Peer Support and Research Officer

About the role

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: TBC

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about our practice, 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

We are looking for someone who has lived experience of care who can join us as we develop the support offered to those in and leaving care. Your own experience, as well as the ability to build relationships, influence different ways of thinking and approach your work in an organized and effective manner, will be invaluable to this piece of work.

Our 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. However, we never stop looking at how we can improve our services and build on those outstanding foundations and this project will do just that.

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.

You 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.

You will use your own lived experience of care and leaving care to build positive relationships with young people, build understanding and improve services within Essex County Council.

This position is office based in Witham, you will need to be operational across Essex. A driving licence and use of car is not essential; however, you 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:

Lived experience of care and leaving care has informed your practice and approach in working with children and young people
Level 3 qualifications (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.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours