Peer Support And Research Officer - 18 Month Ftc

Peer Support and Research Officer

Fixed Term, Full Time

Up to £24,309 per annum

Location: Witham

Please note that this is a fixed term contract / secondment opportunity for a period of 18 months. The position will be office based in Witham, however the requirements of the role require the post holder to be operational across Essex. Some evening and / or weekend work will be required.

Interview dates: 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th May 2024.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

The Opportunity

Children and Families service is recognised for a culture of working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family Support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers, and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Peer Support and Research Officer will work alongside the Involvement Service to design and deliver a Peer Support and Research project that will enhance our understanding of the lived experience of young people in care and leaving care. The role will assist in the evaluation of the Essex Staying Close Pilot, which offers enhanced support to young people in and leaving care up to 25 years old.

This role is open to care experienced young people and requires passion and drive to talk to other young people and improve services within Essex County Council.

This position is office based in Witham, however the candidate will need to be operational across Essex. A driving licence and use of car is not essential; however, candidates will need to be confident at using public transport to travel across Essex.

Accountabilities

• Support the Involvement Service with the planning of a new Peer Support model establishing key deliverables, outcomes and the offer of support to care leavers, using your own care experience to seek positive change for young people.
• Assisting with the design and delivery of group work and one to one activities through the Essex Children in Care Council to ensure to ensure young people feel less isolated in their experiences, feel part of a wider community and have an opportunity to influence decisions.
• Supporting the analysis of research findings using qualitative coding methods to identify common themes to inform strategic decision making relating to the Staying Close pilot.
• Accountable for accurate recording of lived experience feedback across the service to ensure robust evidence is used to inform decision making relating to the Staying Close pilot.
• Communicate and produce regular reports to the programme team/ key stakeholders to share recommendations, influencing with ability to challenge where necessary to support the wider objectives within Essex County Council.
• Identify and share valuable learning insights of lived experience with managers and delivery partners to influence strategic direction and inform decision making.
• Engage in safeguarding training and ensure processes are followed to make sure young people are kept safe in line with Children and Families organisational objectives.
• Engage in training to develop skills to deliver a Peer Support and Research project to support Staying Close and complete a comprehensive programme of training and development to work towards a recognised qualification.
• Flexible working is required with evening and weekend work as standard so that peer mentor work and Research can be undertaken with young people outside of school and work hours.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• Educated to level 3 (A-Level) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing learning and development through employment or voluntary activities
• Experience of MS Office suite of programmes, with an ability to create spreadsheets, reports and PowerPoint presentations.

Desirable:

• Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships and partnerships with a broad range of individuals at different levels.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to forward plan, work independently and manage own workload.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, both written and verbal, with an ability to present clear and engaging communications.