Independent Living Support Worker (Peer-Led)

Salary: £25,394.88 per annum
Contract: Fixed Term until December 2027
Hours: 35 hours per week, working across a varied 7-day rota
Location: Belfast

Make a Difference Through Your Lived Experience

Are you passionate about supporting others who are navigating challenges similar to those you have overcome yourself?

We are recruiting for an Independent Living Support Worker (Peer-Led) to support adults experiencing homelessness and complex needs. This unique role is ideally suited to someone with personal lived experience of homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, or involvement with the criminal justice system, who is now in a stable position and ready to use their experiences positively to help others.

You'll build meaningful relationships with individuals, helping them move towards greater independence, improved wellbeing, and sustained housing outcomes.

About the Role

As an Independent Living Support Worker (Peer-Led), you will:

• Provide one-to-one peer support and mentoring
• Build trusting, non-judgemental relationships with service users
• Support individuals to develop independent living skills
• Assist clients to navigate housing, benefits, health, and support services
• Accompany service users to appointments where required
• Deliver group activities, wellbeing sessions, and community-based support
• Promote harm reduction, recovery, and personal development
• Support tenancy sustainment and community integration
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to service evaluations

What We're Looking For

Essential requirements include:

• Personal lived experience and insight into homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, and/or the criminal justice system
• Demonstrated personal stability and resilience
• Ability to build professional, supportive relationships whilst maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Good communication, literacy, and basic IT skills
• Understanding of independent living skills and harm reduction approaches
• Ability to work independently and manage risk appropriately
• Either:
  • 1 year's paid relevant experience, or
  • 2 years' relevant voluntary experience

What's on Offer?

• Salary of £25,394.88
• 35 days annual leave, increasing with service
• Paid sick leave
• Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits
• Contributory pension scheme
• Health Cash Plan
• Blue Light Card discounts
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Opportunity to make a genuine impact in people's lives

Additional Information

Our client is a values-led organisation, they consider candidates on a case-by-case basis and actively encourage applications from individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Access NI check. Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar or eliminate you from working with Depaul. Suitability will be assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the position, the circumstances and background of your offences, and your distance from past crisis.

To apply or find out more, please get in touch today.