[ref. s75585404] Peer Support Worker
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Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join our expanding inpatient perinatal mental health service. The role of peer support worker (PSW) has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of perinatal mental health challenges.Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, peer support workers will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.
As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the PSW will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users/partners in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery process.Within a relationship of mutuality and information sharing, they will promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities. The PSW will act as a recovery champion within the team and an ambassador of recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.
Main duties of the job
The PSW will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the service setting in which they work with other Trust recovery champions. Reporting directly to the Clinical Team Manager and under the professional supervision of the Peer Support Worker Lead, the PSW will be responsible for the delivery of peer support interventions as agreed within the peer relationship.
The post therefore requires effective liaison with service users, carers, and other professionals and agencies as required. The service encourages the use of the wisdom gained through personal ‘lived’ experience.
We recruit people based on their values and qualifications (where required) and believe that their lived experience is an advantage, this means that together we are as diverse as the communities we care for. Simply put, when we employ caring people who act with integrity and have the right skills, we can give those with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity high-quality care and support to live fulfilling lives, and make our staff feel purposeful, happy and valued.
All our information is available in accessible formats. Please contact the Recruitment team [email protected]
Attached to this advert is our candidates guide to values-based recruitment and supporting guidance on how to make a successful application.
If you require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Recruitment Team or see the attached candidate guide to reasonable adjustments.
Working for our organisation
The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country.As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.
There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.
We also have an incredible bank department, offering variety of roles in nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support worker and administration clerical. Permanent employees are automatically added to bank.
Applicants should be aware that any individual requiring a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only (this does not include Healthcare Support Workers). This is an essential requirement, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you do not meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To have good verbal communication skills and an excellent understanding of how to build rapport with service users, carers and others as required.
- Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team, and to have a good understanding of individual’s roles within the team
- Communication may be oral, in writing, electronic, or using sign language, or other verbal or non-verbal forms. The member of staff has understanding of communication barriers and ability to adapt possible barriers in building a good, effective, professional, empathic relationship with service users, and to be aware of strategies to help improve communications and relationships
- Will understand the importance and ability to provide effective communication and liaison with other agencies and professionals.
- To establish a supportive and respectful relationship with service users.
- Model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness via appropriate and timely relating of own gender story to inspire and instil confidence in peers.
- Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multidisciplinary team members, service users and carers.
- To raise awareness of recovery language with Trust staff by modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non- jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.
So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Guide to Values Based Recruitment. This document provides you with information to help you apply.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Lived experience of mental illness
Qualifications
Essential criteria- NVQ3 in Care or equivalent qualification/experience or the willingness to undertake further training.
Knowledge and Interest
Essential criteria- Knowledge of Community Resources
- Interest in Perinatal Mental Health and Recovery
Where candidates are successful at interview, flexible working arrangement requests will be taken into consideration and may be accommodated where the needs of the service allow.
Fixed Term Contracts for existing NHS Employees – temporary contracts for employees of LYPFT, or colleagues joining from another NHS Trust, will be offered on a secondment basis wherever possible. In the event this is not possible, an FTC would be issued and this would require a break in service of two weeks.
The purpose of a temporary is role could be for maternity cover, temporary funding or some other reason. At the end of which the need for the temporary work will cease. Temporary roles can stop, be extended and/or made permanent at any point during the period of work.Should the role become permanent then the post-holder will be informed of the process to be followed to convert the position to a permanent one.
Please note that from 1st July 2018, all new employees are required to subscribe to the DBS Update Service, DBS checks for volunteers remain free of charge.
Patient Safety is a priority at LYPFT with a focus on system-based improvement and creating opportunities for learning. We will ensure compassionate engagement with all those involved in an incident and all incidents are met with a proportionate response.LYPFT is committed to upholding its’ statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults and children. Please refer to job description for further information.
LYPFT is a member of the Disability Confident scheme and is committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
As part of the Trust's commitment to its Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant status, members of the Armed Forces Community are entitled to a guaranteed interview subject to meeting the role criteria.
We welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health needs.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if enough applications are received. It is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible. In submitting an application form, you authorise Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed to the post.
In applying for a role please ensure that you only declare qualifications that are relevant to the role itself. We reserve the right to check all declared qualifications on an application form, whether they are directly relevant to the role or not.
If you have not received any communication from us within four weeks you are asked to assume that your application has been unsuccessful. If you should have any queries regarding progress with your application form please contact us.
Please note: The Trust does not offer reimbursement of interview expenses.