engage with health and social care services including GP’s, Mental Health and Substance Misuse services, education, training, employment, and leisure activities
Complying with all Trust policies and procedures but in particular in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children and managing personal information
Working as part of Liaison and Diversion wider team; receiving and sharing information within that team in order support people to work towards their goals - Training: Reconnect in-house Level 2 Award in Peer Mentorship
Access to additional learning via learning hub for personal and professional development
Addition training and learning hosted by Involvement Lead
Expenses are paid
DBS is required which is free
Must be 18+ - Requirements: Willing to travel by public transport or find own way to volunteering location
- Skill And Qualifications Required: None
- Interests: Community, Crime, Ex-offenders, Health and wellbeing, Mental Health
- Activities: Coaching, Lending a helping hand, Mentoring, Providing advice, Research
- Skills: Governance, IT, Listening, Talking to others, Teamwork
- Home Based: No
- DBS Check: Yes
Support and promote living well as a user led concept.
Emphasise hope and optimism, inspiring individuals to achieve their aspirations/goals.
Value experiential learning alongside other people.
Focus on strengths rather than deficits.
Provide beneficial and meaningful support
Support attending appointments.
Collaboration between those who need support and those who support them.
Enable and promote autonomy and self-management.
Navigate service users to the correct services.
Support service user engagement.
Support our service users in the community by:
Being available for at least half a day per week (hours are negotiable as this is a volunteer role but for continuity, we would ask for a weekly commitment)
Using your own lived experience to enrich your relationship with service users and offer mentorship in the community
Respecting an individual’s rights to choose the community interventions that will help and support them in their own recovery journey
Supporting people to access and engage with health and social care services including GP’s, Mental Health and Substance Misuse services, education, training, employment, and leisure activities
Complying with all Trust policies and procedures but in particular in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children and managing personal information
Working as part of Liaison and Diversion wider team; receiving and sharing information within that team in order support people to work towards their goals
Access to additional learning via learning hub for personal and professional development
Addition training and learning hosted by Involvement Lead
Expenses are paid
DBS is required which is free
Must be 18+