The Safer Lives project is recruiting a Peer Researcher to join its team in London and contribute to an important research project focused on young people, families, youth violence and offending. This is a full-time, fixed-term paid job offering an annual salary of £26,936, with the opportunity to develop practical research, community engagement and social research skills while making a meaningful contribution to safer and healthier communities.
The role is particularly suited to people who are comfortable communicating with young people and families, can build trusting relationships, listen carefully to difficult experiences and understand the impact that racism, discrimination and stereotyping can have on young people and families, particularly in relation to the criminal justice system.
Unlike many research vacancies, the Safer Lives project does not require a university degree, formal research qualifications or an extensive CV. The organisation is looking for people who can bring relevant lived experience, community knowledge, interpersonal skills, creativity and a genuine commitment to supporting young people and families.
About the Safer Lives Project
Safer Lives is focused on supporting parents of young people who are involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, offending or youth violence.
The project recognises that supporting young people often also means supporting the families around them. Parents and caregivers may need practical tools, confidence and support to better understand what their children are experiencing, strengthen family relationships and navigate difficult circumstances.
The project aims to understand whether supporting parents can contribute to better outcomes for young people.
As part of this work, Safer Lives is conducting an evaluation of the project. The evaluation will help demonstrate what difference the programme makes and how its approach can be improved.
The Peer Researcher will play an important role in ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of young people and their families are properly represented throughout the research.
What Is a Peer Researcher?
A Peer Researcher is someone who works directly with people participating in a research project and helps researchers understand their experiences, perspectives and needs.
In this position, you will act as an important connection between:
- Young people
- Their families
- The Safer Lives project team
- The evaluation team
- The wider research process
The role goes beyond simply collecting information. You will help create an environment where young people feel comfortable communicating openly and where their voices can genuinely influence how research is conducted.
This makes the position particularly valuable for someone interested in social research, youth engagement, community development, public services, equality, criminal justice or youth violence prevention.
Key Responsibilities of the Peer Researcher
As a Peer Researcher, you will have several important responsibilities throughout the Safer Lives project.
1. Engage With Young People
You will meet young people participating in or connected to the project and explain what the research and wider project are about.
A key part of this responsibility will be communicating information in a way that is:
- Clear
- Simple
- Accessible
- Respectful
- Appropriate for young people
You will need to avoid unnecessary technical research language and make sure participants understand what they are being asked to do.
2. Build Trust With Families
Building relationships will be one of the most important parts of the position.
Young people and families may be discussing sensitive or difficult experiences. Therefore, the ability to make people feel comfortable, respected and listened to will be essential.
You will work to develop trust with families, particularly young people, so that they feel able to share their experiences.
3. Maintain Contact With Participants
The role also involves staying connected with young people and families throughout the research process.
You may need to check in with participants regularly and help maintain their engagement with the project.
This is important because research projects can lose participants over time if people become disengaged or are unable to continue participating.
4. Collect Research Information
You will help collect information from participants as part of the evaluation.
Some conversations may involve difficult or sensitive questions. The role therefore requires someone who can listen carefully and ask challenging questions while remaining compassionate and respectful.
The focus will be on collecting useful information without making participants feel judged or uncomfortable.
5. Help Improve Youth Engagement
Your experience working directly with young people will also help the wider research team understand how best to communicate with them.
You will contribute ideas about:
- How young people prefer to communicate
- How research questions can be presented
- How engagement can be improved
- How young people can remain involved
- How their voices can remain central to the research
This means the Peer Researcher will not simply follow instructions but will have an opportunity to influence how research involving young people is carried out.
6. Support Creative Engagement
The organisation is also looking for someone who can use creativity to help communicate the project’s work and demonstrate the difference it is making.
This could involve helping with engagement activities or finding accessible ways to communicate the project’s impact to communities and participants.
Who Is Safer Lives Looking For?
One of the distinctive features of this opportunity is that the organisation is not primarily looking for academic qualifications or formal research experience.
Instead, Safer Lives is looking for people who have strong interpersonal skills, community awareness and a genuine interest in supporting young people and families.
You may be a good candidate if you are:
- A strong communicator
- Comfortable speaking with different types of people
- A good listener
- Patient and empathetic
- Respectful and reliable
- Open-minded
- Comfortable discussing difficult topics
- Able to build trust with young people
- Interested in youth and family issues
- Interested in social research
- Passionate about safer and healthier communities
- Creative in your approach to community engagement
- Willing to learn new skills
- Interested in making a positive social impact
Relevant Lived Experience
Safer Lives specifically welcomes people with relevant lived experience.
Lived experience can provide valuable insight into the realities faced by young people and families and can help researchers build more authentic relationships with communities.
However, the organisation also states that candidates can demonstrate a genuine passion for supporting young people and families through difficult circumstances.
This means applicants should not assume that they are automatically unsuitable simply because they do not have direct lived experience of every issue addressed by the project.
Examples of People Who Could Be Suitable
The organisation gives examples of potential candidates such as:
- Youth leaders
- People who have previously participated in similar projects
- Trusted community voices
- People with relevant lived experience
- Individuals who regularly support young people
- People with strong community connections
- People interested in social research and youth engagement
The most important qualities are your ability to communicate, listen, build relationships and contribute positively to the research.
What You Will Receive
The position provides several benefits beyond the salary.
