Client User Forum Facilitator (RESET Aftercare Programme) in Belfast

Location: Based in Belfast with requirement to travel across Northern Ireland

Contract Type: Full-time: 37 hours Fixed term until 31st March 2028

Salary: £26,737 - £29,177

Reports to: EIPS Coordinator

Purpose of the role

The User Forum Facilitator will be responsible for the development, coordination, facilitation and ongoing support of a Client User Forum for individuals who have accessed counselling services and are engaged in an aftercare programme, with lived experience of sexual abuse and/or abusive relationships. The User Forum is a core mechanism for ensuring that the individuals voice, choice and influence are embedded across service delivery, evaluation and organisational development. The postholder will ensure the forum operates as a safe, voluntary, non-therapeutic and empowering space, enabling participants to share insights, identify priorities, build peer connection and contribute to meaningful change. The role requires a high level of emotional awareness and sensitivity, with the ability to recognise and respond appropriately to emotional cues. The successful individual will be able to engage with empathy and compassion, communicate in an appropriate and responsive manner, and provide support while maintaining clear professional boundaries, underpinned by strong trauma-aware interpersonal skills. The Facilitator will work closely with counselling and aftercare teams to ensure participation is ethically sound, trauma-informed and does not replace or duplicate therapeutic support. The postholder will also play a key role in translating lived-experience insights into constructive learning for the organisation while safeguarding anonymity, consent and wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• User Forum Facilitation & Support
  • Design, plan and facilitate regular User Forum meetings (in-person and/or online), ensuring sessions are well-structured, purposeful and responsive to participant needs.
  • Develop and maintain clear group agreements covering confidentiality, consent, boundaries, respectful communication and emotional safety.
  • Create inclusive facilitation approaches that enable participation from individuals with diverse communication styles, confidence levels and access needs.
  • Manage group dynamics sensitively, including conflict, emotional distress or disengagement, using trauma-informed de-escalation and grounding techniques.
  • Clearly communicate the purpose and limits of the User Forum, ensuring it is understood as a participatory and feedback space rather than a counselling or therapy group.
• Safe and Ethical Practice
  • Apply trauma-informed and empowerment-based approaches at all stages of engagement.
  • Support participants to share feedback and insights safely, without pressure to disclose personal experiences.
  • Recognise and respond to the diverse impacts of sexual abuse and abusive relationships, including intersectional factors such as gender, disability and neurodivergence, race, age, sexuality, and socio-economic background.
• Service User Voice & Influence
  • Support forum members to identify key themes, priorities and recommendations arising from their experiences of counselling, aftercare and wider service pathways.
  • Use a range of participatory methods (e.g. facilitated discussion, creative tools, anonymous feedback, reflective exercises) to enable safe and meaningful contribution.
  • Ethically capture and integrate learning from the User Forum, always ensuring anonymity and informed consent.
  • Present lived-experience insights to internal teams, senior leadership or governance structures in a clear, respectful and constructive way.
  • Establish and maintain feedback mechanisms so participants are informed about actions taken, changes made as a result of their input.
• Safeguarding & Risk Management
  • Always uphold organisational safeguarding policies, confidentiality requirements and ethical standards.
  • Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, disclosures or risk, following agreed procedures.
  • Work closely with counselling and aftercare staff to ensure joined-up support and safe referral pathways for participants who require additional support.
• Programme Development & Administration
  • Develop and maintain User Forum documentation, including terms of reference, participation agreements, consent forms and information materials.
  • Coordinate scheduling, accessibility arrangements, expenses or incentives (where applicable) to support inclusive participation.
  • Maintain accurate, confidential records relating to attendance, themes and actions in line with GDPR and organisational data protection policies.
  • Contribute to monitoring and evaluation activity, including qualitative reporting on participation, outcomes and impact.
• Collaboration & Internal Working
  • Work collaboratively with counselling, aftercare, policy and service development teams to ensure lived experience informs organisational learning.
  • Contribute to internal discussions on best practice in the effective engagement and participation of people with lived experience as experts.
  • Attend relevant meetings, training and supervision as required.
• General Responsibilities
  • Uphold Nexus Values
  • Manage workloads effectively, meeting deadlines and maintaining high standards work.
  • Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Educated to a degree standard in psychology, social work, social policy, health & social care, or related discipline and experience of working with co-production or lived-experience participation models. OR Educated to A-level standard with 3 years demonstrable experience facilitating groups, forums or participatory spaces, particularly with individuals affected by trauma, abuse or inequality.
• In-depth understanding of the impacts of sexual abuse and abusive relationships, including long-term and complex trauma.
• Strong working knowledge and commitment to trauma-informed and empowerment-based practice.
• Excellent facilitation, communication and listening skills, with the ability to hold emotionally sensitive discussions safely.
• Clear understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, professional boundaries and ethical engagement.
• Ability to respond calmly and appropriately to disclosures, distress or risk, following agreed procedures.
• Strong organisational skills, reflective practice and commitment to supervision and self-care.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team.
• Ability to work flexibly, including travel across Northern Ireland and occasional evening work.

Desirable Criteria

• Level 4 Independent Advocacy
• Experience working within counselling, aftercare or specialist support services.

Values & Safeguarding

This role involves regular engagement with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse and abusive relationships. The postholder must demonstrate high levels of empathy, professionalism and self-awareness, alongside a strong commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality and ethical practice.

Application requirements

• ACCESS NI (Criminal Conviction Checks for Regulated Activity Posts)? The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced Access NI check.
• A full, clean driving licence is required for this role, as the post involves regular travel between locations in the course of normal duties.
• We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

This job description is not incorporated into the employees contract of employment. It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification. It may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments following discussion with the post holder.

Please note CV's alone are not accepted. Please visit our website and download the supplementary questions for this role and submit this form along with your CV. Information how to apply is on our website. Deadlines for applications is Friday 3rd July 2026 at 12pm.