Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust
A selection of exciting opportunities has arisen in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust's (CNTW) North Cumbria Locality. These lived experience roles will be for the 24/7 Community Mental Health Support Hub based in Copeland, Cumbria. This is a unique opportunity to work as part of a new and transformative service, due to launch in January 2025.
Our aim is to transform the way mental health care is provided locally, by bringing together specialist health, social care and community services in the heart of Whitehaven in West Cumbria.
These posts are part of a joint project with other partners including Home Group, Everyturn, iCan Wellbeing and The Well Communities, amongst others. We are looking to provide a structure of lived experience throughout this project.
Main duties of the job
Senior Peer Supporters will have existing experience of offering peer support and will be expected to take part in additional work including mentoring other Peers, delivering training, and leading on other project work individual to their experience.
The principal role of the posts will be to support service users and carers throughout their journey through our services, to establish greater control over their lives and decisions, and build resilience during their care and treatment. The roles focus on creating trusting relationships whilst supporting service users in their journey of recovery.
You will be expected to offer a different perspective and real understanding through:
1. Sharing stories to find a mutual connection.
2. Supporting individuals to identify personal recovery goals and contribute to care planning.
3. Group work, as well as 1:1 work, using wellness plans and tools. You will co-develop therapeutic groups, dependant on your experience, working with a multi-disciplinary team.
4. Recording progress and concerns, working in a manner which ensures confidentiality and security.
5. Building service user and carer confidence through their care pathway and towards their own aspirations of a meaningful recovery.
About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
As an employee of CNTW, the wellbeing of all of our staff is vitally important. The post holder will have several avenues of support but should also feel confident in their own personal skills and abilities to draw upon their own resilience and strengths to sustain their own wellbeing throughout this role.
This will be a challenging, but rewarding role, working with people presenting with a range of mental health issues and risks. The post holder must have the ability to communicate where there are barriers to understanding, and they must be able to work as part of a team. They must be confident in working and communicating with people and demonstrate strong recovery values in, inspiring hope and empowerment in others.
Job responsibilities
Lived experience roles are a vital part of our plan to continually improve the services that we provide. These roles are aimed at people with personal lived experience of their own recovery journey, or supporting someone else, to inspire people through their own recovery path.
As this is a community-based role, you must be able to work centrally from the hub and be able to travel across the Copeland area and other Trust sites across CNTW.
Due to the 24/7 nature of the project, unsocial working hours will be required.
Person Specification
Additional Requirements
* Ability to meet the mobility requirements of the post ie. travel across sites and community visits
Education and Qualification
* Good level of secondary education for maths and english at GCSE or equivalent level
* Commitment to completing CNTW's Peer Education Programme
* Completion of peer support specialist training, or other similar peer support training
* Completion of wellness recovery action plan training (WRAP)
* Completion of WRAP Educator training
Knowledge and Experience
* Personal lived experience of recovery
* Experience of being in a Peer Supporter role
* Experience of a person centred approach
* Experience of working in the mental health field
* Knowledge of trauma informed practice
* Knowledge of strengths based and person-led practice
Skills and Competencies
* Understanding of personal values and beliefs
* Good interpersonal and team working skills
* Ability to share personal story of recovery in a professional manner
* Ability to assist people to develop recovery plans including determining problems, identifying goals and setting objectives
* Ability to facilitate small groups to gather service user experiences
* Ability to deliver aspects of a planned training event
* Ability and willingness to reflect on work practice and be open to constructive feedback
* Ability to draw on own resilience when working in challenging situations
* Ability to manage stress and to plan and prioritise workload
* Experience of WRAP or other person centred/planning tools
* Knowledge of how the mental health, and other health and social care systems operate
* Understanding of issues affecting health and wellbeing
* Ability to work in an enabling and creative way
Role/team specific Requirements
* Experience of offering peer support to a wide range of service users or carers including those experience of mental health issues, neurodiversity and other disabilities
* Ability to effectively challenge practice and language use
* Ability to work as a bridge between service users, carers and clinical teams
* Experience of working in partnership with third sector/voluntary services
Personal Characteristics
* Commitment to putting recovery values and principles into practice
* Belief that people can and do recover
* Ability to seek support when needed
* Non judgemental, tolerant, compassionate and respectful
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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