Job overview
Senior Peer Support Worker (Various locations across Newham)
We are recruiting for Senior Peer Support Workers to work across our Newham mental health services. This includes opportunities to work across our community teams and inpatient services.
This role is specifically for someone with significant experience of working as a Peer support worker, preferably within ELFT or a similar organisation. It would also be beneficial to be familiar with Newham.
It is essential to have lived experience of using mental health services as well as completion of Peer support worker training. Please note you will NOT be shortlisted without meeting these requirements.
The role of Senior Peer Support Worker will primarily be a face-to-face role, with the need to work in the community and inpatient unit. The main focus of the work will be to support service users in their recovery journey, drawing on your lived experience. There is also a key expectation to co-facilitate groups and take on extra responsibilities relevant to the setting. This may include providing increased support on discharge and supporting the best use of our Peer support resource.
Main duties of the job
You must be able to use your personal recovery journey to inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in the people you are supporting. You should be an effective communicator and be able to work proactively, as part of the local teams and also as part of the wider teams supporting your peers. To work as an integral and highly valued member of the relevant teams to inspire hope and recovery through sharing lived experience.
- To support staff new to Peer support worker role
- To co-facilitate meaningful groups.
- To take on additional responsibilities relevant to the setting e.g. supporting with referrals screening, team huddles, teaching and training.
(Please see JD for full outline of role.)
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential criteria
1. •ELFT Accredited Peer Support Worker Training or equivalent.
2. •A willingness to undertake further training and/or qualifications
3. •Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training
Desirable criteria
4. •NVQ3 in health and social care or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential criteria
5. •Significant experience of working as a Peer
6. •Own personal lived experience of mental health
Desirable criteria
7. •Awareness of local services and community organisations
8. •Ability to demonstrate an understanding of mental health issues.
9. •Knowledge of benefits/employment systems.
10. •Ability to speak other languages
11.. •Experience of delivering training.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
12. •A sound knowledge of good practice in Peer Support Work
13. •Ability to use Email, Word processing packages
14. •Cultural awareness including awareness of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health
15. •Commitment to Trust Equality and Diversity policies and Trust values
Desirable criteria
16. •Ability to co-produce new information resources to promote emerging projects. •To demonstrate a knowledge of conducting audits, survey’s and consultations.
17. •Able to demonstrate understanding of Intentional Peer Support.
18. •Demonstrate knowledge of personal Recovery To demonstrate broad understanding of the principles of recovery
19. •Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers.
20. •Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
21. •Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust.
22. •Ability to appreciate / understand other people's worlds.
23. •Willingness to take initiative and speaking Truth to Power
24. •Ability to recognise and appropriately challenge stigma and discrimination.
25. •Ability to demonstrate an understanding of mental health issues.
26. •Awareness of local services.
27. •Knowledge of benefits/employment systems