Senior Peer Support Officer - North East and Yorkshire & Humber

Job Title:   

Senior Peer Support Officer 

North East and Yorkshire & Humber 

Responsible to:   Programme Lead 

Department/Team:   

  Services and Digital Department  

Peer Support and Community Team 

Responsible for:   

 Peer Support Officer x 3   

Contract:   FTC June 2026 (with potential 1 year extension)  

  Hours per week:   35 hours   

FTE Salary Range:  £29, 000

Location:  Home-based with frequent regional travel across NE and Y&H and some national travel.  

This role is expected to be out in the community.  

 About Role:  This role is all about developing a welcoming and supportive support group community for kinship carers wherever they live. Building belonging, resilience and empowerment for support group leaders and kinship carers.  

 Funded by the Department for Education, our national Peer Support Service is creating a sustainable and life-changing legacy for kinship carers across England. 

As a Senior Peer Support Officer you’ll make sure we deliver an exceptional and consistent peer support service for kinship carers.  You’ll also make sure your team delivers a joined-up experience which meets the needs of kinship carers.  

 You’ll set-up and develop new in person groups in areas of high need, as well as supporting existing groups to thrive developing a resilient and powerful peer support community. 

Purpose of role:  

Taking responsibility for a region, you will reach out and work directly in local communities to develop sustainable kinship peer support groups.   You’ll also oversee the delivery of other regions, ensuring targets and SLAs are met effectively.  

Using community engagement techniques like coffee mornings, community events and linking with our training and support service, you’ll build local connections and relationships.  

 As you develop a group and recruit support group leaders, you’ll provide standardised training and help the group to navigate forming and storming – providing reassurance and support to empower the group.  

 Once the group is stable, you’ll transition the support group leader/s over to the national ‘Hub’ team to build confidence and knowledge to run their group independently.  You’ll also support online groups and special interest groups to transition to independence.   

 You’ll also oversee three members of staff and ensure your team take a standardised and high-quality approach to supporting kinship carers in your region.  You’ll manage performance to ensure targets are met and that kinship career receive a good experience. 

Key responsibilities:  

Service delivery: 

• In person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local and regional communities including setting up and attending local engagement events.  

• Set up and develop at least six new sustainable in person peer support groups annually, 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 new groups. Targets are subject to change and are not fixed.   

• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups.  

• Deliver standardised training to support group leaders (group roles and responsibilities, safeguarding, setting up, running and promoting a group). 

• Develop strong boundaried and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment and community.  

• Support established groups (including independent) in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community.   

• Follow (and where appropriate develop) the service blueprint to develop sustainable peer support groups, thinking strategically to develop groups. 

• Collaborate with the ‘Hub’ team to provide a joined up and positive user experience for kinship carers.  

• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to ‘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:  

• Line manage and supervise Peer Support Officers (x 3 / x 2).  

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. 

• Identify and contribute to appropriate case studies to demonstrate the impact of Kinship services and contribute to policy and campaigns work.  

• 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 (person spec): 

Essential:  

• Experience of 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.  

• Significant 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 developing and delivering training/support to volunteers, based on needs of service users (in this case kinship carers).  

• Strong facilitation skills and essential experience of peer support or user led groups with charity beneficiaries.  

• Proven experience of using a customer relationship management system effectively (we use Salesforce).  

• In-depth understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families.  

• Excellent communication and engagement skills, with good attention to detail.  

• Full, clean driving licence/own car. 

Desirable: 

• Lived experience of kinship care. 

• Understanding of children’s social care. 

• Digital community building (Facebook / WhatsApp etc).  

General characteristics and attributes: 

• Flexible and willing to travel for work across England. 

• Commitment to the values, aims and objectives of Kinship. 

• A real commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within your role and a respectful approach to working with people from a range of backgrounds. 

• Excellent written and spoken English. 

• Permission to work in the UK. 

Key behaviours required:  

Personal attributes:  

• Relational approach  

• Self-aware 

• Calm under pressure and good with difficult conversations  

• Clear, straightforward communication  

• Resilient  

  Behaviours:  

• Solutions focus; can do attitude 

• Shows initiative and anticipates activity and challenges 

• Positive attitude and approach  

• Respectful  

• Professional  

• Empathic, sensitive, tactful