Inpatient Peer Support Team Lead

Job summary

An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join the newly formed and developing inpatient peer support team.

Peer support is when people use their own experiences to help each other. There are different types of peer support, but they all aim to bring together people with shared experiences to support each other, provide a space where you feel accepted and understood. A peer supporter is someone that supports others by drawing on shared lived and life experiences rather than through professional interventions and approaches. This mutual, reciprocal, recovery focused support often happens quite naturally as we meet others who have similar experiences - whether these experiences are social, familial, cultural, emotional or physical. Peer Supporters are trained to provide safe, appropriate and effective peer support that is based on the strong value base underpinning peer support. It is non-hierarchical, non-directive, person-centred, trauma-informed and relational. The Inpatient Peer Support service works across our wards, and is there for our patients and service users. To support them through their recovery journey, providing hope as peers, through their own lived and living experiences.

Main duties of the job

• To support and supervise peer specialists within the service, including identifying support and training needs
• To work with stakeholders to identify opportunities for the development of the service
• To work with the service manager and ward staff to monitor and adapt delivery according to localised needs
• To work directly with service users with mental health issues to offer support, validation, and encouragement, predominantly face-to-face, but using other methods of communication too.
• To model and support peer workers to maintain their own wellbeing and balance this with the role requirements.
• To work with the Ward Manager and Service Manager to monitor day-to-day operations and staffing.
• To support and encourage service users to identify their own strengths, triggers, and life goals and how they can be achieved.
• To work with service users to identify longer-term support needs and potential barriers, including referrals to and negotiation with other agencies where appropriate.
• To provide service users with tools and coping strategies to maintain their wellbeing.
• To share and use your lived experience in an appropriate way
• Work with service users to plan group activities.
• Participate in service monitoring, evaluation, and reflection in line with the trust guidelines and support service users to take part.
• To help adhere to and support the development of relevant procedures and guidelines which relate to peer support and the service.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.