Peer Support Digital Coach

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Communication and Relationships

To model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness, to service users and carers.

To raise awareness of, and educate other professionals, carers and clients on digital exclusion and mental health.

To communicate with service users and carers, using empathy and reassurance and where there are barriers to understanding, e.g. learning disabilities, dementia.

To establish supportive and respectful relationships and maintain a rapport with service users and carers, other peer support workers, wider MHLD staff, the public, and partners.

To engage effectively and communicate with patients/clients often under challenging and emotive circumstances.

To act as a positive role model, showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other team members, staff, service users and carers, the public, and our partners.

To raise awareness of recovery language with Trust staff by modelling positive, strengths-based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work.

2. Analysis and Judgement

To act on own initiative when assisting service users, but act within limits of their competences and authorities, and to seek advice and guidance when required.

To monitor the service users progress in relation to reaching their goals around use of digital tools and alert the appropriate staff involved in the service users care when necessary.

Actively participate as necessary in risk assessment and risk management practices, in line with Risk Policy.

3. Planning and Organising

To be an active participant in a network of digital champions in mental health services, representing a lived experience perspective.

To attend Team meetings as required.

To work in collaboration with other key stakeholders e.g. those involved in the delivery of digital skills training and the provision of digital equipment/data, including organisations outside the Trust.

4. Patient and Client Care

To ensure that the peer support digital coaching provision is client-centred, needs-led, recovery focussed and non-discriminatory.

To demonstrate and encourage the promotion of a recovery focussed way of working with clients and their families.

To provide practical support to service users and their carers in developing and managing dignity and independence in relation to use of digital tools.

To observe and apply relevant infection control, health, safety and security procedures, to ensure a safe working environment with particular reference to the settings where interventions take place.

To help service users to access information and resources which promote digital inclusion e.g access to training and data/equipment.

5. Service and Policy Development

To be involved in the Q Community digital inclusion project group, attending meetings, feeding back on outcomes of work and attending learning webinars.

Support the mental health division staff digital champions in understanding experiences of mental health and how this could contribute to digital exclusion

To comply with all Isle of Wight NHS Policies and Procedures for effective working practice within your department.

Participate in the Trust-wide Peer Support Worker network.

6. Managing Financial Resources

Participate in Team discussions with regards to resources and budget.

7. People Management and Development

To provide advice, instruction or training to groups around digital exclusion and mental health.

To be actively involved in the development of the peer support digital coach role, training programme and in the evaluation of the impact of this role.

Participate in relevant training and team building activities.

Regularly attend Line Management supervision.

8. Information System use and management

To maintain adequate records as required by existing procedures and entering appropriate detail in the service users case notes (paper and electronic) as necessary.

To have an interest in digital tools and have basic IT skills which can be utilised when supporting others.

Responsible for entering timely and accurate data to maintain the clients record and ensure robust data quality.

9. Involvement in Surveys and Research

To support research activities, in particular recording outcomes of 1:1 peer support digital coach input as per NHS record keeping guidance and following ethics approval and guidance if involved in research.

To take part in national surveys as requested and contribute to audits as and when required

10. Freedom to Act and Autonomy

The role is expected to follow standard operating procedures and policies as defined by the Trust.

To effectively manage own time and to prioritise workload, maintaining accurate records with regard to this and including any diary appointments etc. which may be required.

To work with the MHLD Lived Experience Lead and Clinical Quality Improvement Lead to agree strategic priorities.

To work with the MHLD Peer Support Lead and Clinical Quality Improvement Lead to manage workload priorities.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of how lived experience of mental health problems can be used to support others
• Awareness of health inequalities and SMI
• Awareness of digital exclusion and factors that might lead to exclusion in people with SMI
• Basic IT skills (e.g using websites, sending emails, some knowledge of apps)
• Understanding of recovery focussed principles and how they can influence support for service users.
• Understanding of the issues and concerns that service users may have in relation to their care.
• Able to maintain the profile of the peer support service within a multidisciplinary/ multi-agency setting.
• Demonstrates the ability to role model, empower and enable others
• Ability to receive highly complex and sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of mental health policies and legislation that may contribute to support for service users
• Understanding the impact of stigma and discrimination on service users.
• Good organisational skills and time management.
• Presentation and teaching skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to NVQ level 4 or equivalent knowledge and experience

Desirable

• Evidence of further related training.
• Health related qualification.
• IT skills qualification
• Completed accredited Peer Support Worker training or be currently working towards it.

Experience

Essential

• Direct experience of using mental health services
• Personal lived experience of mental health distress.
• Personal experience of accessing primary or secondary mental health service.
• Excellent understanding of Peer Support
• Ability to support others in a recovery orientated way.
• Good motivational techniques and abilities.
• Clear effective planning and decision-making skills.
• Experience of working with peers and/ or clinicians using a co-production methodology within a work setting.
• Experience of collaborative working alongside professionals in either a statutory or non-statutory mental health service.
• Evidence of working within a team environment and the ability to develop and maintain constructive working relationships with colleagues.

Desirable

• Experience of contributing to a research project or audit
• Experience of using digital tools to support own physical or mental health
• Experience of working as a Peer Support Worker

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Isle of Wight NHS Trust

Address

St Mary's Hospital

Parkhurst Road

Newport

Isle of Wight

PO30 5TG

Employer's website

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