Overview
Prison Peer Support Lead – Shepherd’s Bush
Permanent
£28,207
Ready to lead change from the inside out? Join our passionate team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and help shape a recovery-focused, peer-led culture within the prison.
We’re looking for a Peer Support Lead to join our integrated substance misuse team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs—a closed category men’s prison in West London. This is a unique opportunity to shape and lead peer-led recovery initiatives that empower individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing while in custody.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Recruit, train, and supervise Peer Supporters, Mentors, and Health & Wellbeing Champions (HAWCs)
- Develop and deliver peer-led interventions across all prison wings, promoting engagement and recovery pathways
- Work closely with healthcare, prison staff, and other partners to ensure joined-up, trauma-informed support
- Coordinate and support health and wellbeing initiatives that encourage service users to take ownership of their recovery
- Monitor and report on outcomes, ensuring peer-led services meet quality standards and contribute to service KPIs
What You’ll Bring:
- Experience in substance misuse, recovery services, or peer mentoring
- A strong understanding of trauma-informed and person-centred approaches
- Excellent communication, coordination, and leadership skills
- Confidence working in a secure environment and engaging with diverse stakeholders
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as part of a rota
Why This Role Matters:
This role is central to building a recovery-focused culture within the prison. By championing lived experience and peer support, you’ll help service users develop confidence, purpose, and resilience—laying the foundation for successful reintegration into the community.
Why Join Us?
- Be part of a mission-driven team making a real difference in people’s lives
- Lead innovative, peer-led programmes that are transforming prison recovery services
- Work in a collaborative, supportive environment with opportunities for growth
- Help shape a more compassionate, effective approach to substance misuse in custody
About Us
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits –
- Flexible working
- Training and development opportunities
- Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
- Season Ticket Loan Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Crisis Loan Scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata’d for part time employees)
- Access to Blue Light Card
- 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
- Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
- Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
- Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.
To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.
Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.
