Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
References
Timeline
Generic

Johanna Leslie

Abergele,CONWY

Summary

I am passionate about providing pastoral care in a compassionate, caring and professional manner. With a passion for fostering spiritual growth and providing support for those who are seeking faith.


My approach is one of care, empathy and understanding, with a desire to support those who require, help, encouragement, a listening ear as well as coming alongside those who are in crisis.


I posses good communication and listening skills, with extensive experience of interacting and supporting vulnerable individuals, whilst maintaining professional boundaries, and offering non-judgmental pastoral care. I demonstrate emotional intelligence, with a strong commitment to tolerance and understanding.


I strive to help people discover the best in themselves and helping them to grow and develop as a person, so they can make a positive impact in their communities, families and realise their potential.

Overview

9
9
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification

Work History

Lead Evangelist for North Coast of Wales CoM

Church Army
Abergele, Conwy
03.2022 - Current
  • I pioneered 'Transform' a new Fresh Expression of Church. Leading weekly services, bible studies and prayer meetings.
  • Provide pastoral care and support to the worshipping community and beyond.
  • Provide regular discipleship courses for those enquiring about the Christian faith.
  • I have created several new social action projects in order to provide opportunities to build relationships and provide support within a deprived community.
  • A community lunch has been established, as well as an over 55's group, Menopause cafe, Homeless support and advice drop-in and a Repair Cafe. All of these projects aim to elevate isolation, poverty, loneliness, provide a free food provision, improve mental health and well-being.
  • Providing pastoral care, referrals for specialised support, especially for those those with chaotic lifestyles, including mental health and substance misuse.
  • Partnership work with local charities, such as Nacro, Abergele Foodbank and Repair Cafe Wales.
  • I strive to be Christian presence within the community of Pensarn - connecting and engaging with the wider community.
  • I have recruited, overseen and supported a team of volunteers.
  • Apply for Grants and sourcing funds to run the Centre of Mission activities.
  • Keep accurate and up to date records on all Centre of Mission activities. Providing termly reporting to Church Army.
  • Engage with the mission area and wider church to support and encourage evangelism
  • Ensuring good working practices are followed at all times, working within organisational policies and procedures.
  • Journey alongside community members, providing pastoral care and discipleship.
  • Supporting families and individuals with life issues and those who are in crisis.
  • Ensuring all safeguarding issues are reported to Church Army and Diocese safeguarding officers. Ensuring accurate records are kept, implementing all safeguarding recommendations.
  • Risk assessing all Centre of mission activities
  • Providing appropriate services and community engagement around seasonal religious events such as Easter, Christmas and Pentecost.
  • Contribute to the wider work of Church Army.
  • A member of Church Army training team committee.


Community Evangelist and Mission Lead

Stranton Church Hartlepool -Diocese of Durham
Hartlepool, County Durham
09.2021 - 02.2022


  • Pioneer new community actions groups including, a weekly community meal for men, Bible study and prayer groups and women's sewing group.
  • Key leader in a weekly soup run for the homeless community. Providing practical and spiritual support.
  • Lead prayer meetings to foster a sense of fellowship and shared spirituality.
  • Conduct outreach into most deprived areas, building bridges with local communities.
  • Work as part of a team, supporting and encouraging other team members and praying together.
  • Work with local men in the 'Burn Valley' area, providing a weekly lunch. Supporting this community who encounter poverty, poor mental/physical health and substance misuse issues.
  • Co-run Forest Church Fresh Expression of Church for the local community.
  • To follow all policies and procedures ensuring health and safety and safeguarding guidelines were followed.
  • Risk assess all activities.
  • Maintain accurate records and provide quarterly report for SDF and the diocese.
  • Work with local churches to promote faith within the local community.
  • Be a Christian presence and provide pastoral care within the local foodbank.
  • Work in partnership with local organisations and charities to provide one-off activities such as Christmas day lunch and other on going projects.
  • Provided pastoral care, offering comfort and guidance during times of personal crisis.
  • Provided discipleship courses for nurturing new believers' spiritual growth.
  • Fostered spiritual growth with regular bible study sessions for refugees and asylum seekers. Supporting them to prepare for confirmation and baptisms.
  • Recruited, managed and supported a volunteer team.
  • Provided online reflections for the wider community.


