Regional Peer Coordinator - Bronzefield, Send & Coldingley (Part Time - 17.5 Hours Per Week)

Are you looking for a meaningful career that helps others break the cycle of addiction and live a positive life? The impact you will have in this role is far more reaching than the day to day contact with service users, the service we provide reverberates through families and society


Who we are?


The Forward Trust are a social enterprise that empowers people to break the cycle of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We believe and are committed to providing opportunities to all people including those with ‘Lived Experience’ we encourage applications from all background including those in recovery from addiction, co-dependency or gambling, have experience of previous offending or homelessness.

The role will be based on site working seamlessly with substance misuse teams delivering services directly to service users aged 18 and over residing in 3 prisons across Surrey Region. The substance misuse services take a recovery-orientated and trauma informed approach to deliver holistic health and wellbeing interventions and various treatment programmes for those coming into the prison who identify as having issues with drugs and/or alcohol. You will therefore be expected to work with those presenting with low-level mental health needs and/or issues relating to substance misuse and dependency. 

The Peer Coordinator role is one that aspires to champion the 'lived experience' and work with those who will be engaged in the service as service users but with aspirations to take on a role in promoting and assisting in delivery of services on site across our Surrey Prisons. This is an exciting time to join the services as we implement a new contract model and continue to develop projects and initiatives across the region. Please note this role will be based working on site across HMP/YOI Bronzefield, HMP Send and HMP Coldingley therefore travel will be required between sites. 

As Peer Coordinator you will support the team and the prison delivering ‘peer led’ elements of service delivery. This will involve the appropriate recruitment, training and supervision of a number of peer supporters and mentors at each site. Your work will enable training and supervision of peer supporters and mentors to operate effectively across all wings of the prison to promote engagement and delivery of recovery pathways and peer support. In addition to this you will play a key role in the development and delivery of Health and Wellbeing Champions (HAWCs) within the prisons in partnership with healthcare providers. HAWCs will work to motivate and encourage service users to take greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing whilst in custody with appropriate signposting and support. The Peer Coordinator role is vital in building and improving links between the substance misuse service, prison and wider healthcare services and service users within the prison.

Please note this is a part-time role of 21 hours per week. Working days/hours can be agreed flexibly across the week and we can consider weekend working where appropriate. 

• Knowledge of the criminal justice sector
• Knowledge of the issues facing those who have susbatnce misuse issues
• Ability to coordinate and deliver training 
• Previous experience of providing peer support or lived experiance services
• Knowledge of appraoched to substance misuse treatment and recovery pathways
• A Level 3 Diploma in Health & Social Care or equivalent
• PTTLS qualification (desirable)

• Season Ticket Loan Scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 3 x wellbeing days in addition to annual leave allowance
• Simply Health Health Cashback Plan (optional)
• Therapy allowance (£90 per month for frontline staff)
• 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).

JD - Regional Peer Coordinator - Jan 2024

*Please note, we reserve the right to close this role early