Peer Support Worker

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

The closing date is 22 December 2024

Job summary

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Peer Support Worker within the Exeter City Core Adult Community Mental Health Team based at Wonford House in Exeter.

This role may involve some home/remote working.

You'll be joining Devon Partnership Trust, which encompasses urban, rural and coastal demographics that combine to make this a fascinating and beautiful area to work.

The successful candidate's will be joining a dynamic, motivated and skilled service and help the team in the Exeter City Core Adult Mental Health Team to build upon the successful work they have and continue to achieve. The Exeter City Core Adult Mental Health team are proactively engaging with the local Primary Care Network, working collaboratively with local GP Surgeries, Talkworks and Voluntary and Community Sector Enterprises.

The role of Peer Support Worker has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of mental health challenges.

Through sharing your own experiences, this may inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.

Your role will be to establish supportive relationships with people using mental health services based on the core principles of peer support (mutuality, reciprocity, strengths-focused, safe, progressive, non-directive, recovery-focused and inclusive).

Main duties of the job

As an integral member of the multi-disciplinary team, you will provide formalised peer support to service users in order for them to achieve goals that they have identified for themselves. This will include signposting to other organisations and connection to local communities.

As a core member of the multidisciplinary team, you will work alongside an agreed number of service users on a 1:1 and/or group basis.

This job may be emotionally challenging at times, but the successful applicants will receive supervision, guidance and training from colleagues within the Community Mental Health team, the Peer Support Leadership team and the wider organisation.

Overview

To form and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients, staff and other members of the mental health team.
To support service users by building relationships of empathy and trust.
To share ideas about ways of supporting self-defined recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self-help and self-management techniques.
To provide support to individuals in gaining choice, developing and managing meaning and purpose of life and independence, and maintaining dignity and self-respect
To support access and facilitation of activity sessions both on a one-to-one and group basis for service users

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Date posted

22 November 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year pro rata (22.5 hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-24-0929-1

Job locations

Wonford House Hospital

Dryden Road

Exeter

EX2 5AF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others.
Lived experience of accessing and negotiating secondary mental health services or equivalent experience from private healthcare/lived experience relevant to patient group
Knowledge of mental health and a basic understanding of physical health presentations.

Desirable

Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care
Awareness of safeguarding principles.

Qualifications

Essential

Basic Education (Level 2 Qualification).
To complete Care Certificate training within the first 3 to 6 months of joining unless already obtained
Basic IT skills

Desirable

NVQ level 3, QCF Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent qualification or experience/ equivalent working experience using lived experience.
Other evidence of training or development relevant to working within mental health settings (statutory or voluntary).

Skills

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively with people using services taking into account any communication difficulties they may have and responding appropriately.
An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability.
Ability to work with people in a group and individual basis.
Good written communication.
Demonstrate an ability and understanding about how and why we need to maintain personal professional boundaries.
To participate in unsupervised tasks and provide accurate feedback to relevant parties.
Mobility throughout the area covered by the area covered by service
To maintain confidentiality, empathy, compassion and patience towards individuals with mental health challenges.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others.
Lived experience of accessing and negotiating secondary mental health services or equivalent experience from private healthcare/lived experience relevant to patient group
Knowledge of mental health and a basic understanding of physical health presentations.

Desirable

Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care
Awareness of safeguarding principles.

Qualifications

Essential

Basic Education (Level 2 Qualification).
To complete Care Certificate training within the first 3 to 6 months of joining unless already obtained
Basic IT skills

Desirable

NVQ level 3, QCF Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent qualification or experience/ equivalent working experience using lived experience.
Other evidence of training or development relevant to working within mental health settings (statutory or voluntary).

Skills

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively with people using services taking into account any communication difficulties they may have and responding appropriately.
An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability.
Ability to work with people in a group and individual basis.
Good written communication.
Demonstrate an ability and understanding about how and why we need to maintain personal professional boundaries.
To participate in unsupervised tasks and provide accurate feedback to relevant parties.
Mobility throughout the area covered by the area covered by service
To maintain confidentiality, empathy, compassion and patience towards individuals with mental health challenges.

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.