Volunteer Peer Advisor - SOS+ (Ref YPA-241)

Are you a proactive, compassionate and collaborative individual with an understanding of the possible issues faced by females involved or at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system?  Do you have proven life skills and/or peer experience?

If so, St Giles is looking for volunteers to join us as Footsteps Peer Advisors, where you will provide vital support to vulnerable / at risk women referred by the National Probation Service using a variety of methods to help reduce the risk of reoffending and encourage positive lifestyle choices.

About St Giles Trust
An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need.  Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others.  

Who are we?
St Giles is an award-winning social justice charity using expertise and real-life past experiences to empower people who are not getting the help they need. People held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues and others. We show people there is a way to build a better future for themselves and those they care about and help them create this through support, advice, and training. Our peer-led services form the backbone of our work, putting people with lived experience at the centre of delivery, design, and evaluation of support and services across the UK.

The Wise Group is a leading social enterprise which is proud to be making a difference to people’s lives. We’re proud because we help people to find jobs, provide advice to people struggling to heat their homes and support people to find their feet following time in prison. To do this, the Wise Group works in partnership with everyone from large businesses to national and local government and third sector organisations who provide essential specialist support to our customers. Together, we’re greater than the sum of our parts.

The Wise Group and St Giles came together a few years ago to form a partnership with the aim of supporting the Probation Resettlement reforms by offering a high-quality service underpinned by staff who have lived experience and cultural competency. To date we have been awarded more than 20 contracts to deliver Personal Wellbeing, Finance, Benefit & Debt and Women’s Services across England and Wales.

About this key role

Working alongside the Women’s Wellbeing Coaches, our volunteers will be guided throughout and will support the women using a variety of methods to help reduce the risk of reoffending and encourage positive lifestyle choices.  You will provide vital mentoring for clients in a positive manner and in a way that helps them reach their specific goals, as well as advocating on behalf of the clients and providing practical advice.  This can include contacting other services or professionals on your client’s behalf and/or accompanying them at meetings.

We will count on you to maintain accurate records of your activity involving support provided to clients and to develop and maintain positive and professional working relationships with all members of staff at St Giles Trust and other professionals in the community, while actively assisting in the implementation of St Giles Trust policies and procedures is also an important duty.

What we are looking for

• An understanding of the possible issues faced by females involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the criminal justice system
• Lived experience of the criminal justice system (desirable)
• A knowledge and understanding of providing support, advice and advocacy to vulnerable clients and the ability to communicate this knowledge in a variety of ways
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, written and verbal including familiarity with form filling, letter writing and advocacy and following instructions 
• A flexible, collaborative and professional approach to your work.

Please note: this role requires that successful candidates must undergo an Enhanced DBS check, on the basis that the post involves contact with vulnerable participants and colleagues.

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, clinical therapist sessions, life insurance (4 x annual salary), duvet days, season ticket loan, employee perks programme, eye care voucher and much more.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications, and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi- heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation.

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.