Job Description
New Beginnings Brent is a full integrated community drugs and alcohol service for adults. The service provides psychosocial and pharmacological treatment, in partnership with CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust). The service also has an outreach team, including a dedicated sex worker project.
About the role
As a Volunteer Peer Advocacy and Engagement Practitioner, you will play a key role in fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and trauma-informed environment where people feel heard, valued, and empowered.
You will:
- Use your lived experience of recovery, substance use, or the criminal justice system to support others on their own recovery journeys.
- You will assist the Peer Advocacy and Engagement Practitioner and the wider Via team in delivering recovery-focused activities, promoting service user involvement, and helping people access the support they need.
- Support the Peer Advocacy and Engagement Practitioner to provide peer-based support and advocacy.
- Use your lived experience to inspire hope and model recovery in a safe, appropriate, and professional way.
- Assist with engagement activities that encourage participation and feedback, helping to shape and improve services.
- Support the delivery of harm reduction advice, guidance, and information - for example, around overdose prevention, blood-borne virus awareness, and safer use practices (under staff supervision).
- Help connect service users with appropriate education, employment, wellbeing, and recovery opportunities.
- Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and community partners to promote recovery-oriented and trauma-informed values.
- Assist with peer-led or group activities that promote wellbeing, confidence, and inclusion.
- Support the Peer Advocacy and Engagement Practitioner in gathering feedback, maintaining basic records of involvement, and ensuring confidentiality at all times.
- Promote service user involvement and ensure that people's voices are represented in a meaningful way across services.
- Support the Assessments and Outreach Team as required, such as helping with street outreach to engage/reengage homeless individuals and engage and build peer-to-peer relationship with street active individuals.
- In addition to the above you will be expected to participate in team meetings where relevant and to carry out other tasks as deemed necessary to support the needs of the service.
What skills do I need?
The role would be ideal for someone looking to develop their experience in the drug and alcohol field. While some knowledge of the sector is desirable, we are specifically looking for people who have a passion for the work that we do. A positive attitude and the desire to learn are essential, along with a non-judgmental and supportive approach to people who are facing problems with drugs and alcohol.
What Via can offer you
When you begin volunteering you will be allocated a volunteer supervisor who will act as your main point of contact in your service. They will provide you with ongoing support and supervision and will work closely with you throughout your time at Via. There is also a central volunteer services team that will support you while you are on placement.
In addition, you can expect:
- A full induction to your role and continuous local training
- Access to central staff training opportunities
- Regular supervision
- Reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses and lunch expenses
Interested?
- Find out more about our Brent service .
- Check out our FAQs .
- Download our Volunteer Application Form .
- Download our Volunteer Equal Opportunities Form .
