Peer and Volunteer Co-Ordinator

We are looking for an experienced Peer Volunteer Co-Ordinator to become part of a team providing excellent quality of support to people using the Sequoia Tree Service - an integrated service which supports people with personality disorders or complex emotional needs.

A ‘Peer Worker’ is someone who will essentially have lived experience of recovery from distress that has been understood or diagnosed as ‘personality disorder ‘or CEN Complex Emotional Needs. Someone who has been on their own recovery journey, explicitly drawing upon and sharing their lived experiences, who tells their own recovery story, to inspire hope and model recovery. Specifically for this role, however, it is essential that you can demonstrate your own lived experience of these needs. 

What you will do and achieve: 

• Recruit and manage peer volunteers, matching them to roles, providing training, 1:1 support and supervision.
• Work closely with the Service Manager, Co-Production Manager and teams in Rethink and AWP to map needs, priorities and co-ordinate timescales for management of induction of new volunteers.
• Devise a program of events and activities tailored to promoting peer network including succession planning to ensure a sustainable approach to our Group Development & Network offer.
• Enable the locality-based staff (Wellbeing Practitioners and Peer Support Workers) to grow peer support that provide safe spaces for people to meet in their local community.
• Respond to speculative enquiries, emails and telephone calls from, or meeting face to face with prospective peer facilitators & volunteers, matching prospects to viable opportunities.
• Identify support needs or adjustments that will enable people with lived experience to become peer volunteers.
• Ensure volunteer registration requirements are completed e.g. DBS checks, agreements and that confidentiality guidelines are understood.
• Develop relationships with local volunteer bureau and networks to promote our volunteering and groups programme. 
• Ensure appropriate administration processes are in place and up to date to track, engage and communicate with our volunteers.
• I report accurately on safeguarding and individual at-risk issues in accordance with procedure.
• Hold regular meetings to feedback to the service manager.

The ideal candidate will have: 

• Lived experience of recovery from distress that has been understood or diagnosed as ‘personality disorder ‘or CEN Complex Emotional Needs.
• Experience co-ordinating all aspects of the volunteer journey including recruiting volunteers through a range of channels and supporting volunteers to deliver their roles successfully.
• Successful track record of effective working alongside peers & volunteers including use of supervision, coaching techniques.
• Experience of facilitating groups and delivering training to groups or individuals.
• An understanding of engagement strategies with ability to initiate and develop links with difficult to reach communities.
• Tact and diplomacy in dealing with challenges in a calm and considered manner.
• Experience of coordinating activity between teams to support effective working.
• Knowledge of risk assessment, identify potential risk and managing / mitigating risks.
• Strong verbal/written/non-verbal communication skills, able to communicate sensitively and empathetically and excellent interpersonal skills with ability to build relationships quickly able to connect with and engage and influence a range of people.

This a new opportunity to have a direct influence on how services are provided in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and be part of a dynamic team that is working towards breaking down barriers and ensuring people get the right support at the right time. 

This part time role (17.5 hours per week) is ‘field based’ (meaning you will work from home and also in AWP and community locations). You will be provided with a laptop and smart phone, and travel expenses will be covered when required to work across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. 

This role will work within a multi-disciplinary, innovative and creative team which provides high-quality, safe and person-centred support in the community – most importantly delivering great outcomes for people who have complex emotional needs, personality difficulties and people with a ‘personality disorder diagnosis’.

Sequoia is a new support offer across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and is delivered in partnership with Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP) Trust and will require the post holder to work cohesively with the AWP team as one integrated service including attending multi-disciplinary team meetings, reflective practice sessions and meeting in shared co-locations regularly.

Who are we? 

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”  

It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy – delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.  

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact - recruitment@rethink.org