• Job Description

  Req#: C9294-24-0497?language=en&page=382&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  We are looking for Peer Support Workers with lived experience of mental health challenges to join our Home Treatment Teams Service and work as part of an integrated team providing support to people with long-term mental health problems. Posts are available for full time and we would consider band 3-4 developmental post for suitable candidates.

  As a Peer Support Worker you will be responsible for providing peer support to people with long term mental health problems, supporting people to develop their independence, self-management skills and achieve their recovery goals.

  If you are passionate about impacting positively on the lives of people with severe and enduring mental illness in a community setting, then this could be the perfect job for you.

  The successful candidate will provide intentional peer support, you will need to have undertaken or be prepared to undertake accredited peer support worker training and be willing to positively share your own life experiences, and personal experience of mental health conditions with service users, team member's and carers.

  You will be allocated a caseload of people who would benefit and want to engage with peer support services and will work with them in a time-focused way that enables them to connect with community resources that will help sustain their mental wellbeing in the community.

  Main duties of the job

  • To work with the multi-disciplinary team to provide additional support to people with mental health disorders using the principles and values of peer support
  • Delivering time-limited, outcome focused interventions individually or via groups that build on peoples existing resources and personal resiliencies
  • To assume a 'coaching' role supporting service users in developing personal recovery and/or Crisis & Contingency plans
  • To assist service users to identify their strengths, personal interests and goals
  • To provide opportunities for service users to direct their own recovery process
  • To facilitate the individual to move through and beyond mental health services
  • To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate coping skills, using own experience of recovery
  • To act as a role model to service users to inspire hope, share life experiences and lessons learned as a person in recovery
  • To signpost and support access to a breath of culturally appropriate services that support mental wellbeing in the community this may include access to social care, welfare benefits and housing support
  • To support service users in attending appointments, therapeutic or social community based activities as appropriate to enable them to manage in the absence of peer support in the future
  • To support services users who might be interested in developing professionally within the peer support field, by identifying their needs and facilitating access to vocational, professional and training opportunities

  About us

  We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

  We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

  This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

  We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

  We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

  Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

  Date posted

  12 June 2024

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 4

  Salary

  £25,147 to £27,596 a year per annum plus Inner/Outer London HCAs

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Full-time

  Reference number

  294-AAUC-6363414-PB

  Job locations

  Tolworth Hospital, Wilson Hospital or Queen Mary's Hospital

  London

  KT6 7QU

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Service User/Carer Experience

  1) Establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services and their carers, friends and families.

  2) Support the promotion of recovery orientated environments, modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon language in all areas of work.

  3) To demonstrate and promote the values and positive image of the Trust in terms of a compassionate, empathic and responsive experience of the service.

  4) Interact with service users and carers to enable them to communicate their needs, personal resources, choices and decisions regarding their care and support.

  5) Identifying appropriate crisis, wellbeing and recovery tools and resources (both mental health or social care specific but also individual) that will support someone both in real time and when facing any future crisis to minimise negative impacts.

  6) To help service users access information on health promotion as well as mental and physical wellbeing.

  7) To contribute to lone-working and safeguarding procedures/processes to support service user/carer/public safety.

  Service Improvements

  1) To reduce the frequency and potential negative impact of unnecessary or prolonged contact with mental health services

  2) Contribute to the positive reputation and development of policy and practice around the expansion of workforce of people with lived experience within the Trust.

  3) Support people to access the information and advice they require to make informed decision and choices around the support they receive.

  4) To proactively raise the profile of peer support both within SWLStG, and externally, through co-delivery of presentations, workshops, and participation in Trust wide peer related projects and audits: and information sharing as required and as agreed with the line manager.

  Personal and People Development

  1) Recognise own limitations and make judgements within level of own competency when undertaking peer support work.

  2) Recognise situations which require intervention from another member of the team and escalate to more senior staff.

  3) Responsibility for maintaining appropriate boundaries with the people with whom you are in contact with in the course of your work.

  4) Participate in the induction of new staff and assist in the delivery of training to other lived experience roles as appropriate.

  5) Access and promote tools for maintaining personal wellbeing and seek support/help if situations are difficult to manage.

  6) To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.

  7) To develop peer-focused leadership skills to support the reputation of the lived experience workforce, supporting new projects as needed.

  Communication

  1) Identify from building a connection with service users when it is appropriate and safe to share personal experiences, and where sharing is purposeful.

  2) Communicate in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met.

  3) Using the values of peer support, overcome barriers or difficulties that service users might have in understanding peer support so that they can effectively engage.

  4) To support the service user to prepare for meetings regarding their care, assisting them to understand and be able to communicate their rights and choices within services.

  5) Use communication skills effectively when supporting people in distress, in line with trust policies.

  6) To ensure appropriate level of record keeping and adhere to local and Trust policy.

  7) Report any untoward incidents or unusual occurrences to the manager in a timely manner.

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Service User/Carer Experience

  1) Establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services and their carers, friends and families.

  2) Support the promotion of recovery orientated environments, modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon language in all areas of work.

  3) To demonstrate and promote the values and positive image of the Trust in terms of a compassionate, empathic and responsive experience of the service.

