Job Description

& Person Specification

Peer Navigator

Background to Service:

Cardiff and Vale Drug and Alcohol Service (CAVDAS) is an Alliance of Barod, Recovery Cymru and Kaleidoscope Project. CAVDAS Alliance has been commissioned by the Cardiff and Vale Substance Misuse Area Planning board. CAVDAS will deliver an integrated young person's, adults and family and carer information, advice, interventions, and support service. We are looking to build a new culture providing one system for Cardiff and the Vale and an innovative, and flexible delivery model. CAVDAS services will deliver a multifunctional team approach across the system, joining up interventions and creating choice for the people who access them. Peer support and coproduction are central to the model.

Purpose of the role:

This is an exciting and varied role, offering skilled peer engagement, support and interventions to people facing multiple challenges. As someone who identifies as having lived experience of substance use and/or recovery, who is stable to be able to support others and is comfortable in harm reduction, homelessness and street-based settings you will be part of an exciting new team of complex needs peer navigators based within CAVDAS. You will engage, offer hope, build trust and motivation, and support people living with complex challenges such as substance use, mental health, homelessness, involved in the criminal justice system and who may have physical health problems. Your work will be based within the assertive outreach and homelessness team, but will span the whole CAVDAS model and your role will involve good multidisciplinary working with heath, criminal justice, housing and social care partners.

This is a unique and challenging post to reach some of the most vulnerable people in our society and it is essential you are able to approach them in a non-judgmental, hope-based approach. Offering engagement and support in locations that best suit the needs of the people we are reaching, the team approach acts as a link between clinical treatment, recovery orientated delivery and criminal justice services into homelessness provision and street homeless lifestyles.

Critically, you will embody and represent the RC recovery community ethos and model across CAVDAS treatment and support services in how you deliver your work. You will also operate at the interface between the recovery community and CAVDAS treatment services. The ethos of your approach in all your functions will follow the Recovery Cymru model of being community, member and peer led. As part of the peer workforce, you will have the opportunity to influence culture change across substance use treatment services, collaborating with CAVDAS, statutory and other partners to better meet the needs of people seeking to change their substance use. Coproduction is central to the design and delivery of effective peer support, and you will have the opportunity to influence, with the people you support, what we offer, how and where. Volunteering is central to the peer model, and you will work closely with volunteers, offering support, and 'on the job' skills development.

You!

You!

This is an exciting time for those with lived experience in Cardiff and the Vale and your needs and wellbeing are paramount to us. We recognise some of the challenges of this role and your support, training and development will be of the highest priority. We have a highly passionate, connected, and supportive team, which values each member's contribution. We are interested in and support you as an individual, considering your personal circumstances and history. We have a strong focus on recovery, wellbeing, and training for our staff, taking our responsibility as an employer seriously. We also know that if we take care of you, you are better able to take care of others. We want you to enjoy your work and have fun, as well as support you to deal with the challenges we all face in this sector. Our team is made up of people with lived experience (personal and family), as well as supporters of recovery. You will also work and closely liaise with colleagues across CAVDAS teams.

You will have lived experience of overcoming issues with substance misuse and will be in a place of stability to enable you to support others. Staff recovery support and wellbeing is a top priority and you will be fully supported in your own journey whilst undertaking your role. This is truly an exciting role in which you can support people to change their lives whilst having lots of opportunity for personal and professional development.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Peer support and navigation

Engage frequently with an identified group via phone, text and outreach. This might be daily, weekly, monthly or opportunistic

Pro-actively work to increase motivation to access treatment and facilitate referral and entry into appropriate treatment.

Work closely with colleagues to access support with Opiate Substitute Therapy (OST), alcohol clinical interventions, sexual health, contraception, vaccination, oral health, and dietary needs.

Develop and maintain strong links with external agencies including, but not limited to mental health, sexual health, housing, debt and finance.

Attend joint allocation meetings and case review meetings, sharing appropriate information, and ensuring that action plans and risk management plans are in place and followed

Utilise the Recovery Cymru "First Steps" approach in your work to build hope, trust and motivation

Assist individuals to identify and engage in positive social experiences to support change, including appropriate peer-led activities in CAVDAS

Outreach and Harm Reduction Provision

Engage with individuals with substance use issues who have adopted a 'street lifestyle' including people who are rough sleeping, begging, street sex working and street drinking with a view to engaging them in appropriate services

Support colleagues to provide an assertive outreach service, supplying interventions and information regarding substance use and associated lifestyle behaviours that reduces the risk of overdose, reduces substance related deaths, reduces the spread of blood borne viruses, promotes healthy living, and minimises the potential risks and impact of substance related crime and disorder on the wider community.

