Job Description
Mentor – Criminal Justice Services (North West)
Location: Liverpool Area (HMP Altcourse, HMP Liverpool and community outreach as required)
Contract: Fixed Term Contract
DBS Requirement: Enhanced DBS with Adults Barred List Check and Home Office Prison Clearance
Help People Build a Better Future
Are you passionate about supporting people to overcome barriers, rebuild confidence and create positive change in their lives?
Rethink Mental Illness is looking for a compassionate and motivated Mentor to join our Criminal Justice team across the North West. Working within prisons and the community, you'll provide tailored one-to-one support to people in prison and those transitioning back into society, helping them tackle financial challenges and achieve greater stability and independence.
This is an incredibly rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of individuals affected by complex issues including mental health challenges, homelessness, addiction, debt and involvement with the criminal justice system.
About the Role
As a Mentor, you will support people in prison and on probation through our Ministry of Justice-funded Finance, Benefits and Debt service.
You will build trusted relationships with customers, helping them identify barriers, develop practical action plans and access the support they need to improve their financial wellbeing and long-term outcomes.
Your support may include:
• Providing person-centred mentoring and coaching.
• Supporting people with benefits, budgeting and debt management.
• Helping individuals access bank accounts and financial services.
• Advocating on behalf of customers with external agencies and organisations.
• Working alongside prison staff, probation teams and community partners.
• Delivering one-to-one and group-based interventions.
• Maintaining accurate records and contributing to service performance targets.
Full training will be provided, including support to develop your knowledge of money advice and guidance.
Who We're Looking For
We're seeking someone who can build trust, inspire confidence and empower people to achieve positive change.
You'll ideally have:
• Understanding of the challenges faced by people affected by offending, addiction, homelessness or mental health difficulties.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Experience providing support, mentoring, coaching or case management.
• The ability to work independently, use initiative and solve problems creatively.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Resilience, empathy and a non-judgemental approach.
• Confidence using technology and maintaining accurate records.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.
Experience within criminal justice settings, prisons, welfare benefits, money advice or debt support is welcomed but not essential. Lived experience and diverse perspectives are highly valued.
Ready to Apply?
If you're passionate about helping people overcome barriers and create lasting change, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help transform lives across our criminal justice services.
Why Work With Rethink Mental Illness?
At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe that when you feel supported, you can make the biggest difference. That’s why we offer a range of benefits to help you thrive:
• Inclusive Culture: Join staff networks that champion diversity and inclusion.
• Wellbeing Support: Access our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, and the Unmind mental health app.
• Recognition & Rewards: Enjoy discounts, cashback offers, and celebrate achievements through our PULSE platform.
• Flexible Working & Generous Leave: Starting at 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with options to buy or sell extra days.
• Learning & Development: Grow your career with structured onboarding and training opportunities.
• Financial & Family Support: Contributory pension scheme, enhanced family leave, and travel benefits like season ticket loans and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Referral Bonus: Earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Diversity is important to us, and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.
We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.
Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation
We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
