Job Summary Please note this post covers Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley This post is to deliver our Peer Partnership Project to adults living in the North Kent (Dartford, Gravesend, and Swanley) area. All post holders will have their own lived experience of mental health issues. Supporting people who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing, a mental health crisis with appropriate support that will enable them to access longer-term community help so that a further crisis is less likely, working with those who have been unable to access more specialist mental health support or are waiting for services but may be at risk of crisis during that time without some level of emotional support. The role will have a geographical area of focus, of Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley. Individual support work Caseload management Facilitating group work Signposting, linking-in, and follow-up Structure of the Post Peer Support Workers are supervised by the service Co-ordinator. They must be flexible to work in venues and community settings throughout the North Kent area as specified. This role is predominantly 9am-5pm Monday – Friday, with one day 12-8pm. Work is predominately in-person. This post will include specific Peer Support training which post holders will need to attend, engage with, and complete. For the calculation of travel expenses, the North Kent Mind Office in Dartford shall be considered the base throughout and travel between home and another working venue can only be claimed insofar as it is in excess of the distance between home and base. All time in travel between venues is counted as time worked. The post holder must be flexible to work some evenings as necessary. The precise deployment of staff will be based on a fortnightly rota pattern which will be pre-published every month. The respective balance of the elements listed in this job description may change in accordance with the needs of the organisation as defined by the Co-ordinator or Service Development Manager. Contracted hours will be worked on an average weekly basis over a month rather than on a strict weekly basis. Currently the Peer Partnership Project is expected to be in person, although weekend or evening client work may be facilitated remotely as instructed by the Co-ordinator. A. Duties of the Post: Specific These duties relate to this post only: To offer person-centred, holistic, and structured individual peer support to a caseload of service users. This may include a listening ear service, emotional support, signposting and linking in, interventions, advice, advocacy, and practical support. To ensure all individuals supported by the project have a clear pathway. To utilise digital, telephone and a predominance of in-person approaches, for supporting caseloads. To facilitate weekly group work, combining psychoeducational approaches with peer support. To support peer-led elements and coproduction within all aspects of the project. To maintain, undertake, compile, input and upload, and feedback monitoring data and case notes as required by the Co-ordinator. To work closely with colleagues via a monthly shift rota to provide service coverage. To support and utilise volunteers throughout the project. To work closely with the project coordinator to maintain a caseload of up to 20 individuals at any one time. Undertake and complete Peer Support Training (ImROC) To participate in both operational and external clinical supervision. To proactively and assertively follow-up on service user referrals to external services, or make referrals, as required. Offer support to service users by attending key appointments with them, or utilising volunteers to do so. B. Duties of the Post: General These duties apply to all North Kent Mind Staff, whichever service they work for: To work within a framework which abides by all the policies of North Kent Mind, including Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality and Health and Safety; promotes Social Inclusion, Empowerment, Well-being, and the Recovery Model; respects, encourages, and builds on individual clients’ coping strategies, skills, and autonomy; maintains good liaison with any other outside agencies as necessary; promotes good joint working, links, and cross-referral with all North Kent Mind colleagues; and adheres to the principles of the Social Care Standards as defined by the GCSI. To participate in supervision and appraisal. To attend staff meetings and team meetings. To attend training/meetings and some annual events as required. To undertake any other duties which the CEO or Board of Trustees may, from time to time, reasonably delegate or assign. C. Duties of the Post: Common These duties apply to all project staff. Embed peer support, empowerment, and coproduction into the service. Efficient facilitation of outcome monitoring systems and inputting of outcome data. Set-up venues prior to a group work starting and clearing up at the end of the session. Facilitating, planning, and arranging group work as informed through consultation with participants, Co-ordinator, and with prior preparation of materials as required. To make timely and effective interventions if, and when required, to deal appropriately with any crises or incidents which occur. Communicate and liaise with the Co-ordinator, or SMT in their absence. Welcoming new service users within timelines, and proactively follow-up on any non-engagement. Develop a broad knowledge of local services and their systems to support Service User pathways and information. Ensuring service-users are aware of, and abide by, the Code of Conduct in group work. Providing support to any volunteers that work within the sessions. Facilitate the group work in accordance with accepted good practices. Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract Pay: £24,772.74 per year Benefits: Bereavement leave Company pension Health & wellbeing programme Sick pay Schedule: Monday to Friday Work Location: In person