Probation D&R Peer Mentor Volunteer - South London

We are looking for Probation Dependency & Recovery Peer Mentor volunteers to join and be part of our new exciting team of Lived Experienced Peer Mentors. You will have specific lived experience (recovery / offending  / prisoners on probation / homelessness), relevant to the mentoring service we are providing, who will act as a role model to prisoners on probation and support them to achieve positive outcomes.

As a volunteer peer mentor volunteer, you will be building motivation/confidence and empowerment to your assigned mentee, by sharing your lived experiences, empowering mentees to overcome their challenges of recovery, whilst giving advice on relapse prevention strategies, providing advocacy/advice on treatment interventions, signposting to community support/activities offering a ‘listening ear’ to your mentee from someone who understands.  As a peer mentor your mentee will have the confidence in knowing they are being supported by someone who has gone through similar experiences and has faced similar challenges to the ones they face today. You will be supported by your Lived Experienced Co-ordinator who will guide and support you through the onboarding and training process and throughout your mentoring journey.

Your Co-ordinator will provide regular 1.1 / team meetings / activities that will enhance your mentoring skills, as well as development for future education/employment. Most importantly, you will feel that you are part of a dynamic team that will help to change lives and making a difference. You will be providing essential additional support, information and guidance to Forward Trust prisoners on probation, you have been allocated to. You will help your mentee/s to formulate their goals, support them, review their achievements and overcome their barriers, in a holistic/person centred manner.

You will work closely with Recovery Navigators & Co-ordinators, supporting mentee/s who will meet their Recovery Navigators on a regular basis. Recovery Navigators will develop an action plan designed for their specific needs, and will sign post them to additional services where necessary. You will offer additional support in conjunction with their Recovery Navigator in delivering their action plan, meeting once/twice a week, 1.1/group sessions/activities, that will help them in achieving their goals for recovery. You will also be involved in the meet & greet at the gate service where you will help/advise and promote the next stages of their probation and our Dependency and Recovery service.  

To be successful in this role you will have excellent communication skills, a good understanding of the issues faced by the client group and a true commitment and passion to support vulnerable people to enable them to fulfil their full potential.

You will have successfully completed/graduated from your recovery program – discharged from treatment and will be stable, 6 months in recovery / since prison release.

Time Commitment

• A minimum commitment of 2 hours a week for 6 months is required for this role.
• Depending on your specific mentoring opportunity there may be additional time commitment requirements and/or flexibility, please refer to the specific opportunity for details on time commitment.

Checks required for this role

• Reference (this may be from a keyworker, volunteer supervisor, tutor or sponsor if you are not able to provide a work reference).
• Enhanced DBS Check.