Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Peer Support Practitioner

This job is now closed

Job summary

Are you looking for an exciting and dynamic role where you can use your own life experience to benefit others? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a full time Peer Support Practitioner to join Liaison, Diversion & Reconnect (LD&R).

LD&R is a countywide service to Kent and Medway's Police custody suites, Courts, Prisons and the wider community. The aim of the service is to improve service user experience by connecting them with the right service at the right time - potentially reducing rates of reoffending and improving health and social care outcomes for the people that we serve.

We are particularly interested in hearing from applicants with personal experience of the criminal justice system and those that have experienced health/social vulnerabilities (for example: mental health issues, learning difficulties, drug/alcohol misuse, accommodation or financial challenges). Successful candidates will be able to use their life experience to support the engagement of others who may find themselves in familiar life circumstances.

Main duties of the job

Peer support practitioners complement the Trust's expertise with their own insight, experience and potential to support others. You will therefore need to be able to share your recovery journey to motivate and encourage others to reach their full potential.

Successful applicants will work alongside our team of practitioners in community support roles; however there will be the opportunity to work collaboratively with our assessment teams in police custody, courts and prison. You will provide support and advice to service users, screening for any unmet needs to enhance their recovery journey. You will initiate and maintain communication with individuals during their time with LD&R, supporting them to find, engage and benefit from the correct community services to address their needs.

Suitable applicants must be in a positive position of wellbeing/recovery and motivated to take on a rewarding new opportunity.

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We arerated Good overall by the CQC.

Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.

We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Our strategy

Our mission is what we set out to do every dayWe deliver brilliant care through brilliant people

Our vision is where we want to be in the futureTo provide outstanding care and to work in partnership to deliver this in the right place, for every service user, every time.

Check out our recruitment videos Recruitment - YouTube

Date posted

11 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-FR0561

Job locations

The Red House, Maidstone

22 Oakapple Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9NW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the main responsibilities of the role.

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the main responsibilities of the role.

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Person Specification

Training

Desirable

NVQ level 2 or equivalent

Experience

Essential

Lived experience of a vulnerability that LD&R currently identify, including but not limited to: mental health issues, learning difficulties, social care needs, drug/alcohol misuse, homelessness, financial or employment problems.
Personal experience of using services that support wellbeing/recovery from the above vulnerabilities.

Desirable

Personal experience of contact with the criminal justice system i.e. police or courts.
Experience of working or volunteering with people with similar vulnerabilities.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Good written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable

Good IT skills including Word, Outlook and the ability to use the RiO electronic records system, or be willing to undergo training.

Person Specification

Training

Desirable

NVQ level 2 or equivalent

Experience

Essential

Lived experience of a vulnerability that LD&R currently identify, including but not limited to: mental health issues, learning difficulties, social care needs, drug/alcohol misuse, homelessness, financial or employment problems.
Personal experience of using services that support wellbeing/recovery from the above vulnerabilities.

Desirable

Personal experience of contact with the criminal justice system i.e. police or courts.
Experience of working or volunteering with people with similar vulnerabilities.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Good written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable

Good IT skills including Word, Outlook and the ability to use the RiO electronic records system, or be willing to undergo training.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Address

The Red House, Maidstone

22 Oakapple Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9NW

Employer's website

https://www.kmpt.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Address

The Red House, Maidstone

22 Oakapple Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9NW

Employer's website

https://www.kmpt.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)