Job summary
The role of Eating Disorders Peer Support Worker (PSW) has been developed specifically for peoplewho have personal lived experience of being a parent/carer of a young person who has accessed
Eating Disorder Services. Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, the Eating Disorders
Parent/Carer PSW will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible, and support parents/carersthrough their own recovery journey.
As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the Eating Disorders
Parent/Carer PSW will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to parents and carersin order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery journey as a parent orcarer of a young person accessing eating disorder services. They will also work collaboratively withothers to assist in improving the wellbeing of parents/carers of individuals accessing eating disorderservices.
Through sharing the wisdom of their own lived experience of caring for a young person with recoveryfrom an eating disorder, the Eating Disorders Parent/Carer PSW will inspire hope and belief thatrecovery is possible. Within a relationship of mutuality, they will facilitate and support information
sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued rolesand connection to local communities.
Main duties of the job
As a core member of a busy multi-disciplinary team, the Eating Disorders Parent/Carer PSW will carryout some generic duties. They will work alongside parents/carers of young people accessing eatingdisorder services on a 1:1 basis and in a group setting. The Eating Disorders Parent/Carer PSW willalso have the opportunity to co-work with other colleagues.
The Eating Disorders Parent/Carer PSW will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the service setting in which they work, alongside other Trust recovery champions, and act as an ambassador of recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations and also work alongside the Patient and Carer Involvement Team. The Eating Disorders Parent/Carer PSW will also work with the Recovery and Wellbeing College (RWBC) in order to deliver local courses appropriate to parents/carers of young people accessing eating disorder services.
About us
Central and North West London NHS Trust is committed to providing safe, effective services and providing those who use the services; and those who support them, with a positive experience.
Please note: This vacancy does not meet the criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship, unless you meet the criteria by temporary exemption from current changes to immigration rules put in force on 22/07/2025. "Separate provisions are applied to workers who have been sponsored and continuously held a Skilled Worker visa since prior to 04/04/2024."
As such, if you don't meet the Transitional Provision (above) we are unable to consider your application unless you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. If you believe you are eligible for sponsorship or already hold a valid right to work in the UK, please ensure you provide full details of your immigration status in the Pre-Screening Immigration section of your application form.
Please note role eligibility also depends on whether the role meets the salary threshold for the relevant occupational code (SOC CODE).
For further info please visit: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
1. To work with the multi-disciplinary teams across both the adult and child and adolescent eatingdisorder service in the support of parents/carers of young people accessing eating disorderservices, ensuring the needs or parents/carers are met through promoting strengths-basedpractice
2. To assume a coaching role supporting parent/carers in thinking about their own personalrecovery plans in relation to being a parent/carer; this can be delivered individually or in groups.
3. To be supported to develop, create promotional materials and undertake a carers clinic - a oneto one, short term intervention for friends and family of the current cohort of service users,supporting them to develop skills and attend to their own mental health while being in the caringrole.
4. To work with members of the MDT to create and utilise evaluation tools in order to assess theimpact of the role
5. To assist parents/carers to identify their own strengths, personal interests and goals,emphasising the importance of their own wellbeing in order to best support the personaccessing services.
6. To support parents/carers in making sense of the experiences of mental and emotional distressof the young person they are parent/carer to and involving the young person in theseconversations as much as possible and appropriate. This might include understandings ofpersonal and social recovery, health and wellbeing, personal and social identity whilstrecognising that each individuals recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.
7. To support parents/carers in making sense of their own experiences of mental and emotionaldistress in relation to the challenges the young person is facing, being highly sensitive to theiruse of language and descriptions of experiences.
6. To share wisdom, mentor around recovery processes and demonstrate coping skills, using own experience of caring for a young person who has experienced recovery from an eating disorder.
7. To act as a role model to inspire hope, share life experiences and lessons learned as a person who has cared for a young person in recovery.
8. To work with some autonomy with complex safety considerations for individuals across community and inpatient contexts
9. Working jointly with highly skilled colleagues from a variety of professional backgrounds to develop and co-facilitate carer interventions and ensure co-production is modelled within the care provided
10. To be attuned to sensitive safeguarding issues as they may present within the relevant cohort of patients, their friends and family and is able to utilise supervision to ensure safety and risk is managed in a recovery focussed, timely manner.
11. To attend team meetings and contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care with the multi-disciplinary team.
12. To work together with the young person and their parents/carers in the drawing up of care plans, encouraging and motivating young people and their parents/carers to take an active role in the care plan.
13. To incorporate and promote the Triangle of Care within MDT working practice and decision making.
14. To positively promote and support parents/carers engagement in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and actively supporting parents/carers to access them, maximising parents/carers opportunities for socially valued roles and positive identity.
