Peer Support Manager

Job Introduction

Our Lives, Our Choices, Our Voices is a 5-year programme supporting children and young people to live better with type 1 diabetes, and to change the shape of diabetes care for others like them. We want to empower children and young people to believe in themselves and not be limited by their condition – now or in the future.

As Peer Support Manager, you will oversee a programme-wide strategic plan for our face-to-face and digital peer support services. You will coordinate across regional, national and UK-wide teams, collaborating with colleagues to design, deliver and evaluate services that meet the diverse needs of young people and families. You will advise on models, techniques and platforms that are appropriate to our audiences, and on processes to ensure children and young people can connect and support one another safely and securely. And you will ensure that robust training, supervision and support are available for young people leading our services. Through programme-wide evaluation and ongoing learning and improvement, you will secure the sustainability of our peer support services into the future.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved at the beginning of an ambitious and exciting initiative that will see us reaching and supporting more children and young people living with type 1 diabetes than ever before.

We have a brilliant and inclusive working environment here at Diabetes UK and are proud of our ‘Connected Working’ framework which allows great flexibility in the way that we work. This means that you can balance your working time between home and the office, subject to the needs of your role of course.  We do not dictate the number of days you have to attend the office.

Interview Date: Monday25 July 2022

Please note that all job offers are subject to you providing acceptable evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK.  You might find the following resources useful:

• To view a full list of accepted documents and the checks employers are required to make click here
• To view guidance on proving your right to work to an employer click here

 If you have any questions, please contact HRAdvice@diabetes.org.uk   

Role Responsibility

As Peer Support Manager you will use your considerable experience to:

• Set the overall ambition and plan for delivery of peer support services across the programme, working closely with colleagues in regions and nations.
• Design initiatives to connect children and young people, parents and families through digital channels, building on learnings from previous projects and services.
• Ensure there is a coordinated training and support offer for all young people leading peer support activities, as well as robust supervision and safeguarding processes.
• Provide insight and advice to colleagues on peer support models that could most effectively deliver our ambition.
• Work with the programme evaluator to measure the impact of our peer support interventions.

The Ideal Candidate

This role calls for someone with a strong track record of working in partnership with children and young people, to deliver services and activities that are meaningful to them. You will have a keen understanding of peer support methods, and of the use of digital technologies to connect people in one-to-one, small group and large event settings. You will need to be a highly competent project manager, working on your own initiative as well as in partnership to achieve objectives – and you will be able to act in an advisory capacity to colleagues, giving the benefit of your expertise without overstepping or taking over.

This role will require occasional travel around the UK, including to our London office – you must be able to work evenings and weekends, with some overnight stays.

Package Description

What we can offer you: 

• Generous annual leave starting at 25 days plus bank holidays 
• A Cash Healthcare Plan (giving you up to £1,500 towards a range of out of pocket health expenses like new glasses, dentist, chiropractor or osteopath appointments) 
• Early finish Friday and flexible working as part of our approach to activity based working
• Discounts on gym membership
• Employee assistance programme to give you support on any issues that come up in life  
• Annual season ticket loan* (on completion of your probation period and if contract is permanent or longer than 12 months)
• Very active social scene including sport teams, gardening and other activities 
• Generous pension provision, life assurance and income protection insurance
• Cycle to work scheme* (eligible for scheme if contract is permanent or longer than 12 months)

*Some benefits aren't available until you've passed your probation period and are dependent on the length of contract.

About the Company

For nearly 5 million people with diabetes in the UK, there’s no day off. At Diabetes UK, we fight day in, day out for better care, treatment and support. We won’t stop until diabetes can do no harm.

With more people than ever living with diabetes and millions more at risk of developing type 2, our work has never been more needed. We make sure they get the care and support needed to live well with diabetes and avoid devastating complications.

We fund critical research, which has led to life-changing discoveries – like the first insulin pen and programmes to put type 2 diabetes into remission. Now, we want to do this for everyone and find a cure.

We can’t do any of this without you. Our staff are passionate and determined about helping everyone affected by diabetes. For over 85 years, they’ve been behind vital policy changes, as well as new treatments and technologies to make living with diabetes easier every day.

But there’s more to do. And you can be part of it.

We’re a really diverse bunch and we recognise and respect your value as an individual. As well as helping people with diabetes, you’ll be part of one of the top 30 Best UK Charities to Work For, and one of the top 75 Best Large Companies in London.

We’re committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and we need our staff and volunteers to support this.

Our vision is a world where diabetes can do no harm. Join us today, and together, we can make that a reality.

To find out more about what we do, check out our website.

Diabetes UK