Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Peer support worker to join our supportive and expanding community team. The role of peer support worker (PSW) has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery. Our PSWs inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. They model the value of recovery within and without AWP. They share wisdom gained from their own experiences.
As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, PSWs provide structured peer support and practical assistance to service users:
PSWs provide practical assistance including: accompanying a service user to meetings, helping the service user to access information concerning services. Peer support workers may constructively reference their own experiences when undertaking their work.
Within a respectful relationship, AWP PSWs promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for personal fulfilment.
In the community eating disorder service the role is focused on supporting people living with eating disorders, and their carers (families/friends/cares) in the community, enabling and assisting them to meet daily health, social and well being needs, in line with personal recovery goals, and facilitating engagement with mainstream services.
The post holder may have lived experience of an eating disorder and their focus will be on providing emphatic and compassionate emotional support to service users.
Main duties of the job
The role includes supporting service users. Planning ongoing reviews of care to meet identified physical and mental health needs. Build inspiring relationships, acknowledge the personal journey of individuals. Focus on strengths and personal recovery plans.
Promote continuity of care by maintaining regular contact with service users, during inpatient treatment, to facilitate early discharge. Work collaboratively with service users and their carers to understand their personal recovery plan.
Participate in the development of risk assessments, crisis plans, ensuring when trigger points are reached and reported appropriately. Promote the rights of individuals by recognising differences, reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
Work collaboratively with individuals, to develop skills to manage their own health. Promoting independence, increase confidence by providing appropriate self-help information about resources/services. Be responsible for maintaining own caseload, ensuring that time is prioritised. Recognising and reporting signs that may indicate risk of neglect, self harm or at risk from others.
Develop own knowledge and practice, making use of supervision and appraisal, accessing identified learning and training. Maintain accurate, confidential records, writing reports and letters, utilising electronic record and other systems. Report and record within agreed timeframes.
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust):a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. Th expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Right to Work in the UK This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application, as the organisation is unable to support sponsorship for this post.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake the role of peer support worker for an allocated caseload of service users organising and participating in the ongoing assessment, planning, delivering and review of care to meet identified physical and mental health social and well being needs. This will include:Explaining the role of peer support workerOrganising and participating in defined assessment methods/activitiesContributing to care plans identifying and organising other resources asappropriate.Completing relevant paper and electronic documentation in line with the peer support worker role
Developing, planning and undertaking defined interventions to enable the individual to meet and develop their ongoing daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans.This might include:Preparing for and delivering defined self-help groups.Therapeutic activities to improve and individuals coping skills e.g. mindfulness and relaxationTherapeutic activities to improve an individuals abilities to work on their eating disorder, such as going out to a caf, buying food/clothes, having a meal out.
Planning and undertaking activities to enable the individual to meet and develop their daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans. This might include helping individuals to:Complete forms or letter e.g. housing benefitsContact employment advisors or education facilitiesOr it might include providing any of the followingEmotional support to individual focusing on motivation and encouragement.Information and advice to maintain good physical healthInformation on rights under the mental health act.
Effectively build hope inspiring relationships which acknowledge the personal journey of each person, and focus on strengths and aspirations to allow the creation of meaningful personal recovery plans.
Communicate effectively with a wide range of people in order to build and sustain effective, and positive relationships with individuals, and carers, team members and other agencies. This may include accessing translation and interpreting services.
Promote continuity of care by maintaining regular contact with service users, during episodes of inpatient treatment, working closely with other teams to facilitate early discharge.
To work collaboratively with service users and their carers to understand and manage their mental health needs in line with their personal recovery plan and relapse prevention strategies.
To undertake specific activities and interventions in the support of carers including engagement and involvement, assessment and provision of support or services.
Participate in the development of risk assessments and crisis management plans, rapid access plans, within the appropriate framework, ensuring that when trigger points are reached these are reported appropriately to a registered practitioner, and that immediate or direct action is taken in line with these, or in the event of a crisis.
Respond to the needs of individual with sensitivity with regard to their age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class or disability, modifying behaviour to optimise the helping relationship.
Promote the rights of individual by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
Work collaboratively and sensitively with individuals, with eating disorders to develop skills to manage their own health, in accordance with their personal recovery plan, by actively promoting and using approaches which are affirming, build on strengths, identify past positive experience and success, and use small steps to move towards the persons goal.