Deliver harm reduction services and advice, including provision of Naloxone Training, Needle Exchange Programme (NEX / NSP) and Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST).

General

Participate in a pattern of shift work to enable maximum potential contact with individuals.

Work in a non-judgemental, hope-based peer approach

Provide thorough and timely communication between Recovery Cymru and the partnership

Work with colleagues to ensure thorough planning, delivery, monitoring and achievement of the aims and objectives of the CAVDAS contract associated with this post

Attend CAVDAS partnership meetings

Communicate Recovery Cymru and CAVDAS vision and values

Be responsible for dealing sensitively with the range of complex and challenging issues members may present.

Such other duties as may from time to time be reasonably required

Compliance and Information Management

Adhere to safeguarding and data protection principles in working practice.

Adhere to host organisation and CAVDAS policies and procedures.

Maintain appropriate boundaries.

Engage with Learning and Development Plans to ensure training remains up to date

Undertake relevant administrative tasks, keeping thorough records and providing reports to an agreed standard, ensuring the confidentiality of all records is maintained and all GDPR practices are followed.

Professional Development

Help with the induction and orientation of new staff, volunteers and students

Participate in supervision, appraisal and the peer workforce staff programme

Effectively manage own time and prioritise workload, maintaining own administration and accurate personal records regarding travel, diary appointments, TOIL, and expenses incurred (to an agreed level)

Vision and Values

The post holder will be expected to adhere to and embody Alliance values of TRUST, EXPERIENCE, INNOVATION, AND CO-PRODUCTION in their day-to-day activities working towards the Alliance outcome framework and as part of a wider team.

"The Whole is greater than the sum of its parts"

This post has been identified as requiring evidence of BBV immunisation status to carry out the role effectively. The role may require the post hold to undertake Dry Blood Spot Testing/ Substance Use Testing/ Working in Needle Exchange or is a clinical role and therefore CAVDAS wishes to ensure that staff are not at risk of infection or transmission of a disease that may affect their own or patient safety. Staff will therefore need to evidence their immunisation history, exemption, or non-responder on commencement of employment or at routine intervals at the request of the Alliance.

The post holder will be expected to work in line with the Social Services and Well Being (Wales Act) 2014, and the Violence Against Women Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 to ensure safeguarding of individuals (adult and children) is at the heart of delivery.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications and training

Expected to meet basic skills in numeracy and literacy

Expected to meet basic IT skills

NVQ level three health and social care (or equivalent / or actively working towards)

Peer Mentor qualification

Accredited Recovery Cymru Volunteer training

Experience/ Knowledge

Identify with lived experience of substance use / recovery

Demonstrable experience or relevant transferrable skills in:

Supporting people with substance use issues (paid or unpaid)

Offering 1:1 support that engages, motivates and supports a defined target group

Delivering peer support or transferrable experiences

A positive and non-judgemental attitude and the ability to work in a non-discriminatory framework

Ability to effectively communicate and engage with people with complex needs, active service users and others with lived experience.

Ability to assist others to build motivation

Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.

Knowledge of sexual health and mental health awareness and harm reduction initiatives.

Use of motivational interviewing techniques

Experience of accessing substance use services

Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

Experience of undertaking assessment of needs, brief interventions, screening and feedback or ability to learn

Awareness of trauma informed practice

Role specific requirements

Basic IT skills: working knowledge of Microsoft packages and database systems or ability to learn within a given timeframe

Ability to work in a developing model which will change over time

Excellent communication skills

Flexibility to work at multiple locations and flexible working hours.

Prepared to undertake enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) vetting.

Ability to manage own time and priorities and work autonomously

Demonstrable experience of managing tasks and deadlines

Full, current driving licence and use of a car which is insured for business use.

Experience and knowledge on collecting, collating, analysing, and reporting on data in line with the service specification

Recovery Cymru on behalf of CAVDAS may consider the appointment of a candidate who is unable to meet a particular requirement if they offer other skills, knowledge, or experience valuable to the role and the host Organisation. The candidate must also be able to meet the required shortfall within a reasonable timeframe whilst undertaking the newly appointed role.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 24,205.00-26,265.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 22/08/2025
Reference ID: CAVDAS Peer Navigator Role Aug 24