Paid Full-Time Employment
The role provides a salary of £26,936 per year and is full time.
The organisation states that the salary is paid at the real Living Wage.
Employer Pension Contributions
The employer will provide pension contributions above the statutory minimum.
Training and Professional Development
The successful candidate will receive training and support designed to strengthen their skills and professional profile.
This can be particularly valuable for someone who wants to develop experience in research, community engagement or related fields.
Social Research Experience
The position provides practical experience in social research.
You will learn through direct participation in an active research and evaluation project rather than only through classroom-based learning.
Opportunity to Influence Research
You will have an opportunity to help shape how research involving young people is conducted.
Your ideas and experiences will be considered as part of the project’s approach to engaging participants.
Meaningful Social Impact
The position provides an opportunity to contribute to research focused on youth violence, offending, family relationships and safer communities.
Your work could help improve understanding of how supporting parents can contribute to better outcomes for young people.
Contract Duration
The position is initially a fixed-term appointment beginning in September 2026.
The advertised contract runs until April 2028.
There is also a possibility that the contract could be extended until September 2028.
Applicants should therefore understand that this is initially a fixed-term position rather than a permanent appointment.
Location and Working Arrangements
The role is based in London, with the organisation’s office located at:
Greenwood Place
Kentish Town
NW5 1LB
London, UK
The position is full time, generally operating from:
Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
However, there is some flexibility because the families involved in the project may not always be available during traditional office hours.
There may also be opportunities to work from home on some days.
However, this is not intended to be a fully remote position.
A significant part of the role will involve spending time in the communities and locations where the research is taking place, meeting and engaging with young people and the people who support them.
The specific research sites are still being negotiated.
The successful candidate will also be expected to spend time in the office each week to work alongside colleagues, share experiences and discuss what has been happening in the research.
Recruitment Timeline
Applicants should pay close attention to the recruitment dates.
Applications Open
Friday, 31 July 2026
Applications begin to be accepted from this date.
Application Deadline
Monday, 17 August 2026 at 12:00pm
Applications must be received by midday on the stated deadline.
Interviews
Thursday, 20 August 2026
Interviews will be held in person at the organisation’s office in Kentish Town.
Hiring Decision
The organisation expects to make a decision shortly after the interviews, hopefully within approximately one week.
Expected Start Date
The successful candidate is expected to begin the position in early September 2026.
How the Application Process Works
Safer Lives has deliberately kept the application process simple and accessible.
Applicants do not need to prepare a traditional long-form job application.
One-Page Application Form
The first requirement is a short, one-page application form.
The organisation states that it does not need applicants to provide extensive information at this stage.
Short Personal Statement
Applicants will also need to provide a short statement explaining why they are interested in the position.
There are several ways to provide this statement.
You can submit:
- A written statement
- A video
- A voice note
If submitting a written statement, one or two pages is considered sufficient.
For a video or voice note, the organisation asks that it be less than three minutes long.
This approach gives applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their personality, communication style and motivation rather than relying entirely on formal qualifications.
Equalities and Diversity Monitoring Form
Applicants will also be asked to complete an Equalities and Diversity Monitoring Form.
This is intended to help the organisation evaluate and improve its recruitment practices.
The monitoring information is separate from the main application assessment.
No Formal CV or Long Cover Letter
A particularly important feature of this vacancy is that formal CVs are not required.
The organisation also does not want applicants to submit lengthy traditional cover letters.
Instead, the application process is designed to allow candidates to communicate who they are, why they care about the work and what they could contribute.
This makes the vacancy potentially attractive to people who have strong community, interpersonal or lived experience but may not have an extensive formal employment history.
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Important Things Applicants Should Know
Before applying, candidates should consider several practical requirements.
First, this is a full-time London-based role, rather than a fully remote international position.
Second, applicants should be comfortable working directly with young people and families and discussing potentially sensitive subjects.
Third, the position requires regular engagement outside the office, meaning applicants should be comfortable travelling to research locations.
Fourth, the successful candidate will need to attend the office regularly and participate in team discussions.
Finally, candidates should be prepared to demonstrate genuine motivation for supporting young people, families and safer communities.
Deadline
The application deadline for the Safer Lives Peer Researcher vacancy is:
Monday, 17 August 2026 at 12:00pm
Applications should be submitted before the stated deadline.
The recruitment process is expected to move quickly, with interviews scheduled for Thursday, 20 August 2026 and the successful candidate expected to start in early September 2026.
Click HERE to download application form.
Conclusion
The Safer Lives Peer Researcher vacancy is an opportunity for someone who wants to combine paid employment with meaningful community and research work. With a salary of £26,936 per year, a fixed-term contract running from September 2026 to April 2028, training and professional development opportunities, and the possibility of an extension to September 2028, the position offers a valuable pathway into social research and community-based work.
Perhaps most importantly, Safer Lives is not looking for applicants based solely on degrees, formal research qualifications or long CVs. The organisation is looking for people who can listen, communicate, build trust, understand difficult experiences and bring young people’s voices into research.
For individuals with relevant lived experience, community involvement or a genuine commitment to supporting young people and families, this could be an opportunity to turn those strengths into professional research experience while contributing to work addressing youth violence and safer communities.
With applications closing at 12:00pm on Monday, 17 August 2026, interested candidates should prepare their short application and personal statement in advance of the deadline.
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