Job summary
We are looking for a Peer Support Worker to join our team at the Darwin Centre.
The Darwin Centre for Young People is a Tier 4 adolescent inpatient unit based in Cambridge. The unit offers assessment and treatment to young people, aged 13-18 years old, experiencing psychiatric, emotional or psychological problems that interfere with their social, interpersonal and educational functioning.
Main duties of the job
As a Peer Support Worker, you will make a positive impact on people's lives through sharing the wisdom from your own lived experience. You will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others and that you can 'live well' with mental health challenges.
About us
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.
Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.
For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities
- Work in a busy ward environment on both a 1:1 and group basis to provide formalised peer support to children and young people with significant physical and/or mental health challenges.
- Be creative and flexible to the often quickly changing of the ward environment; varying and adapting plans at short notice for the benefit and needs of the peers and current risk levels.
- Have insight into your own wellbeing and be proactive in utilising your own learned coping techniques to maintain ongoing wellbeing and self-care.
- Contribute to the wider overall care of your peer by writing recovery focussed notes on the NHS system and seeking regular feedback via service set outcome measures.
- Support peers to collaboratively set and work towards recovery goals, incorporating hope and optimism through skills for self-confidence/belief, practical coping strategies and positive future planning (e.g., Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)).
- Support your peer to overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenge negative self-talk refocussing on the unique strengths they have.
- Support your peer to self-advocate for their needs and wants within clinical discussions; empowering them to be the expert in their own care.
- Facilitate access to groups and networks that enable peers to participate in community activities, in order to maximise opportunities for successful discharge planning.
- Value and promote the personal, social, cultural and spiritual uniqueness each peer has.
- Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multi-disciplinary team members, peers and carers.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities
- Work in a busy ward environment on both a 1:1 and group basis to provide formalised peer support to children and young people with significant physical and/or mental health challenges.
- Be creative and flexible to the often quickly changing of the ward environment; varying and adapting plans at short notice for the benefit and needs of the peers and current risk levels.
- Have insight into your own wellbeing and be proactive in utilising your own learned coping techniques to maintain ongoing wellbeing and self-care.
- Contribute to the wider overall care of your peer by writing recovery focussed notes on the NHS system and seeking regular feedback via service set outcome measures.
- Support peers to collaboratively set and work towards recovery goals, incorporating hope and optimism through skills for self-confidence/belief, practical coping strategies and positive future planning (e.g., Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)).
- Support your peer to overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenge negative self-talk refocussing on the unique strengths they have.
- Support your peer to self-advocate for their needs and wants within clinical discussions; empowering them to be the expert in their own care.
- Facilitate access to groups and networks that enable peers to participate in community activities, in order to maximise opportunities for successful discharge planning.
- Value and promote the personal, social, cultural and spiritual uniqueness each peer has.
- Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multi-disciplinary team members, peers and carers.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of GCSE standard education
- Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment
Desirable
- Related Health or Social Care qualification
Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of a long-term health condition
- Experience of working in a team or a group environment
Desirable
- Psychiatric hospital admission
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Effective verbal and written communication skills
- IT literacy using Microsoft Office
- Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Respectful and compassionate
- Patient and a non-judgmental approach
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of GCSE standard education
- Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment
Desirable
- Related Health or Social Care qualification
Experience
Essential
- Lived experience of a long-term health condition
- Experience of working in a team or a group environment
Desirable
- Psychiatric hospital admission
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Effective verbal and written communication skills
- IT literacy using Microsoft Office
- Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
Physical Requirements
Essential
- Respectful and compassionate
- Patient and a non-judgmental approach
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Address
The Darwin Centre for Young People
Block 19, Ida Darwin Site
Fulbourn, Cambridge
CB21 5EE
Employer's website
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
