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.
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
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.
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.
