Peer Support Worker / Carer Peer Support Worker Northampton
Job description
Do you have personal experience of living with mental distress or caring for a loved one with mental health challenges? Do you want to use this experience to help others in one of our two roles – ‘Service User Peer Support Worker’ or ‘Carer Peer Support Worker’? Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust are expanding their peer support service and there are a number of these two positions in Northampton, Kettering and Daventry. Peer support is when people use their own lived experiences to support others who are having similar experiences. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with personal experience of living with mental distress or supporting a loved one with mental health challenges to share their experience and support others. We are looking for'Service User Peer Support Workers' and ‘Carer Peer Support Workers’to work within the Community Mental Health Teams in our Primary Care Network. More information about the new Primary Care Network can be found herehttps://www.nhft.nhs.uk/mhtransformation Peer Support Workers for the Primary Care Network Community Mental Health Services have experience of living with mental distress or supporting a loved one with mental health challenges and are successfully managing their own recovery and wellbeing. The aim of the role is to support other individuals experiencing mental distress or who are caring for loved ones. The role is to complement the support given by healthcare professionals to inspire hope and empower people to reach their own individual recovery goals and make sense of their personal recovery journey. Peer Support Workers will be based at Northampton and will work with people in the surrounding areas, going out into various community settings You do not need to have prior peer support experience or training to apply for this role, however you will be expected to attend a Peer Support Worker course if you have not undertaken prior training. Our experience is that the people most likely to be invited to interview are those who refer to the points on the person specification in their supporting statement. Please ensure you read the job description and person specification attached for the relevant role. In the supporting information state whether you are applying for a Carer Peer Support Worker or a Service User Peer Support Worker position and which location(s) you would prefer to be based at: Kettering, Northampton or Daventry. Note down the relevant skills and experience you have that are related to the essential and desirable criteria in the supporting information, as your application will be shortlisted against these criteria. Please also confirm on your supporting statement that you have your own experience of mental ill health or caring for a loved one and describe how you manage your wellbeing now. Please note, applicants who do not indicate that they have lived experience of mental health challenges or supporting a loved one with mental health challenges in their application will not be considered for the role. The Peer Support Worker and Carer Peer Support Worker are new key roles in the Primary Care Network. They collaborate with the clinical staff, other practitioners and support workers to assist in improving the wellbeing of service users who use NHFT services. The aim of both roles is to: Support service users or their families, friends and carers directly including one-one or in small groups. Support service users or their carers with their integration into the community. Initiate, establish and maintain relationships with service users or their families, friends and carers in a variety of settings (including, homes, NHFT sites and in the community) Share and discuss common experiences with service users, or their families and carers in an appropriate manner Work under the direction and leadership of registered professionals, undertaking duties using a recovery focus Support people with their emotional, personal and physical needs. Develop a trusting and mutually beneficial rapport with service users or their families, friends and carers. Act as a coach and mentor to service users or their families, friends and carers by providing information about support and services available to them within NHFT and the local community. Develop links across other organisations that support service users or their families, friends and carers Identify and strengthen service user or families, friends and carer partnerships with CMHT’s to improve the support they receive. Involvement in developing and facilitating service user or family, friends and carer groups. Actively seek to understand and communicate service user or family and carer views and needs to internal and external stakeholders in a variety of settings. Participate in professional supervision and training opportunities. Contribute a service user or family , friend and carer perspective for Recovery College Courses. Contribute to service development, delivery of Peer Support training and the promotion of Peer Support. Represent the service user or the family, friend and carer’s voice at leadership meetings. Promote principles of peer supported recovery and self-managed care. Report regularly to the Supervisor and wider team, in meetings and reviews, the progress of the service users or family, friends and carers you are working with. Provide advice and facilitate service user or family, friends and carers participation in Involvement and Co-production activities. Use appropriate skills to engage with services users or families, friends and carers e.g. asking open ended questions, validating strengths and experiences, and using empowering language. Support and enable service users or, families, friends and carers to resolve conflicts and regain hope, enjoyment and control over their own lives based on the principles of peer supported recovery. Ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with NHFT standards.
