Job summary
Role Purpose: The role of peer support worker has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of mental distress. Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, Peer Support Workers will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.
As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, you will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery process. Within a relationship of mutuality and information sharing, they will promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.
The PSW will act as a recovery champion within the team and an ambassador of recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations. There is also an expectation that PSWs will be involved in the ongoing development of peer roles in the Trust including the Peer Support Training Programme and evaluation.
The Peer Support Worker Group Facilitator will assist in the facilitation of the bipolar Psychoeducation group alongside other healthcare professionals. The PSW will carry out training specific to this role and will develop their own life chart for bipolar disorder which they will be happy to share with the rest of the group.
The PSW will commit to the weekly group session and in addition attend any meetings or training as part of this role.
Main duties of the job
The role of peer support worker has been developed specifically for people who have had lived experience mental distress. Peer support workers use their experiences to offer empathy, hope and understanding to others. In this role will offer peer support alongside practical assistance to enable people to feel in control of their lives and their own unique recovery process. Within a relationship of mutuality and shared experience, they will promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.
You will have a keen interest in Group psychoeducation work for bipolar disorder. As part of the peer facilitation team you will attend the weekly psychoeducation group and contribute with the delivery of the structured psychoeducation course. In addition you will share appropriate personal experiences of having bipolar disorder. Part of this will include sharing a life chart with the rest of the group and to advocate them developing a life chart for themselves. You will be required to attend group and individual supervision sessions and will be an integral part of the planning and evaluating of group sessions.
About us
Nottinghamshire Healthcare employs over 10,000 colleagues who help #MakeADifference every day. We provide intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. Care is delivered from over 120 sites within the community from acute settings and across low, medium and high secure environments including prisons.
As one of the largest mental health and community trusts in the East Midlands and one of the biggest employers in Nottinghamshire. We are also home to national and regional services such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We are committed to flexible and agile working, including the opportunity to join our bank.
Your health and wellbeing is our priority and as such we invest significantly in this via our in-house Occupational Health Service, Staff Counselling Service and Health and Wellbeing Team.
We offer a number of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) groups, our Green Champions Network, Freedom to Speak Up Network. Health and Wellbeing Champions Network and Menopause Champions. We provide care to a diverse range of communities and are passionate about supporting diversity and inclusion in the Trust.
If you believe in our values of Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion and Teamwork, then we would love to hear from you!
#TeamNottsHC
Job description
Job responsibilities
To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services.
To help people identify their own Recovery goals
To support service users to identify and overcome fears within a relationship of empathy and Trust
To share ideas about ways of achieving Recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self help and self management techniques
To assist others to create their own Recovery plans and develop advance directives
To model personal responsibility, self awareness, self belief, self advocacy and hopefulness
To sign-post to various resources, opportunities and activities within the Trust and in communities to promote choice and informed decision making.
To attend the weekly bipolar psychoeducation group and aid in the facilitation of this group
To attend meetings or training in line with the bipolar psychoeducation group.
To attend regular supervision both group and individual
To raise awareness of recovery language among Trust staff by modelling positive, strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work
To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery focused activities and imparting information and education as required
Be actively involved in the continued development of the PSW training programme and in the ongoing evaluation of the PSW role
To abide by the PSW Code of Conduct, so that the central focus of work, inspiring recovery, is not compromised in any way
To act as an ambassador for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations
To undertake any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities/grade of the post as defined, subject to the proviso that normally any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms
Job description
Job responsibilities
To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services.
To help people identify their own Recovery goals
To support service users to identify and overcome fears within a relationship of empathy and Trust
To share ideas about ways of achieving Recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self help and self management techniques
To assist others to create their own Recovery plans and develop advance directives
To model personal responsibility, self awareness, self belief, self advocacy and hopefulness
To sign-post to various resources, opportunities and activities within the Trust and in communities to promote choice and informed decision making.
To attend the weekly bipolar psychoeducation group and aid in the facilitation of this group
To attend meetings or training in line with the bipolar psychoeducation group.
To attend regular supervision both group and individual
To raise awareness of recovery language among Trust staff by modelling positive, strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work
To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery focused activities and imparting information and education as required
Be actively involved in the continued development of the PSW training programme and in the ongoing evaluation of the PSW role
To abide by the PSW Code of Conduct, so that the central focus of work, inspiring recovery, is not compromised in any way
To act as an ambassador for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations
To undertake any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities/grade of the post as defined, subject to the proviso that normally any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms
Person Specification
Quaifications
Essential
- To have attended and completed peer support worker training or willingness to attend
Desirable
- Level of educational attainment to NVQ 3/AS Level or equivalent
- Mental Health related qualification i.e. Certificate in Community Mental Health or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of mental health difficulties
- Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental distress and recovery
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting
- Experience of working in a team
- Experience of training, teaching, coaching/mentoring others
- Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques
- Experience of working across different organisational boundaries
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the core principles or values of peer support
- Personal understanding of how to manage stress and when to access support
Desirable
- Knowledge of community resources
Skills
Essential
- Ability to use personal experiences to support others and demonstrate empathy
- Active listening skills
- Ability to reflect on experiences and working practice personally and in group settings
- Awareness of and ability to use written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Willingness to use the Trust IT systems
- Able to build inclusive relationships with a wide range of people
- Able to create a safe environment and use techniques to reduce anxiety and understand conflict
- Ability to maintain a home/work life balance which feels healthy
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to work in an enabling and creative way, where the person is expert in their own wellbeing
- Willingness to support people in ways which they choose to meet their recovery goals
- Ability to carry out practical tasks
Person Specification
Quaifications
Essential
- To have attended and completed peer support worker training or willingness to attend
Desirable
- Level of educational attainment to NVQ 3/AS Level or equivalent
- Mental Health related qualification i.e. Certificate in Community Mental Health or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of mental health difficulties
- Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental distress and recovery
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting
- Experience of working in a team
- Experience of training, teaching, coaching/mentoring others
- Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques
- Experience of working across different organisational boundaries
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the core principles or values of peer support
- Personal understanding of how to manage stress and when to access support
Desirable
- Knowledge of community resources
Skills
Essential
- Ability to use personal experiences to support others and demonstrate empathy
- Active listening skills
- Ability to reflect on experiences and working practice personally and in group settings
- Awareness of and ability to use written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Willingness to use the Trust IT systems
- Able to build inclusive relationships with a wide range of people
- Able to create a safe environment and use techniques to reduce anxiety and understand conflict
- Ability to maintain a home/work life balance which feels healthy
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to work in an enabling and creative way, where the person is expert in their own wellbeing
- Willingness to support people in ways which they choose to meet their recovery goals
- Ability to carry out practical tasks
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.