  4) Interact with service users and carers to enable them to communicate their needs, personal resources, choices and decisions regarding their care and support.

  5) Identifying appropriate crisis, wellbeing and recovery tools and resources (both mental health or social care specific but also individual) that will support someone both in real time and when facing any future crisis to minimise negative impacts.

  6) To help service users access information on health promotion as well as mental and physical wellbeing.

  7) To contribute to lone-working and safeguarding procedures/processes to support service user/carer/public safety.

  Service Improvements

  1) To reduce the frequency and potential negative impact of unnecessary or prolonged contact with mental health services

  2) Contribute to the positive reputation and development of policy and practice around the expansion of workforce of people with lived experience within the Trust.

  3) Support people to access the information and advice they require to make informed decision and choices around the support they receive.

  4) To proactively raise the profile of peer support both within SWLStG, and externally, through co-delivery of presentations, workshops, and participation in Trust wide peer related projects and audits: and information sharing as required and as agreed with the line manager.

  Personal and People Development

  1) Recognise own limitations and make judgements within level of own competency when undertaking peer support work.

  2) Recognise situations which require intervention from another member of the team and escalate to more senior staff.

  3) Responsibility for maintaining appropriate boundaries with the people with whom you are in contact with in the course of your work.

  4) Participate in the induction of new staff and assist in the delivery of training to other lived experience roles as appropriate.

  5) Access and promote tools for maintaining personal wellbeing and seek support/help if situations are difficult to manage.

  6) To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.

  7) To develop peer-focused leadership skills to support the reputation of the lived experience workforce, supporting new projects as needed.

  Communication

  1) Identify from building a connection with service users when it is appropriate and safe to share personal experiences, and where sharing is purposeful.

  2) Communicate in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met.

  3) Using the values of peer support, overcome barriers or difficulties that service users might have in understanding peer support so that they can effectively engage.

  4) To support the service user to prepare for meetings regarding their care, assisting them to understand and be able to communicate their rights and choices within services.

  5) Use communication skills effectively when supporting people in distress, in line with trust policies.

  6) To ensure appropriate level of record keeping and adhere to local and Trust policy.

  7) Report any untoward incidents or unusual occurrences to the manager in a timely manner.

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Good standard of education with a relevant qualification AS Level, NVQ 3 or equivalent OR
  • Key Skills in Literacy and Numeracy Level 2 (or willing to achieve within 2 years) and equivalent experience of providing peer support in the mental health sector and willingness to complete accredited PSW training.
  • Evidence of mental health specific training

  Desirable

  • Peer Support Worker training
  • Safeguarding Adults and Children Training

  Experience

  Essential

  • Experience of representing someone's views or advocating on their behalf
  • Lived experience of mental health problems from which you have recovered.
  • Experience of using wellbeing or recovery focussed tools to manage own mental health.
  • Experience of working within a team
  • Experience of using wellbeing or recovery focused tools to support someone else in managing their mental health.
  • Recent experience of working in the mental health sector
  • Experience of participating in and contributing to peer support groups.

  Desirable

  • Experience of having used secondary mental health services.
  • Experience of facilitating peer-led groups
  • Experience of involvement in service development, of contributing to project development/management
  • Experience of recording and reporting on service improvement initiatives in any setting
  • Experience of supervising others
  • Experience of recruiting others to roles in either a paid or voluntary capacity
  • Experience of training, coaching or supporting the development of others in the workplace
  • Understanding of the role of Home Treatment Teams

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Good standard of education with a relevant qualification AS Level, NVQ 3 or equivalent OR
  • Key Skills in Literacy and Numeracy Level 2 (or willing to achieve within 2 years) and equivalent experience of providing peer support in the mental health sector and willingness to complete accredited PSW training.
  • Evidence of mental health specific training

  Desirable

  • Peer Support Worker training
  • Safeguarding Adults and Children Training

  Experience

  Essential

  • Experience of representing someone's views or advocating on their behalf
  • Lived experience of mental health problems from which you have recovered.
  • Experience of using wellbeing or recovery focussed tools to manage own mental health.
  • Experience of working within a team
  • Experience of using wellbeing or recovery focused tools to support someone else in managing their mental health.
  • Recent experience of working in the mental health sector
  • Experience of participating in and contributing to peer support groups.

  Desirable

  • Experience of having used secondary mental health services.
  • Experience of facilitating peer-led groups
  • Experience of involvement in service development, of contributing to project development/management
  • Experience of recording and reporting on service improvement initiatives in any setting
  • Experience of supervising others
  • Experience of recruiting others to roles in either a paid or voluntary capacity
  • Experience of training, coaching or supporting the development of others in the workplace
  • Understanding of the role of Home Treatment Teams

  Disclosure and Barring Service Check

  This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

  Certificate of Sponsorship

  Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

  From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

  Additional information

  Certificate of Sponsorship

  Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

  From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

  Employer details

  Employer name

  South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

  Address

  Tolworth Hospital, Wilson Hospital or Queen Mary's Hospital

  London

  KT6 7QU

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  Employer details

  Employer name

  South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

  Address

  Tolworth Hospital, Wilson Hospital or Queen Mary's Hospital

  London

  KT6 7QU

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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