Job summary
Job Title: Peer
Support Worker (Crisis Recovery Service)
Hours: Various hours covering weekday evenings and weekend afternoons and evenings
Salary: £18,995 per annum, pro rata
Based: York
This is an exciting opportunity for individuals who are dedicated to the principles of social inclusion, to work with people with mental health needs. Working across the different crisis cafes, the post holder will support our Crisis Recovery Workers in helping people in distress and in need of immediate support.
The services operate 365 days a year between 6pm and 10pm weekdays and 2pm - 10pm Saturday & Sunday providing crisis de-escalation and reduce immediate distress, provide information and support around crisis prevention for clients and their families/carers accessing the service: signposting into other relevant and appropriate services.
Main duties of the job
You will work with the wider team to provide practical and emotional support, allowing you to connect with people and enabling them to build self-confidence, a sense of personal wellbeing, build their own networks and engage with their family, friends and communities.
Responsibilities will include:
- To support clients and Crisis Recovery Workers to create collaborative plans which identify the client’s goals and steps they wish to take to achieve them.
- To offer responsive support
- To support clients to access statutory support including psychological interventions.
- To develop and maintain a good working knowledge of community resources and partner organisations to signpost clients and to promote social inclusion.
- To encourage clients to engage positively in the wider community and to signpost to partner agencies as required.
About you
Experience or knowledge of community mental health services is essential whether through lived experience or work. You will have experience of communicating with people who have difficulties with their mental health in a supportive and beneficial way and be able to demonstrate a proactive and positive attitude.
About us
Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a national charity with over 35 years of experience in delivering high-quality mental health and social care services. We have a positive impact on the lives of people living with mental health needs in our local communities. We provide services across England, from Northumberland to Plymouth, led by a highly motivated and enthusiastic workforce who are committed to delivering the best quality services to those in need of support.
What we offer
MHM offers 25 days annual leave per annum, plus statutory holidays and a 5% contributory pension scheme.
At MHM not only can you expect a competitive salary, generous annual leave and pension entitlement, you can also expect to be supported in your ongoing personal and professional development.
Closing Date: 14/08/2022*
The closing date given is a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
Please note that due to the sensitive nature of the duties, an enhanced DBS will be sought in event of a successful application.
All disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential short-listing criteria are guaranteed an interview.
MHM is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Title: Peer Support Worker
Reporting to: Team Manager
Main Purpose:
Peer Support Workers have lived experience, and the knowledge gained from that experience, is the foundation of peer support, helping build connections between peer support workers and the people they work with. (PSW Competency Framework, 2020).
Peer Support Workers in MHM work alongside Recovery Workers and other staff, their role requires that they draw directly from their own experience of mental health difficulties or caring for someone who experiences mental health difficulties.
Key responsibilities:
Peer Support Workers work alongside Recovery Workers to offer practical and emotional support underpinned by their own experiences. This allows them to connect with people and:
- give them a sense of hope and wellbeing and support them to gain a sense of control over their lives,
- help them engage with, and build connections and a sense of belonging to their local communities,
- help them gain satisfaction in different parts of their lives and;
- live the values of Peer Support as described in the PSW Competency Framework 2020.
Peer Support Workers will be able:
- To draw on their own personal experience to offer insight and understanding.
- To behave in a supportive, respectful, and non-judgemental way and promote diversity within services.
- Challenge stigma in communities, in service and with stakeholder organisations.
- To support clients and Recovery Workers to create collaborative plans which identify the client’s goals and steps they wish to take to achieve them.
- To work alongside the client through their journey to achieve their personal goals
- To work with people in a face to face, virtual and telephone-based way to offer responsive support,including in a time of crisis (Haven).
- To support clients to access statutory support including psychological interventions.
- Support clients to access and make use of digital technologies.
- To develop and maintain a good working knowledge of community resources and partner organisations to signpost clients and to promote social inclusion.
- To encourage clients to engage positively in the wider community and to signpost to partner agencies as required.
- To co-facilitate some groups and activities.
- To deliver training/information sessions, where appropriate, on topics relevant and identified by clients.
- To continuously assess risk and safety management issues for clients and staff and to escalate concerns as appropriate and in line with organisational procedures.
- To promote the rights of people being supported and support people to advocate on their own behalf.
- To actively promote client involvement within MHM and facilitate client representation within the service including client forums and service co-production where appropriate.
