Job Description

About The Turnaround Project

"Redefining the boundaries between the justice system and the wider community."

The Turnaround Project works with society to enable people who have served sentences in prison or the community to turn around their futures.

We are a community of people. Some of us have served sentences in the justice system and some of us have not. But we are all working together to provide hope and opportunity to those who have; a safe, supportive community in which we provide opportunities that are rooted in lived experience and co-production.

We work to enable people to secure and sustain employment; to engage and advocate among the wider community, policy makers and service providers; and to equip people with the tools and skills they need to move forward in their lives and achieve their goals.

About the role

The Equipping People Officer will play a critical role in the development and implementation of this three-year project.

In year one you will work with our Community Development Lead, assisting them with recruiting and onboarding people who want to join our community. Some of these will be people who have served sentences and who want to use the opportunities that Turnaround offers; others will be volunteers wanting to offer support to others; and some will be both. You will learn about our approach to evaluating the impact of our work, and how to ensure that people's achievements are recorded and recognised. And

you will help to ensure that as our community grows, we have the administrative processes in place to ensure that growth can be managed effectively and efficiently.

You will also work with colleagues to help develop a new model of support for people transitioning out of the justice system. The model is being developed through a project involving academics and experts at Queen's University Belfast and people with lived experience of the justice system. Once developed, you will be trained alongside others to implement the model and to train others.

In years two and three you will implement that new support model, working alongside Peer Navigators (volunteers with lived experience) and Community Navigators (volunteers from the wider community) to support individuals in identifying and achieving personal development goals and progressing towards employment.

HOURS OF WORK

: 14 hours per week (0.4 FTE)

SALARY

: 25,389 (FT, pro-rata for PT)

About you

You will be enthusiastic about the chance to join a community of people providing hope and opportunity to those who have served sentences in the justice system.

You will have strong interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work collaboratively and without judgement with volunteers from diverse backgrounds.

You will be highly organised with the ability to manage your own workload, efficiently and effectively. You will be skilled at identifying ways to improve systems, practices and processes.

You will have experience of providing support to people through coaching, mentoring, or similar approaches to supporting their personal development.

Above all, you will be committed to working with people with lived experience of the justice system, learning from and collaborating with them to help others overcome the barriers they face.

Key Responsibilities

Onboarding and monitoring

Introduce people to the organisation, gathering and inputting relevant information into our onboarding system, ensuring all required digital forms are completed and securely stored. Review historical records to identify outdated or incomplete entries, updating them where necessary, and supporting the transition to digital formats where applicable. Support Planning & Delivery Work directly with individuals to identify personal development goals and to support them as they work to achieve them. Liaise with Peer and Community Mentors to ensure coordinated support. Track progress and achievements using the Intermediate Outcomes Measurement Instrument (IOMI).

Programme Development

Contribute to the design and refinement of the model of support and related training programmes. Support the piloting and evaluation of the new model of support.

Partnership & Engagement

Collaborate with others to co-produce training and evaluation tools. Facilitate referrals to statutory and community services.

Monitoring & Evaluation

Maintain accurate records of engagement, referrals, and outcomes. Participate in workshops and feedback sessions to evaluate programme impact. Support the development of case studies and reports for funders and stakeholders.

Person Specification

Essential:

Ability to work on own initiative to improve systems, practices and processes. Excellent Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word) skills. Demonstrable, strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to organise own workload to ensure efficient and effective working practices. Experience in supporting others through coaching, mentoring, or other similar informal approaches to personal development.

Desirable:

Experience of working in criminal justice, social work, or community development and an understanding of the barriers, circumstances and factors that impact people who have been in contact with the justice system. Understanding of Safeguarding requirements and procedures. Familiarity with outcome measurement tools (e.g. IOMI). Knowledge of local support services and referral pathways.

What We Offer

Opportunity to apply for flexible working arrangements. An opportunity to be part of a pioneering programme with real social impact. A supportive team culture rooted in lived experience and mutual respect. 25 days Annual Leave plus 10 Customary Holiday days A pension scheme (commencing after three months of employment) with 3% employer contribution.
Job Type: Fixed term contract
Contract length: 36 months

Pay: 25,389.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Belfast BT1 1NA