Hello! from Rotherham’s Peer Connector Service:
We are a new, NHS funded project aiming to help young people aged 16-24 with mild mental health struggles access education and work. In this role we provide support and guidance, identifying goals of the young person, building confidence and finding ways to overcome barriers to both education and work. We do this through consistent 1-1 meetings with the young people, checking in and completing activities designed to help them reach their goals, whilst also being a safe space to talk about the challenges they are facing.
Community Health and Inclusion Youth Worker Role
The Community Health and Inclusion (CH&I) Youth Worker Role, hosted by Rush, builds on the success of the previous Youth Worker Pilot Project (YWPP), which demonstrated strong outcomes in improving young people’s wellbeing, confidence, and engagement in their communities. The CH&I Youth worker role is designed to primarily support young people aged 11 – 19 who are living with long-term health conditions, including asthma, epilepsy, and diabetes, to improve their wellbeing, inclusion, and participation in their communities.
We can also accept referrals for short term intervention for young people aged 11- 15 who have been admitted to the Children’s ward with low level mental health needs.
The role will be delivered alongside the Smiles for Miles (SFM) project, another project managed by the Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) Consortium, and will work closely with TRFT staff teams and existing youth and wellbeing services to ensure coordinated support for young people navigating both health and social challenges.
Smiles for Miles
We are proud to be delivering activities as part of the three-year Smiles for Miles project, led by the Children, Young People and Families Consortium. Through this initiative, we provide personal development groups for young people aged 14–19 in the community.
The project is designed to help young people build confidence, improve self-esteem, and develop essential life skills. Sessions are delivered through structured, engaging activities in a comfortable, safe, and sociable environment where participants can feel supported and valued.
As a registered AQA centre, we also offer the opportunity for young people to work towards AQA Unit Awards, recognising their achievements and celebrating their progress. AQA units available include Emotional Awareness, Tree of Life Narrative Therapy, and Relationships, among others.
Town Centre Outreach Project
The aim of this project is to contribute to the prevention and reduction of Anti-social behaviour and serious violence through the presence of Outreach Support Workers in hotspots in and around Rotherham Town Centre. You’ll see our Outreach Team out and about across Rotherham, easily recognisable in their Rush Outreach jackets, offering support, advice and a friendly face to those who need it most. We work closely with South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit and RMBC teams to deliver this support.
Outreach Support Workers contribute to the prevention and reduction of anti-social behaviour and serious violence by:
•Using the reachable space that hotspots provide to help prevent anti-social behaviour in hotspots by acting as non-police ‘capable guardians’ thorough our presence and ability to mediate and defuse situations to prevent escalation.
•Offering immediate practical and emotional support to young people/adults in hotspots including those with substance misuse needs.
•Seeking to quickly connect people with existing diversionary and treatment or support services that can reduce their future risk of being a victim or offender of anti-social behaviour or violence.
