Job summary
We are recruiting a Peer Involvement Worker to join the Involvement Team and become part of a vibrant and ambitious Lived Experience Workforce. It is essential that applicants have personal lived experience of mental and emotional distress, and personal experience of accessing secondary care mental health services, or experience of caring for, or supporting someone who has. Please note that experience of working in mental health related services alone will not meet this criterion.
The Peer Involvement Worker will work primarily within the coproduction and involvement workstream, supporting the Trust to develop meaningful and impactful coproduction and involvement opportunities.
Through joining the Lived Experience Network, people with lived experience of Trust services are offered the opportunity to use their lived experience within activities that support the development and improvement of services. We refer to 'service users and carers' as Lived Experience Members, and people with lived experience of Trust services.
Involvement & Coproduction opportunities include involvement in recruitment and selection; lived experience networks and forums; sharing lived experience in staff training; co-delivering training; inspections of services; developing information; lived experience involvement in project and focus groups, committees, and governance meetings; reviewing and developing policies, procedures, and ways of working; service design, redesign, and transformation.
Main duties of the job
You will use your lived experience, peer support values and principles to support people with lived experience of Trust services to join the Lived Experience Network. The post holder will build connections with Lived Experience Members, gaining an understanding of their lived experience of services, their interests and what they would like to gain from taking part. You will use this knowledge to support members to become involved in activities that align with their lived experience, and to assist the Involvement Administrative Coordinator in reviewing expressions of interests and selecting members for opportunities.
The Peer Involvement Worker role involves supporting members in their involvement through 1 to 1 check-ins, training, group sessions, and by offering support before, during and after involvement activities. You will play a role in supporting the development and delivery of the Lived Experience Member Training & Support Framework.
The post holder will contact and visit teams and people in services to recruit new members and to develop staff awareness of involvement and coproduction. You will offer support to staff to plan, advertise, and run involvement activities with the aim of developing meaningful and impactful involvement
About us
The Involvement Team is made up of individuals with lived experience of mental distress and of using mental health services and this is an essential criterion for any applicant. The team advocates for the development of impactful coproduction and involvement and supports the Trust to implement the Unified Approach to Coproduction & Involvement, Service User and Carer Experience (2022-2025).
The team are concerned with 4 primary workstreams and this role is focused on workstream 1, 3 & 4.
1. Coproduction & Involvement
2. The Volunteer Workforce
3. The Lived Experience Workforce
4. Carers Initiatives (including the Triangle of Care)
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are now opening. Springfield is close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To work alongside the Involvement Project Lead, the Involvement Administrative Coordinator, two Peer Involvement Coordinators, and the wider Involvement Team.
- Use peer support values and principles within the context of supporting people to take part in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Support people with lived experience of trust services through the registration process to enable them to join the Lived Experience Network.
- Build connections with Lived Experience Members, gaining an understanding of their lived experience of services, their interests and what they may want to gain from taking part actively. Using this knowledge to support them to become involved in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Support members in their involvement through 1 to 1 check-ins, group facilitation, and by offering support before, during and after involvement activities.
- Through the wisdom of their own lived experience, and a respect for the diversity of perspectives and experiences, the postholder will challenge stigma and inspire hope and a belief that recovery is possible.
- Support with the management of the central point of contact for the Involvement Team via the team shared inbox, telephone number and office drop-in (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).
- Provide efficient and professional face to face, telephone and virtual contact and support functions for trust service users, carers, and staff.
- Offer support to respond to staff and member enquiries; requests to promote involvement opportunities to the Lived Experience Network; selecting members for opportunities and responding to new joiner interest.
- Offer support to staff to plan, advertise, and run involvement activities with the aim of developing meaningful / impactful involvement.
- Maintain appropriate records and support the collation of data to demonstrate the teams outputs and impact.
KEY RESULT AREAS
SERVICE IMPROVEMENT
- Support the development and delivery of the Lived Experience Member Training & Support Framework.
- Contact and visit teams and people in services to recruit new members and to develop staff awareness of involvement and coproduction.
- Work in a way that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrating an awareness of the impact of intersectionality, to expand the diversity of people taking part in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Lead specific projects and involvement initiatives taking full responsibility for all aspects of the organisation, planning, and delivery of that opportunity, complimenting the role of the Involvement Administrative Coordinator, and staff supporting the activity.
- Support staff and the trust to create opportunities that ensure that the organisation listens to people who have first-hand experience of accessing its services; of what they need, what works well, what doesnt.
- Support staff and the trust to seek, reflect on and be responsive to the perspectives, experiences and needs of people, to enable the organisation to improve, develop and deliver safe, high quality patient care.
- Enable each of the Trusts service lines to have a dedicated resource to support involving service users and carers in their governance, service design and redesign, and other involvement activities.
- To promote shared decision making and support service users and / or carers to be empowered to make choices.
