Peer Support Worker

Job overview

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the leading providers of services for the LGBTQI+ communities including our surgical service, Chelsea Centre for Gender Surgery, the gender dysphoria clinic ‘TransPlus’, trans sexual health service ‘56T’. Our trans services are recognised for their inclusivity & diversity and our ambition is to be the leading healthcare provider for trans and non-binary service users in the UK, building on the specialist expertise and knowledge of our clinical teams.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has been commissioned by NHS England to provide a comprehensive gender surgery centre including masculinising lower surgery, masculinising chest and feminising lower surgery. Our vision is for an innovative and patient-centred service, based on the principle that patients must have equal access to surgical services whatever their gender identity with reasonable adjustments to the delivery of care to match the individual’s needs and circumstances.

Main duties of the job

• To work with either the gender surgery service at New Victoria Hospital, or at Parkside Hospital.
• To work both within and outside the trans health sector to ensure a high-quality service to trans and non-binary people.
• To work alongside the relevant MDT to coordinate and facilitate individual and group support that addresses trans and non-binary well-being needs and supports patients throughout their surgical journey.
• To support patients to develop an individualised care plan.
• Support patients to support patients, as appropriate, to increase involvement in their care, and confidence in decision-making.
• To link patients in with local services where appropriate (e.g., GPs) with support from your supervisor.
• To attend regular supervision on at least a fortnightly basis with a clinical psychologist.
• To adhere to relevant safeguarding policies and ensure clear and professional documentation of patient contacts.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• ·      To provide individual peer support sessions to trans and non-binary service users, supporting them to identify and work towards their goals in relation to preparing for and recovering from surgery. ·      To work in a hybrid model involving some in-person and some remote working at the discretion of the line manager. ·      To work alongside peer support colleagues to facilitate peer support groups which foster connections between service users and reduce isolation.   ·      To support patients to increase involvement in their care, and confidence in decision-making. ·      To work alongside the MDT to ensure a high-quality service is provided to trans and non-binary people. ·      To recognise needs within the service user population and support the development of the service to address these. ·      To support any other peer support projects which may arise. ·      To support service evaluation and research projects conducted within the service as appropriate.