Support Worker

The Bridge Homelessness to Hope
Leicester, Leicestershire
11.2019 - 10.2021
  • Overseeing running of day centre activities including the breakfast club, recreational activities, and food services.
  • Running a dynamic and lively early morning breakfast service for rough sleepers. Ensuring the safety of guests and volunteers and smooth running of the service.
  • Building relationships with the most entrenched rough sleepers, helping them to engage with support services, assist them with housing and provide practical support such as clothing, sleeping bags and hygiene items.
  • Caring out risk assessments for all services, as well as dynamic risk assessments at the breakfast service.
  • Overseeing and supporting volunteer team.
  • Support guests with benefit applications, EEU settled status applications, drug, and alcohol referrals.
  • Case work and support homeless guests, to help them move forward with their lives and empower them to make positive changes.
  • Support the running of quarterly health awareness days.
  • Advocating for clients in relation to housing, welfare benefits and other support needs.
  • Assisting guests to obtain benefits, ID and Credit Union accounts.
  • Attending multi agency homeless meetings.
  • Work closely with other support agencies and services within the city: these relationships were vital and enabled a smoother journey for our guests created a much more joined-up approach.
  • Approaching my support work by meeting our guests ‘where they are at’ and working at their pace to help them reach their goals and aspirations.
  • Regular outreach into city centre and red-light area, to connect with those in need of support, as well as offering practical provisions.
  • Networking - establishing and maintaining good working relationships and carrying out joint work with other agencies/churches/charities/healthcare providers within the city.
  • Contribute to all aspects of The Bridges work, supporting colleagues and contributing to team meetings.
  • Ensuring safeguarding, health and safety and client welfare policies are adhered to.
  • Ensuring all client work is updated onto case management system in a timely manner.
  • Ensuring all organisational policies and procedures are adhered to.
  • Providing information, case studies and statistics for monthly board report.

Resettlement worker HMP Brixton/HMP Belmarsh

St Mungos
London, London
05.2016 - 10.2019


  • Making Part VII homeless applications with local councils.
  • Provide housing support and advice to ex- offenders who have been referred by CRC probation services across London (Pan London).
  • Update client notes on case management platform in a timely manner and keep accurate client records.
  • Advocate and support clients with a range of support needs.
  • Build positive and supportive relationships with those I worked with, encouraging and helping them engage with other support services.
  • Refer clients to supported accommodation and recovery projects.
  • Support clients to make benefit claims.
  • Signpost clients to relevant support services, ensuring they have holistic and relevant support in place.
  • Establish links with landlords and supported accommodation providers.
  • Working with clients in custody who were due to be released homeless, assisting them to resettle back into the community.
  • Support ex-offenders within probation who were homeless, with a view to empowering them to move forward with their lives, by assisting them to find stable accommodation and then move into some form of ETE.
  • Providing resettlement support for those leaving prison without accommodation and those already in the community on probation who are homeless across South East London.
  • Carry out a comprehensive assessment with all clients to ascertain their housing, support needs and any risks.
  • Meet with and assess clients 6 weeks prior to release from custody, (HMP Belmarsh and HMP Brixton).
  • Agree on a comprehensive and individualised support plan for each person.
  • Establish and maintain positive working relationships with internal and external agencies. Multi-agency working – attending MAPPA and other multi agency meetings.
  • Providing holistic support including housing, employment, benefits, family mediation/liaison and substance misuse.
  • Ensure all policies and procedures are followed at all times.
  • Carry our dynamic risk assessments, both meeting with clients in prison and the community. Ensuring safeguarding and safety are prioritised.
  • Update all case notes onto OPAL, ensuring this is done in a timely manner.
  • Risk assess all activities, ensuring safe working/safeguarding within prisons and the community.
  • Report all safeguarding concerns, liaising with probation officers and all relevant authorities.




Education

Diploma of Higher Education - Theology and Mission

University of Durham
Remote learning in conjunction with Church Army
09.2018 - 07.2021

Certificate of Higher Education - Cultural, Spiritual and Religious Care

University of East London
London
09.2015 - 07.2016

EEA Certificate - Theology and Intercultural Studies

Cornerstone Bible College
Beugen, Netherlands
09.2013 - 07.2014

NVQ Level 1, 2 & 3 - Information Technology

JCP Training
Derby
04.2001 - 04.2002

Skills

  • Fostering spiritual growth
  • Pastoral care knowledge
  • Professional boundaries training
  • Communicating with vulnerable individuals
  • Non-Judgmental attitude
  • Tolerance and understanding
  • Pastoral care
  • Compassionate
  • Mental health first aid
  • Emotional intelligence

Affiliations

  • Junk Journaling, Sea Swimming and keeping fit

Certification

Church Army commissioned evangelist - July 2021

References

Leoni Oxenham

Church Army Line Manager from March 2022 to March 2025 (made redundant)

Email: leonioxenham@gmail.com

Telephone: 07814 013978


Reverend Gemma Baseley

Line manager at Communities of Hope, Hartlepool from 

Email: mothergemma@gmail.com

Address: St Paul’s rectory, 162 Hampton road, Beaconsfield 6162, WA. Australia.


Referees can be contacted at anytime.





Timeline

Lead Evangelist for North Coast of Wales CoM

Church Army
03.2022 - Current

Community Evangelist and Mission Lead

Stranton Church Hartlepool -Diocese of Durham
09.2021 - 02.2022

Support Worker

The Bridge Homelessness to Hope
11.2019 - 10.2021

Diploma of Higher Education - Theology and Mission

University of Durham
09.2018 - 07.2021

Resettlement worker HMP Brixton/HMP Belmarsh

St Mungos
05.2016 - 10.2019

Certificate of Higher Education - Cultural, Spiritual and Religious Care

University of East London
09.2015 - 07.2016

EEA Certificate - Theology and Intercultural Studies

Cornerstone Bible College
09.2013 - 07.2014

NVQ Level 1, 2 & 3 - Information Technology

JCP Training
04.2001 - 04.2002

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