- Where relevant and appropriate, to support service users and carers in accessing services and activities in their communities to promote community relationships, socially valued roles and support the navigation of barriers to social inclusion.
- To identify and maintain positive links with community and partnership agencies, as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To work alongside the Involvement Project Lead, the Involvement Administrative Coordinator, two Peer Involvement Coordinators, and the wider Involvement Team.
- Use peer support values and principles within the context of supporting people to take part in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Support people with lived experience of trust services through the registration process to enable them to join the Lived Experience Network.
- Build connections with Lived Experience Members, gaining an understanding of their lived experience of services, their interests and what they may want to gain from taking part actively. Using this knowledge to support them to become involved in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Support members in their involvement through 1 to 1 check-ins, group facilitation, and by offering support before, during and after involvement activities.
- Through the wisdom of their own lived experience, and a respect for the diversity of perspectives and experiences, the postholder will challenge stigma and inspire hope and a belief that recovery is possible.
- Support with the management of the central point of contact for the Involvement Team via the team shared inbox, telephone number and office drop-in (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).
- Provide efficient and professional face to face, telephone and virtual contact and support functions for trust service users, carers, and staff.
- Offer support to respond to staff and member enquiries; requests to promote involvement opportunities to the Lived Experience Network; selecting members for opportunities and responding to new joiner interest.
- Offer support to staff to plan, advertise, and run involvement activities with the aim of developing meaningful / impactful involvement.
- Maintain appropriate records and support the collation of data to demonstrate the teams outputs and impact.
KEY RESULT AREAS
SERVICE IMPROVEMENT
- Support the development and delivery of the Lived Experience Member Training & Support Framework.
- Contact and visit teams and people in services to recruit new members and to develop staff awareness of involvement and coproduction.
- Work in a way that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrating an awareness of the impact of intersectionality, to expand the diversity of people taking part in involvement and coproduction activities.
- Lead specific projects and involvement initiatives taking full responsibility for all aspects of the organisation, planning, and delivery of that opportunity, complimenting the role of the Involvement Administrative Coordinator, and staff supporting the activity.
- Support staff and the trust to create opportunities that ensure that the organisation listens to people who have first-hand experience of accessing its services; of what they need, what works well, what doesnt.
- Support staff and the trust to seek, reflect on and be responsive to the perspectives, experiences and needs of people, to enable the organisation to improve, develop and deliver safe, high quality patient care.
- Enable each of the Trusts service lines to have a dedicated resource to support involving service users and carers in their governance, service design and redesign, and other involvement activities.
- To promote shared decision making and support service users and / or carers to be empowered to make choices.
- Where relevant and appropriate, to support service users and carers in accessing services and activities in their communities to promote community relationships, socially valued roles and support the navigation of barriers to social inclusion.
- To identify and maintain positive links with community and partnership agencies, as appropriate.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- A good standard of literacy and numeracy that may have been gained through education, training and life experience. Equivalent to level 1 (basic foundation level) to level 2 (intermediate level) functional skills.
- Personal lived experience of mental health challenges, recovery and accessing secondary care mental health services, or lived experience as a carer of a person who has.
- Experience of taking part in co-production, quality improvement, or lived experience involvement, and facilitating the involvement of others in related activities
- Understanding of mental health conditions, treatments, recovery pathways and their impact on the person and those who care for them.
- Ability to understand, engage, and support individuals in distress.
- Understanding of, and commitment to approaches that are trauma informed, autism informed and culturally competent.
- Ability to identify and escalate concerns whilst maintaining peer support principles.
- Ability to use personal lived experience sensitively and appropriately, while maintaining professional boundaries
- Understanding of safeguarding; information governance; confidentiality; equality, diversity, and inclusion policies, with the ability to apply these in practice
Desirable
- Completion of a recognised peer support or lived experience role training programme.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- A good standard of literacy and numeracy that may have been gained through education, training and life experience. Equivalent to level 1 (basic foundation level) to level 2 (intermediate level) functional skills.
- Personal lived experience of mental health challenges, recovery and accessing secondary care mental health services, or lived experience as a carer of a person who has.
- Experience of taking part in co-production, quality improvement, or lived experience involvement, and facilitating the involvement of others in related activities
- Understanding of mental health conditions, treatments, recovery pathways and their impact on the person and those who care for them.
- Ability to understand, engage, and support individuals in distress.
- Understanding of, and commitment to approaches that are trauma informed, autism informed and culturally competent.
- Ability to identify and escalate concerns whilst maintaining peer support principles.
- Ability to use personal lived experience sensitively and appropriately, while maintaining professional boundaries
- Understanding of safeguarding; information governance; confidentiality; equality, diversity, and inclusion policies, with the ability to apply these in practice
Desirable
- Completion of a recognised peer support or lived experience role training programme.
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).