Peer Support Worker

Job overview

Do you have lived experience of mental health difficulties?

Would you like to use this experience to support others?

We are delighted to be advertising this new opportunity for two full-time roles for Band 3 Peer Support Workers. We are looking for individuals who are proactive and enthusiastic with lived experience of mental health challenges to join our male low secure units, Prospect Place (Rochdale) & Tatton Unit (Tameside).

The Peer Support Worker role has been developed specifically for people with lived experience of mental health difficulties. If you have lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties, including experience of inpatient/ward based mental health services and drug and alcohol difficulties, then this role could be for you.

As a Peer Support Worker, you will work directly alongside service users on a 1:1 and/or group basis. This will primarily be on the ward but sometimes you may also work with service users out in the community when they are utilising Section 17 leave.

As a Peer Support Worker, you will be acting as a role model by sharing your own lived experience of navigating mental health difficulties, inspiring hope and optimism to demonstrate that a positive and meaningful life is possible. You will empower service users to take greater control and responsibility over their own care and to successfully achieve their personal goals.

Part time and flexible working could be considered for this role.

Full details of the job role and responsibilities can be found in the job description.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users’ and their carers and have a clear understanding of professional boundaries.
• To act as a positive role model, showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards service users, their families and carers and colleagues, always demonstrating the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust values.
• To use active listening skills to help service users develop self – understanding and identify their personal recovery goals.
• Ensure your peer’s goals are integrated and are reviewed on a regular basis, liaising with the multi – disciplinary team as necessary.
• To communicate effectively with individuals and their carers.
• Model personal responsibility, self – awareness, self – belief, self – advocacy and hopefulness via the telling of own recovery journey to inspire and install confidence in peers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To raise awareness of a strengths - based approach and associated language modelling positive strengths based, non – discriminatory, non – jargon, trauma informed language in all areas of work.
• Participating as a co – facilitator on more structured and formal group – based interventions.
• Through their interaction with service users advise staff of changes in risk, mental health and/or behaviour.
• Prioritise, manage and monitor own workload and handle the day-to-day organisation of workload with the support of the Team Manager.
• To accompany service users to appointments/meetings of their choice and perform a range of practical tasks, aligned to recovery goals and promote choice at all times.
• To facilitate access to community groups and networks that enable service users to participate in community activities, in order to maximise opportunities for taking on socially valued roles and positive identify.
• To be available for 1:1 sessions with service users when not engaged in structured/planned activities.
• To support individual service users to collaboratively write up their care plans with qualified practitioners and identify their needs, goals and hopes for the future.
• To support individual service users to work on identified needs in their personal care plans, utilising and celebrating their strengths and reviewing their progress.
• To offer support to attend clinical review meetings and empower service users to feedback progress on their recovery goals. To offer support to empower individuals to work towards leading on their own clinical review meetings.
• Share/ teach coping, self – help and self-management techniques within the peer relationship.
• Use own initiative, personal experience and job-related training in deciding on the approach and interventions required when working with a service user in delivering peer support, with supervision from the multi – disciplinary team.
• Support other members of the multi – disciplinary team in promoting a recovery orientated environment and in identifying recovery focused activities facilitating the sharing of information/education as required.