Promoting independence and increasing confidence by providing appropriate self-help materials, information about available resources/services, facilitating identified group work and educational workshops.
To be responsible for maintaining own caseload on a day to day basis, ensuring that time is prioritised effectively.
Contribute to the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, by recognising and reporting any signs that may indicate an individual is at risk of neglecting or harming themselves, or at risk from others, and by participating in processes with other agencies to keep the individual safe.
Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.
Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, taking appropriate action where required.
Maintain accurate, confidential records of patient activity, writing reports and letters, utilising electronic record and other systems available within the organisation.
Report and record within agreed timeframes, all activity relating to information reporting and performance requirements.
To participate in local arrangements in order to ensure consistent care to service users across the local geography
Please see Job Description for full duties
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake the role of peer support worker for an allocated caseload of service users organising and participating in the ongoing assessment, planning, delivering and review of care to meet identified physical and mental health social and well being needs. This will include:Explaining the role of peer support workerOrganising and participating in defined assessment methods/activitiesContributing to care plans identifying and organising other resources asappropriate.Completing relevant paper and electronic documentation in line with the peer support worker role
Developing, planning and undertaking defined interventions to enable the individual to meet and develop their ongoing daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans.This might include:Preparing for and delivering defined self-help groups.Therapeutic activities to improve and individuals coping skills e.g. mindfulness and relaxationTherapeutic activities to improve an individuals abilities to work on their eating disorder, such as going out to a caf, buying food/clothes, having a meal out.
Planning and undertaking activities to enable the individual to meet and develop their daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans. This might include helping individuals to:Complete forms or letter e.g. housing benefitsContact employment advisors or education facilitiesOr it might include providing any of the followingEmotional support to individual focusing on motivation and encouragement.Information and advice to maintain good physical healthInformation on rights under the mental health act.
Effectively build hope inspiring relationships which acknowledge the personal journey of each person, and focus on strengths and aspirations to allow the creation of meaningful personal recovery plans.
Communicate effectively with a wide range of people in order to build and sustain effective, and positive relationships with individuals, and carers, team members and other agencies. This may include accessing translation and interpreting services.
Promote continuity of care by maintaining regular contact with service users, during episodes of inpatient treatment, working closely with other teams to facilitate early discharge.
To work collaboratively with service users and their carers to understand and manage their mental health needs in line with their personal recovery plan and relapse prevention strategies.
To undertake specific activities and interventions in the support of carers including engagement and involvement, assessment and provision of support or services.
Participate in the development of risk assessments and crisis management plans, rapid access plans, within the appropriate framework, ensuring that when trigger points are reached these are reported appropriately to a registered practitioner, and that immediate or direct action is taken in line with these, or in the event of a crisis.
Respond to the needs of individual with sensitivity with regard to their age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class or disability, modifying behaviour to optimise the helping relationship.
Promote the rights of individual by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
Work collaboratively and sensitively with individuals, with eating disorders to develop skills to manage their own health, in accordance with their personal recovery plan, by actively promoting and using approaches which are affirming, build on strengths, identify past positive experience and success, and use small steps to move towards the persons goal.
Promoting independence and increasing confidence by providing appropriate self-help materials, information about available resources/services, facilitating identified group work and educational workshops.
To be responsible for maintaining own caseload on a day to day basis, ensuring that time is prioritised effectively.
Contribute to the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, by recognising and reporting any signs that may indicate an individual is at risk of neglecting or harming themselves, or at risk from others, and by participating in processes with other agencies to keep the individual safe.
Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.
Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, taking appropriate action where required.
Maintain accurate, confidential records of patient activity, writing reports and letters, utilising electronic record and other systems available within the organisation.
Report and record within agreed timeframes, all activity relating to information reporting and performance requirements.
To participate in local arrangements in order to ensure consistent care to service users across the local geography
Please see Job Description for full duties
Person Specification
3.To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
Essential
- Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- Ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary teams
Desirable
- Problem solving skills
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
To have an interest or personal experience of an eating disorder
Essential
- Experience of mental health services, as a user, carer, volunteer or worker
- Experience/knowledge of service user involvement
Desirable
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
- Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Person Specification
3.To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
Essential
- Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- Ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary teams
Desirable
- Problem solving skills
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
To have an interest or personal experience of an eating disorder
Essential
- Experience of mental health services, as a user, carer, volunteer or worker
- Experience/knowledge of service user involvement
Desirable
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
- Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
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.
.png){kind=logo}
