Peer Support Worker – Drug & Alcohol Harm Reduction and Rough SleepingNHS

Job summary

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role, your application may be withdrawn.

Do you have lived experience of recovery from drug and/or alcohol use, or experience of rough sleeping? Are you passionate about using your experiences to support others?

Following investment in our Harm Reduction and Rough Sleeping service, we are recruiting three Peer Support Workers (16 hours per week) to join Inclusion Hampshire.

This role is specifically designed for people with lived experience who want to use their recovery journey to inspire hope, build trust and support others to make positive changes.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide one-to-one peer and practical harm reduction support to people affected by substance use, including those experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping. By sharing your experiences appropriately, you will help people build confidence, identify strengths, achieve personal goals and access the support they need.

You will work in community settings, supporting engagement with treatment services, healthcare and housing, while helping individuals reduce harm and improve wellbeing.

We particularly welcome applications from people who believe their lived experience can bring hope, understanding and value to those facing similar challenges.

Main duties of the job

As a Peer Support Worker, you will:

o Use your lived experience of recovery and/or rough sleeping to provide hope, encouragement and practical support to others.

o Deliver harm reduction information and interventions alongside the wider team.

o Build positive, trusting and non-judgemental relationships with people accessing the service.

o Support individuals to identify strengths, interests and personal recovery goals.

o Assist people to engage with drug and alcohol treatment, healthcare, housing and wider community services.

o Accompany and support individuals to attend appointments where appropriate.

o Assist with the development and delivery of peer-led and educational interventions.

o Support care planning and review processes, encouraging individuals to take an active role in their recovery.

o Maintain accurate records using electronic systems and follow organisational policies and procedures.

o Work flexibly across Hampshire, including outreach, community-based work and occasional evenings or weekends.

Job description

Please refer to the full Job Description for complete details; a summary is provided below:

• Provide peer support to people affected by drug and alcohol use and those experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping.
• Share lived experience appropriately to inspire hope, encourage recovery and promote self-determination.
• Work alongside service users to identify goals, strengths and opportunities for positive change.
• Support individuals to access healthcare, housing, treatment and community resources.
• Assist people in managing substance use and understanding harm reduction approaches, including safer use, overdose prevention and wider health promotion.
• Facilitate a needle syringe programme, providing safer injecting equipment and harm reduction advice
• Contribute to care planning, risk monitoring and communication with the multidisciplinary team.
• Promote recovery values, challenge stigma and act as an ambassador for lived experience within the service and wider community.
• Participate in outreach activities, supervision, training and service development initiatives.
• Work safely and effectively in a range of community settings while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

Please read the Person Specification below carefully before applying.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used for shortlisting, so ensure your supporting information clearly demonstrates how you meet these requirements

About us

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Inclusion service offers psychological and drug & alcohol services, in the community, and in prisons, and has contracts across the country.

As an organisation we serve a population of 1.5 million and currently employ around 9000 members of staff.

We have a wide range of exciting opportunities for people looking to work in a truly integrated NHS organisation. By joining MPFT you will become part of a team who are empowered and supported to deliver care in a way which is consistent with our values:

• Putting people at the heart of what we do
• Empowering people to improve care and wellbeing
• Delivering better health, better care in partnership

Please note: If you use Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of your application, we encourage you to review the Trust's guidance on the use of AI within the recruitment process. Further information can be found on Join Us :: Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust or www.mpft.nhs.uk/joinus

Please note, we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications