Life Skills Peer Advocate in Belfast

Salary: £24,896.94

Contract: Fixed Term December 2027

Hours: 35 per week - Varied 7 day rota with several shift patterns

Location: Unit 4 Nelson Street BT15 1BH

Employee Benefits:

• Enhanced Annual Leave – 35 days per year, increasing as your length of service increases
• Paid Sick Leave
• Company maternity & paternity pay
• Contributory Pension scheme
• Health Cash Back & Rewards Plan
• Christmas Savers club
• Bluelight discount card
• Plus, many opportunities to learn and develop within the organisation

Why work for us?

Depaul is a cross border charity supporting some of the most marginalised individuals, couples and families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it. We are a values led organisation and aim, at all times, to live and breathe these values in our everyday work. Our values are based on four key principles:

• We celebrate the potential of people
• We put our words into action
• We aim to take a wider role in civil society
• We believe in rights and responsibilities

The Lifeskills Worker is a part of the Housing First/Complex Lives portfolio. The role focuses on providing peer support to service users whose complexities may include addiction, mental and physical health needs in combination. Service users may be in temporary accommodations or their own homes with the Lifeskills worker engaging them individually and in group/social settings.

Key aspects of the role include providing harm reduction advice & guidance, personal development through lifeskills development, tenancy sustainment, community integration and good neighbourhood support, support to access education, enhancing employability and building social networks and supports. The Lifeskills worker will be a part of a wider network of Subject Matter Experts within the organisation. The Lifeskills worker will act as a peer expert for any research, advice and information or peer groups as and when needed. To engage in any other task assigned, that supports service users access and attendance to health/life skills supports.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support service users to build the capacity and resilience in order to live independently and achieve their life goals and ambitions.
• Provide individual and group interactions that offer confidence building, skills development and social interaction.
• Identify & liaise with external agencies that meet the needs of service users and facilitate information sessions between both parties.
• Provide clear feedback to internal stakeholders on any work completed.
• Carry out project administration tasks such as record keeping of Service User’s files, reporting of any incidents or accidents and financial records.
• Participate in assessing new referrals to the service with the support of the line manager.
• Adhere to all Depaul policies and local procedures.
• Adhere fully to Organisational Risk Management Procedures, especially in relation to assessing risk to lone working.
• Work with referring agencies such as complex lives and other homeless providers to ensure continued care for all service users.
• Engage in different groups/research to provide feedback and knowledge of the experience of homelessness.
• Promotion of the LSPA programme through visits to homeless services.
• Attend and participate in team meetings and staff team days.
• Attend all mandatory training and any training deemed relevant to service delivery.
• Participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal, and help in identifying your own job-related development and training needs.
• Respect service users’ rights to confidentiality in our relationship with them as per the Depaul Confidentiality policy and code of conduct.
• Promote respect, diversity and equal opportunities.

The above list is not exhaustive; additional areas of responsibility may be added over time and flexibility to cover for other staff roles is required from time to time.

Personal Requirements:

• Personal insights into the challenges of homelessness, addiction & mental health.
• Good standard of literacy and basic IT skills.
• Good understanding of need for boundaries and confidentiality.
• Willing to engage in their own development and growth.
• Good knowledge of skills required for independent living.
• Comfortable with working alone with service users and aware of any risks should they arise.
• Willing to travel outside of Belfast when required.

This Post is subject to an Enhanced Access NI check. Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with Depaul. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences or other information contained on a disclosure certificate.

This post is subject to NISCC registration; if you do hold a valid registration this must be completed within your probationary period. Depaul Ireland are an Equal Opportunities employer.

Closing Date: 12/05/2026