Permanent£28,000

This is a 3-year contract starting from the 1st April 2026 until March 2029

About the Role

We are seeking a passionate and motivated LERO Coordinator to lead the development of an independent Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO) in North Northamptonshire.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in building a thriving, inclusive recovery community shaped by lived experience. You will oversee the delivery of a contract focused on establishing and growing the LERO, ensuring it becomes a sustainable, independent organisation within three years.

At the heart of this role is the recruitment, development and support of volunteers—including those forming the LERO’s Leadership Committee—who will take ownership of the organisation’s direction and day-to-day activities. You will provide guidance, structure and encouragement to enable volunteers to lead confidently and effectively.

The LERO will be rooted in co-design and co-production, responding directly to the needs, strengths and aspirations of its community. You will facilitate this approach, ensuring that lived experience informs all aspects of the organisation’s work.

Working closely with a Community Engagement Worker, you will also support relationship-building with local and national partners, stakeholders and contract providers to strengthen the LERO’s reach and impact.

About You

You are a proactive and empathetic individual with a strong commitment to recovery-focused, person-led approaches. You bring experience of working with volunteers and communities, and are confident supporting others to develop their skills and confidence.

You will have:

• Experience of recruiting, onboarding, coaching and supervising volunteers
• The ability to engage effectively with diverse client groups, particularly those with lived experience
• A strong understanding of the voluntary sector, mentoring programmes, and service user-led support groups
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills
• Experience of facilitating groups or delivering training
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team
• Experience of collecting, recording and analysing data for reporting and evaluation
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and databases
• A strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, and the ability to apply this in practice
• Experience of remote working

It would also be beneficial if you have:

• Knowledge of HR processes within recruitment settings
• Lived experience of addiction recovery or ex-offending
• Experience of building strategic partnerships

Above all, you will be passionate about empowering people with lived experience to shape their own recovery communities and create lasting, meaningful change.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
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)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness.

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.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

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.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.