Job Description

Kingston LGBT Forum is looking for a self-employed peer support group facilitator to work with the charity and set up and run a peer support group for local Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour.

Please note: we will only appoint a Black LGBTQ+ person or Person of Colour to this role.

A note on our language

We have chosen to use the term ‘Black’ with ‘People of Colour’ as we know that neither term, individually, refers to the people we intend our message to reach. This project is intended for people who are Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other people who are not white. We know that our language may not be as accurate as we hope it to be, so we welcome your ideas on how we can express ourselves in better, more respectful and appropriate ways.

About us and this role

Kingston LGBT Forum is a charity that provides activities and services for LGBTQ+ people in the London borough of Kingston upon Thames. We are currently working to better serve Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour in Kingston and, as such, have reserved funding to run a peer support group for six months, with the possibility of an extension.

Location

While government restrictions are in place, this role will be home-based, and you will use our systems to deliver services virtually via Zoom and other software. You must be available to attend peer support sessions and meetings in Kingston upon Thames once restrictions are lifted.

Fees

We pay £17.58 per hour, for five hours each week. You must invoice us for your work at the end of each month and, as a self-employed person, you are responsible for organising and paying your own taxes and National Insurance contributions. This is a fixed term contract for six months.

Hours

The hours required for this role are flexible, however you will be required to attend some meetings in the evening and at weekends.

Responsibilities and duties

You will be required to:

• Set up and run a monthly peer support group for Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour in Kingston upon Thames;
• Organise advertising for the peer support group and be responsible for ensuring the group is well attended by reaching out to people to bring them on board as participants;
• Find and book venues, send out meeting reminders via email and social media channels, and organise refreshments;
• Facilitate activities and discussions during the sessions, making sure that all participants feel included and that no one is dominating the conversation;
• Share information and signpost participants to other available support;
• Report on attendance and progress of group participants to the trustees of the charity;
• Be self-employed as a sole trader and invoice us monthly for your work;
• Report any safeguarding concerns immediately to our Safeguarding Lead;
• Contribute to monthly trustee meetings as an advisor to the trustees on how to adapt our services and activities to better serve Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour;
• Undertake induction training, delivered by the trustees of the charity; and
• Abide by and uphold our policies and procedures throughout the engagement.

Person specification

To be considered for this role, you must:

• Care about Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour in Kingston upon Thames and be invested in the aims of Kingston LGBT Forum;
• Understand some of the needs of Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour in the UK today;
• Have experience of working or volunteering for a peer support group or service;
• Know how to promote a peer support group and attract Black LGBTQ+ people and People of Colour as participants;
• Be non-judgmental and empathic when working with group participants;
• Be motivated to work alone and produce the required outcomes with little supervision;
• Have excellent interpersonal skills;
• Be able to identify and signpost support group participants to other relevant services, depending on their needs;
• Be able to assist a small team of volunteer trustees in their development; and
• Have a good working knowledge of word processing, email and spreadsheet software (eg Google Mail, Docs and Sheets; or Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel)