Job summary
Have you ever wondered if you could use your lived experience of supporting a child with mental health difficulties to help other parents/carers?
This opportunity could be for you!
Alder Hey Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service are looking to recruit, train and develop a team of Parent Carer Peer Support Workers (PCPSW). PCPSWs work with parents/carers to empower them to access appropriate information, advice, support and services, helping reduce isolation and offering hope when life can feel quite hopeless.
As a leading provider of Children's and Young People's Mental Health Services, Alder Hey is committed to developing lived experience roles and working in partnership with our parents and carers. These pioneering roles will help us achieve our goal of continuing to have parent/carer support led by those with lived experience. The roles will also ensure that the parent/carer voice is at the heart of Service Development.
Will I be paid?Yes, these are paid roles matched at Agenda for Change Band 3. The hours available are flexible in recognition of the vital role of lived experience.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for someone who:
o Has lived experience of supporting a child who has experienced mental health difficulties.o Is passionate about helping others and building positive relationships.o Is empathic and can connect to other parents/carers from a range of backgrounds and experiences.o Can communicate with other professionals, parents/carers and community groups.o Is able to work on their own, prioritising their workload and work as a part of a team.o Has a desire and willingness to develop skills.o Values supervision, support, and self-care.
This role may include:
- Running parent/carer support groups, including some evening groups.
- Providing support and resources through social media.
- One-to-one supportive conversations with other parents/carers on the phone, virtually and face-to-face.
- Representing parent /carer voice in Service Development.
- Being willing and able to draw on experiences to help develop and deliver training.
- Being actively involved in the recruitment of new staff members.
- Access supervision and relevant training specific to the role.
About us
Alder Hey is an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities and people with disabilities. We want applications from people from diverse backgrounds as our ambition is that our workforce is fully reflective of the communities that we serve. Alder Hey is signed up to the disability confident scheme and we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the vacancy.
Alder Hey has already earned our place as one of the world's leading children's hospitals, thanks to innovation and pioneering medical work. We treat 250,000 young patients a year and have a broad range of hospital and community services, serving the local population of children, as well as being a tertiary referral centre for children from across Merseyside, Cheshire and parts of Lancashire, Shropshire and North Wales. Every individual makes a valuable contribution and Alder Hey is proud of its long history of providing pioneering and innovative healthcare to children and young people. The post holder must adhere to Trust Policies and Procedures at all times.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description and person specification for further information in relation to main duties and responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description and person specification for further information in relation to main duties and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Professional attitude
- Maintain discretion and confidentiality
- Highly motivated, confident and organised
- Self-motivated, conscientious and proactive
- Flexible, adaptable and able to work on own initiative as well as in a team
- Tactful and diplomatic
- Compassionate - Open minded, treats colleagues, patients, carers and relatives with dignity and respect
Education and Training
Essential
- Satisfactory level of Secondary education to GCSE English A-C grade or 9-4 grade or equivalent
- Good ability in written and spoken English
- Level 3 recognised PSW Training or willingness to undertake this within 6 months of appointment to role
Desirable
- Mental health or Health and Social Care related qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Experience and/or significant knowledge of mental health conditions and recovery.
- Understanding of the CYPMH services and pathways, including treatment and support for mental health for young people
- erience of using a range of selfmanagement or recovery tools and techniques
- Experience of working in a team
Desirable
- oExperience working with children and young people
- oExperience of working across different organisational boundaries
Knowledge
Essential
- A range of self-management or goal based tools and techniques
- Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, health & safety legislation, complaints management and risk management.
- Working knowledge and relevant permissions of legislation and regulations in relations to DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) and the impact on working practices
- Service user involvement and participation and why it is important.
Desirable
- Current issues that impact on children and young people's mental health, including the impact of stigma and discrimination.
Skills
Essential
- Good written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- Use a range of communication skills to ensure young people and families are engaged in a meaningful way.
- Use of lived experience to role model to young people, inspire hope, share life
- Facilitating peer recovery and other recovery-focused groups.
- An ability to recognise and manage own stress.
- Ability to demonstrate and model selfcare skills
- Ability to work creatively and use initiative
Desirable
- Providing tailor made packages of peer support to allocated service users.
- Training to support young people to access community interventions and achieve holistic wellbeing.
Person Specification
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Professional attitude
- Maintain discretion and confidentiality
- Highly motivated, confident and organised
- Self-motivated, conscientious and proactive
- Flexible, adaptable and able to work on own initiative as well as in a team
- Tactful and diplomatic
- Compassionate - Open minded, treats colleagues, patients, carers and relatives with dignity and respect
Education and Training
Essential
- Satisfactory level of Secondary education to GCSE English A-C grade or 9-4 grade or equivalent
- Good ability in written and spoken English
- Level 3 recognised PSW Training or willingness to undertake this within 6 months of appointment to role
Desirable
- Mental health or Health and Social Care related qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Experience and/or significant knowledge of mental health conditions and recovery.
- Understanding of the CYPMH services and pathways, including treatment and support for mental health for young people
- erience of using a range of selfmanagement or recovery tools and techniques
- Experience of working in a team
Desirable
- oExperience working with children and young people
- oExperience of working across different organisational boundaries
Knowledge
Essential
- A range of self-management or goal based tools and techniques
- Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, health & safety legislation, complaints management and risk management.
- Working knowledge and relevant permissions of legislation and regulations in relations to DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) and the impact on working practices
- Service user involvement and participation and why it is important.
Desirable
- Current issues that impact on children and young people's mental health, including the impact of stigma and discrimination.
Skills
Essential
- Good written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- Use a range of communication skills to ensure young people and families are engaged in a meaningful way.
- Use of lived experience to role model to young people, inspire hope, share life
- Facilitating peer recovery and other recovery-focused groups.
- An ability to recognise and manage own stress.
- Ability to demonstrate and model selfcare skills
- Ability to work creatively and use initiative
Desirable
- Providing tailor made packages of peer support to allocated service users.
- Training to support young people to access community interventions and achieve holistic wellbeing.
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).
