First Peer Mentor - Birmingham

Fixed term contract until 31st March 2026 linked to funding

Full time: 37.5 hours per week

Salary: Grade 1.1 - £24,570 per annum

Closing date: 9th February 2025 at 11.30pm

If you have experienced mental health issues, offending and the criminal justice system then Shelter in Birmingham have an opportunity for you to use your experience to help others turn their lives around. We have a paid vacancy for someone to join us as a Peer Mentor where you will gain experience working with a leading provider of homelessness and housing advice and support, while also inspiring and motivating others in their own recovery.

About the role

Your role will be to work with people with mental health concerns who are looking to create sustainable lives in their communities by improving engagement with services, so they can sustain their wellbeing and avoid reoffending.

Engaging with clients on the ward and within the community, your main focus will be supporting them with their transition away from staying on the ward to living in the community. Your own experiences will be invaluable as you engage with and motivate them to set goals around their recovery.

You will need to be able to build relationships and trust, understanding the importance of empowering people to make their own choices. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to access personal support to develop new skills and improve your self-confidence to do the job.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About you

We are looking for people who have had mental health issues, are ex-offenders or who have been through the criminal justice system. If you also have Lived Experience of homelessness and substance use this is useful but not essential. You will need to have accessed support services, have an understanding of how these experiences have affected you and be able to draw on them to identify gaps in services, barriers to recovery and suggest how things can be improved. You will need to have been stable for at least 18 months and be willing to share details of your successful journey with others to help them. You will be looking to go into a career supporting vulnerable adults and this will be a great opportunity to gain experience. Basic computer skills will be needed, as well as the interest and motivation to develop and learn new skills.

Please note that offers of employment are subject to Risk Assessment, Enhanced DBS, Proof of Right to work and two references being satisfactory to Shelter.

You will need evidence of the below vaccinations or be willing to receive them. They are a requirement of this post because of the environment you will be working in.

• Tetanus
• Diphtheria
• Polio
• MMR

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave (pro rata), enhanced family friendly policies, childcare vouchers, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the Peer Mentor Service

We are delivering a Peer Mentor Service, working in partnership with the Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST) within Birmingham and Solihull s Mental Health Foundation Trust. The service is a comprehensive service and focusses on recovery. The team are multi-disciplinary and work to address the individual needs of our service users through tailored care packages. You will be working alongside Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Support Time Recovery Workers, Substance Use Workers and Social Workers. Each person using the service has an allocated Care Coordinator and Responsible Clinician who monitor and review their care and support needs and interventions.

The Peer Mentor service s aim is to help people with multiple and complex needs to enhance the support available through the FIRST Pathway and improve their ability to manage independently as part of their transition and life in the community.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

If anyone would like further information about this position, Shelter in partnership with FIRST will be holding 2 information sessions on Monday 20th January 2025 at 1pm on Microsoft Teams or if you can t attend the first date Monday 3rd February 2025 on Microsoft Teams. To register your interest please see contact details on our website.

Apply to be part of an exciting initiative and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

How to apply

Please click on the Apply for Job button at the end of this advert. You will need to set up an account with us if you don't already have one. for each of the sections labelled Knowledge Skills and Experience Points and Behaviours, please refer to the About You and Required Behaviours section of the job description attached to this advert.