15. To assist in the development and implementation of educational and peer facilitated parent/carer support groups and activities.
16. To assist parents/carers to maintain a connection with their life beyond being a parent/carer of a young person accessing services.
17. To accept and respect parent/carers personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
1. To work with the multi-disciplinary teams across both the adult and child and adolescent eatingdisorder service in the support of parents/carers of young people accessing eating disorderservices, ensuring the needs or parents/carers are met through promoting strengths-basedpractice
2. To assume a coaching role supporting parent/carers in thinking about their own personalrecovery plans in relation to being a parent/carer; this can be delivered individually or in groups.
3. To be supported to develop, create promotional materials and undertake a carers clinic - a oneto one, short term intervention for friends and family of the current cohort of service users,supporting them to develop skills and attend to their own mental health while being in the caringrole.
4. To work with members of the MDT to create and utilise evaluation tools in order to assess theimpact of the role
5. To assist parents/carers to identify their own strengths, personal interests and goals,emphasising the importance of their own wellbeing in order to best support the personaccessing services.
6. To support parents/carers in making sense of the experiences of mental and emotional distressof the young person they are parent/carer to and involving the young person in theseconversations as much as possible and appropriate. This might include understandings ofpersonal and social recovery, health and wellbeing, personal and social identity whilstrecognising that each individuals recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.
7. To support parents/carers in making sense of their own experiences of mental and emotionaldistress in relation to the challenges the young person is facing, being highly sensitive to theiruse of language and descriptions of experiences.
6. To share wisdom, mentor around recovery processes and demonstrate coping skills, using own experience of caring for a young person who has experienced recovery from an eating disorder.
7. To act as a role model to inspire hope, share life experiences and lessons learned as a person who has cared for a young person in recovery.
8. To work with some autonomy with complex safety considerations for individuals across community and inpatient contexts
9. Working jointly with highly skilled colleagues from a variety of professional backgrounds to develop and co-facilitate carer interventions and ensure co-production is modelled within the care provided
10. To be attuned to sensitive safeguarding issues as they may present within the relevant cohort of patients, their friends and family and is able to utilise supervision to ensure safety and risk is managed in a recovery focussed, timely manner.
11. To attend team meetings and contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care with the multi-disciplinary team.
12. To work together with the young person and their parents/carers in the drawing up of care plans, encouraging and motivating young people and their parents/carers to take an active role in the care plan.
13. To incorporate and promote the Triangle of Care within MDT working practice and decision making.
14. To positively promote and support parents/carers engagement in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and actively supporting parents/carers to access them, maximising parents/carers opportunities for socially valued roles and positive identity.
15. To assist in the development and implementation of educational and peer facilitated parent/carer support groups and activities.
16. To assist parents/carers to maintain a connection with their life beyond being a parent/carer of a young person accessing services.
17. To accept and respect parent/carers personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.
Person Specification
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
Desirable
- Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
- Accredited peer support worker training
Previous Experience
Essential
- Own personal lived experience of caring for a young person who has experienced recovery from an eating disorder
- Own personal lived experience of caring for a young person who has accessed Eating Disorder Services
- Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care
- Developed plans for managing own wellbeing
- Willing to positively share own life experiences, and personal experience of caring for someone with an eating disorder with young people, parents/carers and families
- Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid)
Desirable
- Paid or unpaid peer support worker experience
- Paid or unpaid experience of working with individuals with an eating disorder
- Paid or unpaid experience of working with parents/carers/families
Skills, Knowledge, 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
- Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
- Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience
- An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
- Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service users
- 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
Desirable
- Basic health and safety awareness
- Moving and handling awareness
- Awareness of local services
- Knowledge of benefits/ employment systems
- Ability to demonstrate a good understanding
Person Specification
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
Desirable
- Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
- Accredited peer support worker training
Previous Experience
Essential
- Own personal lived experience of caring for a young person who has experienced recovery from an eating disorder
- Own personal lived experience of caring for a young person who has accessed Eating Disorder Services
- Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care
- Developed plans for managing own wellbeing
- Willing to positively share own life experiences, and personal experience of caring for someone with an eating disorder with young people, parents/carers and families
- Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid)
Desirable
- Paid or unpaid peer support worker experience
- Paid or unpaid experience of working with individuals with an eating disorder
- Paid or unpaid experience of working with parents/carers/families
Skills, Knowledge, 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
- Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
- Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience
- An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
- Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service users
- 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
Desirable
- Basic health and safety awareness
- Moving and handling awareness
- Awareness of local services
- Knowledge of benefits/ employment systems
- Ability to demonstrate a good understanding
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.
