HIV Peer Support Workers will take the lead in supporting a group of experts by lived HIV experience to increase the emotional and social support available to people living with HIV across Sheffield. You will work with people living with HIV to offer support, both 1 to 1 and in groups setting and ensure that they are effectively supported to access the services that they need. You will work with People living with HIV to develop strategies that increases participation and that challenge HIV Stigma.
Aim:
• The role of the HIV Peer Support Worker (PSW) has been developed for people who have lived experience of recovering a good life after HIV diagnosis. We use the definition of recovery as "the purposeful pursuit of a good life, irrespective of the absence or presence of symptoms, built around the pillars of hope, opportunity and control, with self-management and social inclusion at the heart."
• The role includes meeting with service users of Sheffield HIV services providing scheduled meetings with service users on 1-1, group or drop-in basis providing ongoing support. The PSW will work with allied colleagues including HIV Peer Support Volunteers to develop and deliver a varied offer of peer support activities to support service users of the Sheffield HIV service.
• The role will have special responsibility for Developing and delivering a range of HIV peer support groups and training opportunities
Principal Objectives:
To inspire, develop and deliver HIV Peer Support across Sheffield in particular;
• Group co-facilitation and support
• Community ambassadors’ roles
• Sexual health skills peer mentoring
• Positive speakers
• Training for professionals.
To ensure that the Sheffield Peer Support Project of MESMAC Group of Services have in place the systems and infra-structure to support people to become volunteers including recruitment, training, personal development and supervision.
Main Responsibilities & Duties (list not exhaustive – please refer to the application pack for more details)
Groupwork & Training
1. To work with staff, volunteers and service users to develop Peer Support Groups for People Living with HIV in Sheffield
2. To train and support HIV Peer support volunteers to co-facilitate groupwork and other events e.g. drop-ins.
3. To ensure Peer support groupwork volunteers have adequate support and supervision including debriefing after training sessions.
4. To Take the lead in developing training opportunities for professionals.
5. To develop systems that capture and demonstrate the value of groupwork in contributing to our outcomes.
Case load
1. To assist service users in identifying their own strengths, personal interests and goals; providing opportunities for service users to direct their own recovery process.
2. To support newly diagnosed and existing service users regarding adjustment to HIV diagnosis e.g. issues around confidentiality and disclosure.
3. To support service users in developing personal wellbeing plans; this can be delivered individually or in groups to assist individuals in managing their physical and general wellbeing.
4. To encourage the individual to be involved in care plans and risk/safety management plans.
5. To collaborate closely with the clinical staff to appropriately link service users with the most appropriate support, including signposting and support in accessing emergency financial support, immigration services, benefits and housing services etc.
6. To positively promote and support service users in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and to actively support service users to access opportunities of their choice.
7. To develop and maintain excellent working relations with the HIV voluntary sector, local partners, mental health services, homeless charities and other relevant organisations.
8. To maintain professional relationships with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of boundaries.
Salary: £30,559 pro rata per annum for 15 hours per week. 1 year fixed contract with a possibility of a 12 month extension.
This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS with barred lists check. (Work flexibly including evening and weekend working)