Job overview
The Peer Support Worker will be integral to the team using an approach called Peer Support Open Dialogue. This is where decisions about mental health care are facilitated through ‘network meetings’. These meetings focus on enabling a person, their family and networks (i.e whoever the person considers to be important in their life) to take more control and work together to support recovery.
The PSW role has been developed for people who have significant personal, lived experience of mental ill health and receiving care in a mental health service, either using services yourself or as a family member.
You must be willing to positively share your own life experiences, including your experience of mental health and assist people, through the Open Dialogue approach, to raise their aspirations and develop personal goals.
A Peer Support Worker may work alongside the mental health team colleagues or work without direct supervision. We are looking to appoint someone for 25 hour posts to be based at Birkenhead.
Flexible working options available.
Main duties of the job
Through the provision of formalised peer support & practical assistance, a Peer Support Worker will model positive peer support & use parts of their recovery story to empower individuals to achieve their recovery hopes, dreams & goals
Establish supportive, empathetic, non-directive & respectful relationships, that allow individuals using mental health services to recognise their own strengths & abilities
Facilitate access to information & education that can inform an individual about their decisions.
Liaise with other professionals & individuals to plan delivery of care & support including voluntary & community organisations, education, Recovery College, work & leisure.
Establish & maintain effective & appropriate communication & working relationships that respects everyone’s views, autonomy, & culture.
Establish supportive, empathic &respectful relationships.
Have excellent communication skills.
Be able to work on your own as well as with others.
We ask that you have a good general education or other relevant vocational training or knowledge gained through experience & be willing to contribute to the development & promotion of the peer support role.
Participate in comprehensive training in Peer Support and Open Dialogue, ongoing learning, development & network meetings with peer support colleagues.
Some travel around the locality will be required.
Working for our organisation
It is important that you include in your application form your personal experience of mental health, use of mental health services and recovery. You will be shortlisted for interview in accordance with your description of how you meet the Essential Criteria.
CWP provides health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care – including the provision of three GP surgeries.
Our aim is to help people to be the best they can be, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We were recently rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission with a Good rating overall.
We offer a variety of roles at all levels, so whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your skills and experience in a new role, CWP is the right employer for you.
CWP are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences.
To support this, we offer up to three weeks induction, dependent on role, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This programme welcomes you to CWP and provides you with information and training to support you in your role.
We welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please download a copy of the job description for full details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values and Behaviours in their everyday life. Therefore, if you are invited to interview, you will be undertaking a Values Based Interview/Assessment, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and Behaviours which are ‘the 6 Cs’ Communication, Competence, Courage, Care, Compassion and Commitment. The supporting information section in your application should therefore reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours. You will be expected to provide us with examples from work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviour.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email – or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
CWP is proud to be an accredited Veteran Aware organisation helping to provide and share best practice in NHS care for our armed forces community. As a veteran aware organisation, CWP is committed to delivering on the principles of the Armed Force Covenant and has a ‘Silver’ award with the MOD Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS).
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
If you experience any technical difficulties or need help when making an application please contact our Recruitment Team on 01244 393100.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Good general education, GCSE or other relevant vocational training or knowledge acquired through experience.
* Completion of Peer Support Worker training OR a willingness to undertake.
* NVQ level 3 or equivalent knowledge or experience
Desirable criteria
* Willingness to work towards appropriate health and care qualification e.g. NVQ3
* Willingness to undertake training in line with development of the peer support role.
Knowledge and Expertise
Essential criteria
* Able to demonstrate an understanding of the values and principles of Peer Support
* Willing to positively share your own life experiences, personal experience of mental ill health with service users and carers
* Knowledge of personal recovery and developed plans for managing own recovery
* Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
* Effective listening skills
* Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
* Good verbal and written communication skills
* Ability to appreciate / understand other people’s worlds
* Basic knowledge of IT including Microsoft Office and willingness to learn specific Trust IT systems.
Desirable criteria
* Completion of a Wellness Recovery Action Plan or similar recovery plan.
* An understanding of voluntary and community resources and how to access them.
* Experience of connecting across different organisation boundaries.
Experience
Essential criteria
* Personal lived experience of mental health challenges
* Personal experience of accessing secondary mental health services
* Experience of supportive and enabling relationships
* Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid)
* Experience of using techniques that support self-management Experience of sharing own personal experience
Desirable criteria
* Inpatient admission.
* Experience of supporting individuals access services beyond mental health
* Experience of delivering training/education sessions