Peer Support Specialist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and compassionate Peer Support Specialist to join our team at the Hellingly Centre.

We are looking for someone whose personal values and behaviours are in keeping with our Trusts values:

People first: People are at the heart of everything we do

Future focused: We are optimistic, we learn and we always try to improve

Embracing change: We are bold, innovative and disciplined about making use of our resources to continuously improve

Working together: We provide services in partnership with patients, families and others

Everyone counts: We value, appreciate and respect each other

If you are passionate about using your lived experience to support others in their recovery, to achieve their goals and live more fulfilling lives, this could be the perfect role for you.

Main duties of the job

• Effectively communicating the core values and underpinning principles of peer support to service users, carers and other professionals, aiding others' understanding of peer support roles and their value within teams and service users' care.
• Working alongside the multidisciplinary team, establishing professional relationships with colleagues.
• Establishing mutual and reciprocal relationships with service users by listening to their experiences and journey, including leading to their admission to hospital and support them to consider their current goals and hopes and plans for the future.
• Working with service users individually and in groups, in a peer-led way, supporting them to meet needs holistically,  e.g. education, welfare, employment, financial, leisure, housing and spiritual.
• Utilising your lived experience to support individuals and sharing parts of your own recovery story, where appropriate, to inspire hope. Being a positive role model for others overcoming mental health challenges, including service users, other workers and families or carer.
• Supporting and enabling individuals to resolve conflicts and regain control, responsibility, hope and enjoyment based on the principles of peer supported recovery.
• Supporting service users to engage in participation, co-production and service development opportunities, through the Working Together Group and other means and working on service development projects aligned with these areas.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the documents attached for full details of the main responsibilities associated with the role and person specification requirements.

In this role you will be supported by the Trusts' central peer support team who offer mentoring, training and networking opportunities.

For any questions please contact Amy Boot, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist - [email protected] / 07471 034261

• r Kirsten Iles, Peer Support Lead - [email protected] / 07391 415570