Eating Disorders Peer Support Worker (Outpatient Community Team)

Job responsibilities

Organisational Work

• Be committed to professional development through independent learning, keeping up to date with latest research and building connections with local and national peer networks.

• Promote development of best practices in peer support and Lived Experience Practice across the service through active participation in internal and external training and development programmes.

• Supervision requirements Following the probation period, the Eating Disorders PSW will have monthly 1-1 supervision with clinical line manager and monthly 1-1 supervision with peer supervisor. Prior to this, and in any other periods where additional support is needed, the frequency of supervisions can be reasonably adjusted.

• Eating Disorder PSWs will also have group supervision every 2-months with PSWs from other CNWL services as well as fortnightly staff group with the community team.

• Work with the multi-disciplinary teams across both the adult and child and adolescent eating disorder service in the support of people accessing eating disorder services, ensuring the needs of individuals accessing the service are met through promoting strengths-based practice.

• Attend team meetings and contribute to the assessment, planning, and implementation and review of care with the multi-disciplinary team.

• Attend clinical, business & service development meetings as required.

• Assist in the development and implementation of educational and peer facilitated support groups and activities.

• Make notes of date, length and type of all contacts with services users in the locally agreed format.

• Ensure timely and accurate recording of clinical related data and information on the electronic patient record system.

• Monitor the service users progress, level of functioning, and mental state, reporting progress and areas of concern to the multi-disciplinary team (verbally and on the SystmOne electronic record.

• Report any untoward incidents or unusual occurrences to the manager/senior clinician immediately.

• Maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to eating disorders, peer support, Carers Act and mental health.

• Be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.

• Read and understand statutory requirements of the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Childrens Act.

Lived Experience Specialist Work

• Respect integrity, confidentiality, clinical governance and data protection requirements in line with Trust policy.

• Have responsibility for relevant safeguarding issues in relation to service users and their network, including making difficult decisions as a team adhering to the Trusts Safeguarding policy.

• Engage in self-reflective practices and commit to continued personal development.

• Establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using eating disorders services.

• Model/mentor a recovery process, inspire hope, and demonstrate self-management skills and techniques by skillfully using own experience of recovery.

• Assume a coaching role supporting users in developing personal recovery plans; this can be delivered individually or in groups.

• Support service users in making sense of their experiences of eating disorders and recovery. This might include understandings of personal and social recovery, health and wellbeing, personal and social identity whilst recognising that each individuals recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.

• Facilitate the individual to move through and beyond services.

• Accept and respect service users personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.

• Accompany service users to appointments/meetings/activities of their choice and performing a range of practical tasks aligned to recovery goals.

• Sign-post individuals to various resources, opportunities and activities within the Trust and the community to promote choice and informed decision making.

• Positively promote and support service users in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and actively supporting service users to access opportunities of their choice.

• Communicate with patients/clients and carers with empathy, reassurance and tact.

• Support the service user to prepare for meetings regarding their care e.g. assessments.

• Help service users to access information on health promotion, mental and physical wellbeing.

• Assist the service user to understand their rights and choices within the service.

• Challenge any inequalities and to address any discrimination whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation, modelling positive, strengths-based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work.

• Participate in and deliver Recovery College programmes where appropriate.

• Raise the profile of peer support both within CNWL, 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.

• Maintain professional relationships with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of boundaries.

General Responsibilities

• Work in accordance with CNWLs Trust Values, Aims and Objectives.

• To act as an ambassador for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.

• Work at all times to promote equality, diversity, inclusivity and justice. As well as individual human rights.

• Be efficient, responsible and maintain a high level of personal organisation; keeping accurate and appropriate records and providing information for monitoring and evaluation as required.

• To prioritise your own personal wellbeing, and to seek support if issues arise with work-life balance.

• Work flexibly, being prepared to perform other duties commensurate with the role which may include new areas of operation following consultation.

• Work alongside and ensure active service user and carer participation in all aspects of work including design, implementation and monitoring of activities.

Learning and Development

• To participate in Trust mandatory training & development opportunities considered appropriate to the Eating Disorders PSW role and as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).

• Undertake the accredited Developing Expertise in Peer Support Level 4 module.

• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual development review/ Appraisal.

• To receive regular line management supervision in addition to discipline specific supervision.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training
• Completion of Level 4 City University accredited course "Developing Expertise in Peer Support" course.
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

• Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
• Accredited peer support worker training

Previous Experience

Essential

• Own personal lived experience of a(n) eating disorder(s)
• Experience of having personally accessed eating disorders services.
• Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care .
• Developed plans for managing own mental wellbeing
• Willing to positively share own life experiences and personal experiences of an eating disorder with service users.

Desirable

• Paid or unpaid peer support worker experience.
• Involvement in service redesign and development.
• Paid or unpaid experience of working with people with eating disorders.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others
• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
• Effective listening skills
• Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
• Ability to appreciate / understand other people's worlds
• Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience
• An ability to be non-judgemental
• An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
• Knowledge of how to build community links and networks
• Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service user
• Understanding of issues arising from experiencing mental ill health
• Sensitive understanding of diversity issues and an ability to promote anti-discriminatory practice/ equal opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate practical skills to provide support with daily living activities
• Excellent planning, self-management and organisational skills
• Effective team player skills
• An awareness of behaviour and interactions as meaningful communications
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, reliably and consistently with guidance
• Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner
• Emotional intelligence and reflectivity with ability to work effectively with others to bring about change in a complex and dynamic organisation

Desirable

• Knowledge of basic food hygiene
• Knowledge of basic first aid
• Basic Health and Safety awareness
• Moving and handling awareness
• Awareness of local services
• Knowledge of benefits/ employment systems
• Ability to demonstrate a good understanding of mental health issues
• Ability to speak other languages
• Working knowledge of the principles of coproduction
• Knowledge of current legislation which underpins Health and Social Care and a working knowledge of the Equalities Act 2010 and Human Rights Act

Other

Essential

• A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictate (e.g. some evenings & weekends)
• Ability to travel between locations using own or public transport

Numeracy and Literacy

Essential

• Acceptable level of written literacy and numeracy
• Basic IT skills i.e. word & email

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).