- To participate constructively in team meetings and to engage positively in regular support and supervision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Title: Peer Support Worker
Reporting to: Team Manager
Main Purpose:
Peer Support Workers have lived experience, and the knowledge gained from that experience, is the foundation of peer support, helping build connections between peer support workers and the people they work with. (PSW Competency Framework, 2020).
Peer Support Workers in MHM work alongside Recovery Workers and other staff, their role requires that they draw directly from their own experience of mental health difficulties or caring for someone who experiences mental health difficulties.
Key responsibilities:
Peer Support Workers work alongside Recovery Workers to offer practical and emotional support underpinned by their own experiences. This allows them to connect with people and:
- give them a sense of hope and wellbeing and support them to gain a sense of control over their lives,
- help them engage with, and build connections and a sense of belonging to their local communities,
- help them gain satisfaction in different parts of their lives and;
- live the values of Peer Support as described in the PSW Competency Framework 2020.
Peer Support Workers will be able:
- To draw on their own personal experience to offer insight and understanding.
- To behave in a supportive, respectful, and non-judgemental way and promote diversity within services.
- Challenge stigma in communities, in service and with stakeholder organisations.
- To support clients and Recovery Workers to create collaborative plans which identify the client’s goals and steps they wish to take to achieve them.
- To work alongside the client through their journey to achieve their personal goals
- To work with people in a face to face, virtual and telephone-based way to offer responsive support,including in a time of crisis (Haven).
- To support clients to access statutory support including psychological interventions.
- Support clients to access and make use of digital technologies.
- To develop and maintain a good working knowledge of community resources and partner organisations to signpost clients and to promote social inclusion.
- To encourage clients to engage positively in the wider community and to signpost to partner agencies as required.
- To co-facilitate some groups and activities.
- To deliver training/information sessions, where appropriate, on topics relevant and identified by clients.
- To continuously assess risk and safety management issues for clients and staff and to escalate concerns as appropriate and in line with organisational procedures.
- To promote the rights of people being supported and support people to advocate on their own behalf.
- To actively promote client involvement within MHM and facilitate client representation within the service including client forums and service co-production where appropriate.
- To participate constructively in team meetings and to engage positively in regular support and supervision.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Able to demonstrate a lived experience of mental health difficulties and supporting someone with a mental health difficulty.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a recovery setting or in a coaching role
- Experience of training, teaching, coaching /mentoring others
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Able to demonstrate careful listening and empathy and a non-judgemental attitude.
- Able to support peoples self-management (that is, the actions people can do to take care of themselves and gain control over their own lives).
- Understanding of recovery-focused and person-centred approaches.
- Ability to communicate effectively within a Team and externally with voluntary and statutory agencies.
- Good interpersonal and listening skills
- Able to plan and prioritise workload and meet competing demands
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to self-development, training and CPD
- Able to motivate, support clients, volunteers
- Able to work effectively unsupervised and as part of a team
- Able to keep good and accurate records
Desirable
- Good IT skills including Microsoft Office packages
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Flexible Approach
- Resilient
- Approachable and able to build rapport with a range of stakeholders
- Not currently having direct engagement with mental health/other secondary support services - a gap of at least 2 years since recent engagement.
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of written English
- Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or willingness to undertake such training in the first 12 months of employment, dependant on course availability.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Able to demonstrate a lived experience of mental health difficulties and supporting someone with a mental health difficulty.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a recovery setting or in a coaching role
- Experience of training, teaching, coaching /mentoring others
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Able to demonstrate careful listening and empathy and a non-judgemental attitude.
- Able to support peoples self-management (that is, the actions people can do to take care of themselves and gain control over their own lives).
- Understanding of recovery-focused and person-centred approaches.
- Ability to communicate effectively within a Team and externally with voluntary and statutory agencies.
- Good interpersonal and listening skills
- Able to plan and prioritise workload and meet competing demands
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to self-development, training and CPD
- Able to motivate, support clients, volunteers
- Able to work effectively unsupervised and as part of a team
- Able to keep good and accurate records
Desirable
- Good IT skills including Microsoft Office packages
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Flexible Approach
- Resilient
- Approachable and able to build rapport with a range of stakeholders
- Not currently having direct engagement with mental health/other secondary support services - a gap of at least 2 years since recent engagement.
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of written English
- Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or willingness to undertake such training in the first 12 months of employment, dependant on course availability.
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.
