Volunteer Harm Reduction Support

Overview

Your role will be to support the St Helens IRC in reducing the harm caused by drug misuse by offering service users the knowledge, advice, and equipment to enable them to keep themselves at less risk, and better informed.

As a Harm Reduction Volunteer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our needle exchanges are confidential, welcoming, non judgmental, and friendly.

You will provide injecting equipment and paraphernalia, document needle exchange transactions.

Additionally, you will engage injecting drug users and others regarding the benefits of Naloxone, HIV and Hepatitis testing, safer sexual health advice, and advice on risks and trends currently concerning drug users.

You will also encourage and promote treatment options within the service, signpost and refer to other support services available.

The services can be fast paced environments with only a small amount of time to engage those who use them, so the ability to work quickly and effectively is needed.

No two days are the same and you can really make a difference in helping to keep people safer.

You will be provided with all the skills, knowledge, and support to undertake the role including full induction and training.

Responsibilities

• Provide injecting equipment and paraphernalia and document needle exchange transactions.
• Engage injecting drug users and others regarding Naloxone, HIV and Hepatitis testing, safer sexual health advice, and risks and trends concerning drug users.
• Encourage and promote treatment options within the service, signpost and refer to other support services available.
• Maintain confidentiality, welcoming, and non judgmental environment for needle exchanges.
• Work quickly and effectively in fast paced service environments.
• Make a difference every day by keeping people safer.
• Undergo full induction and training to support the role.

Qualifications

Minimum age of 18 years or older. Must pass an enhanced level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.