About this role
Job summary
RECONNECT is a service that supports people as they transition from prison back into the community, helping them access vital services such as healthcare, housing, and substance misuse support. The aim is to improve continuity of care, support recovery, and reduce the risk of reoffending.
We are seeking a Peer Support Worker with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and ideally recovery from substance misuse. This lived experience is central to the role and will be used to build trust, inspire hope, and support individuals on their recovery journey.
As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide person-centred, recovery-focused support to individuals leaving prison. You will use your own experiences appropriately to motivate and engage service users, helping them to overcome barriers and access the support they need to achieve a successful and sustainable return to the community.
Main duties of the job
Build trusting, supportive relationships with individuals transitioning from custody into the community Use lived experience to inspire hope, support recovery, and encourage positive change Provide practical support, including accompanying service users to appointments and activities Support engagement with substance misuse services, healthcare, housing, and wider community resources Work in a strengths-based, recovery-focused way to promote independence and wellbeing Assist service users to develop and review personalised recovery and support plans Identify barriers to engagement and support individuals to overcome these in a non-judgemental way Monitor wellbeing, recognise early signs of risk or relapse, and escalate concerns where appropriate Work collaboratively with RECONNECT practitioners and partner agencies to ensure coordinated care Maintain accurate records and contribute to care planning, discharge processes, and service development Uphold professional boundaries, confidentiality, and safeguarding responsibilities at all times
About us
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.
Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:
72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question. 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region. 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%. This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.
Job description Job responsibilities
The Peer Support Worker will play a key role within the RECONNECT service, working both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team to support individuals with complex needs as they transition from prison into the community.
Key responsibilities include:
Developing and maintaining respectful, trusting relationships with service users, using lived experience to engage and motivate Delivering peer support in a way that is recovery-focused, person-centred, and strengths-based Supporting individuals to identify goals, aspirations, and recovery plans, encouraging self-management and independence Sharing personal experiences appropriately to build rapport and instil hope, while maintaining clear professional boundaries Supporting access to services including substance misuse treatment, healthcare, housing, benefits, and social support networks Assisting individuals to attend appointments, understand their treatment options, and remain engaged with services Recognising early indicators of disengagement, relapse, or increased risk, and taking appropriate action in line with procedures Working collaboratively with a wide range of partner agencies, including probation, healthcare providers, housing services, and voluntary organisations Contributing to multidisciplinary meetings, care planning, and coordinated discharge arrangements Maintaining accurate, timely records in line with organisational policies and information governance requirements Adhering to safeguarding, lone working, and risk management procedures, including dynamic risk assessment in community settings Participating in supervision, training, reflective practice, and continuous professional development Promoting recovery-focused language, challenging stigma, and modelling positive behaviours and self-advocacy Supporting service development by sharing learning, contributing to evaluation activities, and helping improve peer support approaches Maintaining awareness of local services and community resources to effectively signpost and support service users This role involves regular community-based working, including lone working and travelling across the county, and may include supporting individuals in challenging or emotionally demanding situations.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Knowledge of Health and wellbeing issues. Training to NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of experience, knowledge or training.
Desirable
Previous experience of delivering peer mentoring services
Experience Essential
Lived experience of the Criminal Justice System (as an offender) and personal recovery journey Experience of engaging with services such as mental health, substance misuse, housing, or probation Experience of supporting or motivating others in an informal or formal capacity Ability to appropriately share lived experience to inspire hope and recovery Ability to maintain professional boundaries Knowledge of issues affecting individuals within the Criminal Justice System (e.g. mental health, substance misuse, homelessness, social exclusion)
Desirable
Experience of working with vulnerable individuals or those with complex needs Experience of working in a multi-agency or community setting
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address Montpellier Unit
Wotton Lawn Hospital
Gloucester
GL1 3WL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/who-we-are/jobs/ (Opens in a new tab)