Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust
An exciting opportunity has arisen in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust's (CNTW) North Cumbria Locality. The role will be for a Peer Supporter for the Memory and Later Life Services based at Carleton Clinic in Carlisle.
The Peer Supporter role is a vital part of our plan to continually improve the service that we provide. The role is aimed at people with personal lived experience of supporting and having responsibility for a friend or relative with dementia.
The principal role of the post will be to support carers throughout their journey of supporting someone within our services following assessment, through to accessing care and treatment and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity to work as part of a Clinical Team, utilising your personal experience to provide support, validation and hope for people following diagnosis, creating an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of carers and families.
The role focuses on creating trusting relationships whilst supporting carers to manage the challenges and changes that a caring role can bring following a diagnosis and throughout treatment.
This will be a challenging, but rewarding role, working with a diverse range of people who are caring for anyone who has new or suspected memory problems, including those with a diagnosis of dementia, and people in later life who have anxiety, depression or psychosis made more complex by physical health needs.
Main Duties of the Job
You will be expected to offer a different perspective and real understanding through:
1. Supporting families and carers whilst their loved ones are within our service and throughout transitional periods following discharge/end of life.
2. Advocating for carers in meetings, raising awareness, and influencing service culture.
3. Using your lived experience thoughtfully, sharing relevant stories that can create a shared understanding between carers to help build a mutual connection.
4. Co-facilitating and developing therapeutic groups for carers and families and creating a safe space for sharing experiences.
5. Working 1:1 with carers and families to offer appropriate individualised support and advice.
6. Supporting with training sessions to educate people on the needs and experiences of carers.
7. Managing and prioritising your workload independently, ensuring that the needs of carers and families are met efficiently while maintaining confidentiality and security.
The post holder must have the ability to:
1. Communicate through a range of different methods including face to face, telephone, email, and in group settings.
2. Work collaboratively as part of a team as well as individually.
3. Have a good level of self-awareness.
4. Manage and maintain professional boundaries.
This service covers a wide area across Cumbria and this role will involve travelling across the county.
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.
Job Responsibilities
Please find attached job description and role descriptor for full details.
Advertising date: 7th January 2025
Closing date: 2nd February 2025
The Memory and Later Life Service will be hosting an open day on Tuesday 28th January at Mind, Victoria Place, Carlisle:
This is an opportunity to meet the teams and find out more about the service, have a look around and discuss the peer support role and ask any questions you may have.
We look forward to meeting you there.
We welcome your application and any questions you may have.
Person Specification
Education and Qualification
* Good level of secondary education
* Commitment to complete the CNTW Peer Supporter Educational Programme
* Completion of Peer Support Specialist Training or other similar peer support training
* Completion of Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training
* Completion of WRAP Educator training
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
* Confidence in own skills and ability to draw upon own resilience and strengths to sustain own wellbeing
* Ability to assist people to develop recovery and wellness plans
* Ability to facilitate groups and deliver aspects of a planned training event.
* Ability and willingness to reflect on work practice and be open to constructive feedback
* Ability to work in an enabling and creative way
* Ability to draw on own resilience while working with challenging situations
* Ability to plan and prioritise workload
* Ability to undertake breakaway skills
* Experience of WRAP or other recovery/person-centred planning tools
* Knowledge of how the mental health and other health and social care systems operate
* Understanding of issues affecting mental health and well-being
Role/Team Specific Requirements
* Commitment to putting recovery values and principles into practice
* Belief that people can and do recover and that people can live a meaningful life in the present or absence of difficulties
* Ability to seek support when needed
* The ability to effectively challenge practice and language use
* Ability to work as a bridge between service users/carers and clinical team
Personal Characteristics
* Enthusiasm towards and understanding of the specialist nature of the Peer Support role
* Motivation towards the promotion and development of the role
* Reliable and professional
* Non-judgemental, tolerant, compassionate and respectful
Additional Requirements
* Ability to meet the mobility requirements of the post
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.
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust
£24,071 to £25,674 a year pro rata per annum
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