Senior Peer Support Development Officer: Greater Manchester and the North West

Overview:

We are seeking a dynamic person located in or close to Greater Manchester, and willing to travel into priority areas across the North West of England who possesses the drive, passion, and skills to:

• Establish new peer support groups across a diverse range of communities
• Supervise a small team of Peer Support Development Officers
• Demonstrate the energy and enthusiasm required to inspire yourself and your team to achieve key targets and objectives
• Work collaboratively within the Peer Support and Community Team, as well as throughout the broader organisation, to ensure the delivery of safe and effective support services for the kinship community
• Support the sustainability of existing Peer Support Groups, taking the lead from the Hub (our network support Team)
• Keep precise records to create reports, extract learning, and share key insights throughout Kinship, enabling the organisation to enhance our services and products continuously

In the role of Senior Peer Support Development Officer, you will be instrumental in ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, consistent, and sustainable peer support service that has a significant impact on the lives of kinship carers.

You should have experience in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with various community-based stakeholders such as local authorities, health services, schools, charities, and kinship carers. You will need to understand the key success factors involved in establishing and developing new in-person groups in areas of high need, as well as how to support existing groups in their journey toward sustainability.

As a practical thinker, you will work creatively to identify stakeholders and assets in areas of high need. You will build local connections and bring together kinship carers across the region, empowering them to build resilient and robust peer support communities.

You will be confident in building relationships that generate referrals from external stakeholders and in contacting kinship carers directly to secure engagement with local coffee mornings, community, and training events that will help kick-start a thriving peer support group.

As you establish new groups, you will provide training to help them lead their groups effectively, and develop a healthy group culture, resilience, and skills to function independently while offering reassurance and support to empower them.

You will be an inspirational and energetic team leader with experience in providing day-to-day line management and operational support for a small team.

This role may involve work to establish groups on the periphery of this area that currently have no dedicated Development staff.

An essential requirement of the role is to be a driver with access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Service delivery

• In person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local and regional communities including setting up and attending local engagement events.
• Work creatively to set up and develop new sustainable in peer support groups, attending up to six sessions in person (if needed) before transition to self-sufficiency.  Existing groups that are at risk, closed or need support will need replacing or rejuvenating to maintain DfE service level agreements across the team, in addition to the development of new groups.
• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups.
• Deliver training to support group leaders (group roles and responsibilities, safeguarding, setting up, running, and promoting a group).
• Develop strong boundaries and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment, and community.
• Support established groups in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community.
• Help to continously develop and deliver a service blueprint for sustainable peer support groups, thinking strategically about how to develop groups.
• You’ll collaborate closely with the ‘Hub’ team to provide a joined-up and positive user experience for kinship carers. This collaborative approach is key to our success and ensures that kinship carers receive the best possible support.
• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to the ‘Hub’ team for sustainability and work with partners.

Service quality, development and data management:

• Accurately record all recruitment, contact information and volunteer case management in Salesforce in line with service framework and data protection requirements.
• Ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce to support service performance, evaluation and learning.
• Provide regular reports to ensure targets and SLA are met for the service.
• Support continuous development and improvement of the service (new systems and processes) as required.

Management and supervision: 

• Inspire, motivate and be responsible for day-to-day line management and supervising up to 4 staff members.
• Oversee tactical development of new sustainable groups in your area and your team.
• Help set clear objectives to achieve targets and outcomes.
• Actively encourage personal development and learning.
• Increase efficiencies and impact across the team.
• Ensure good team induction processes and systems are in place.
• Role model Kinship values.

Team culture:

• Act in the best interest of Kinship and the families we support.
• Maintain and contribute up-to-date understanding of kinship care.
• Deliver effective administration with attention to detail and keeping to deadlines.
• Actively contribute to delivering and evidencing a high-performing service.
• Take responsibility for your ongoing continued professional development.
• Work in line with the Kinship values.

Knowledge, abilities, skills and experience:

Essential

• Experience of team leadership or line management and supervision of a small team and managing performance to deliver targets effectively.
• Proven experience in reaching and establishing strong relationships with hidden or underserved communities in person.
• Experience developing peer support communities.
• Proven experience of recruiting, managing, training and supporting volunteers in community settings with an emphasis on understanding and working with vulnerable volunteers.
• Proven experience of ensuring outcomes and impacts of services is evidenced through high-quality data collection.
• Evidence of delivering training/support to volunteers,
• Strong facilitation skills and essential experience of peer support or user led groups with charity beneficiaries.
• Understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families.
• Excellent communication and engagement skills, with good attention to detail.
• Full driving license and use of a car for work purposes.

• Lived experience of kinship care.
• Experience of using a customer relationship management system effectively (we use Salesforce).
• Digital community building (Facebook / WhatsApp etc).