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Job summary

Main area
Older Peoples Mental Health Services
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 15 hours per week
Job ref
311-T502-24
Employer
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
1st Floor, Etherow Building, Tameside General Hospital
Town
Ashton Under Lyne
Salary
£22,816 - £24,336 pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/08/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust logo

Peer Support Worker

NHS AfC: Band 3

About the Trust

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

Our ambition is to maximise people’s potential and we aim to promote an inclusive environment and improve the diversity of our workforce so our people truly represent the communities we serve.  

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post.  We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

  1. Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
  2. Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
  3. Access to Continued Professional Development
  4. Involvement in improvement and research activities
  5. Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
  6. Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople

https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/values

Job overview

To support people who are aged 65+ who have Complex Emotional and Relational Needs and are receiving care and treatment from the Older People’s Structured Clinical Management (SCM) Teams through sharing the knowledge from own lived experience, inspire hope and belief that a positive and meaningful life is possible

To provide a wide range of structured activities to include social leisure activities, vocational and educational programs to promote and support individual well-being.
To support the SCM Team with the weekly skills based group, contributing as a peer rather than leading groups as a facilitator.

Role Aim


Peer support workers are recruited because of their lived experience and their desire, motivation and enthusiasm to support and encourage others on their individual recovery journey. A peer support worker is someone who explicitly draws upon and shares their own experiences of emotional distress / trauma and / or using mental health services in order to inspire, model, and inform others in similar situations and support them in finding their own path to recovery. It is through this trusting relationship, which offers companionship, empathy and empowerment that feelings of isolation and rejection can be replaced with hope, a sense of agency and belief in personal control.

Main duties of the job

To be the expert by experience in the Older People’s SCM Team using personal experience of mental health challenges to work alongside experts by expertise to collaboratively deliver a range of recovery focused interventions for people who use Community Mental Health services with the aim of helping them live a meaningful life. Help individuals identify their own achievable and meaningful goals and set objectives, drawing upon your mutual resources as peers and utilising a range of mental health specific tools, techniques and experiences. Assist service users in creating a care plan to maintain their wellbeing and achieve their agreed goals and outcomes. Ensure your peer’s goals are integrated into the SCM Programme and are reviewed on a regular basis, liaising with the multi-disciplinary team as necessary.
The post-holder will be expected to complete mandatory Trust training as well as Peer Support training from an external provider. The SCM Team will also provide in house training around the SCM Programme.
To receive both monthly 1:1 supervision and weekly peer supervision.
To communicate effectively with individuals and their carers.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multidisciplinary team members, service users and carers. Model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness via the telling of own recovery story to inspire and instil confidence in peers. To raise awareness of a strengths based approach and associated language modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, and non medicalised language in all areas of work. Participating as co-facilitator on more structured and formal group based interventions through their interaction with service users advise qualified staff of changes in risk, mental health and / or behaviour.
Close liaison with clinical areas, Multi-Disciplinary Teams, Local Authority services, education and third sector. Prioritise, manage and monitor own workload and handle the day-to-day organisation of workload with the support of Team Manager.
Provide activities and support to a defined group of service users with varying needs
To be available for 1:1 sessions with service users when not engaged in structured / planned activities.
To perform tasks within the framework of a care plan as set and reassessed by a qualified practitioner.
To support and encourage the development of user led services, e.g. drop-in and other social groups in community settings with the support and involvement of NHS, Local Authority and Third Sector agencies.
Share / teach coping, self-help and self-management techniques within the peer relationship

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Good basic education including English to GCSE standard or equivalent
  • Completion of Accredited Peer Support Worker Training or Vocational/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and experience, or demonstrate a commitment to complete.
Desirable criteria
  • Willingness to undertake further training in line with the development of peer support
  • Completion of motivational interviewing training
  • Completing of health and wellbeing coaching training

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable lived experience/ knowledge
  • Lived experience of mental health issues
  • Completion of own Wellbeing Care Plan (or similar)
  • Have an understanding of issues faced by individuals presenting in crisis
  • Wide range of life experiences to bring an enabling and positive view of opportunities for others.
  • Experience of working in a team or group environment
  • Experience of using a range of self-management tools and techniques
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working in the public sector
  • Experience of training / teaching / mentoring others
  • Experience of working across different organizational boundaries

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent written, verbal and nonverbal communication skills
  • Computer literate and willingness to learn record keeping system
  • Ability to prioritise workload
  • Understanding and practical knowledge of person centred practice, including outcomes and solutions focused practice.
  • Understanding of the issues and concerns of CMHT service users and their families
  • Understanding of the impact of stigma and discrimination
  • Knowledge of local policies in respect of safeguarding children and adults at risk.
  • A commitment to promote recovery
  • Ability to manage own emotional response in the face of others distress and respond appropriately
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of undertaking presentations to groups.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential criteria
  • Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
  • Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
  • Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareNo smoking policyDisability confident employerNorth West BAME

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jade Poynton
Job title
Structured Clinical Management Practitioner
Telephone number
0161-716-3400
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