Eating Disorders Senior Peer Support Worker

Job overview

The role will include inputting in to the development and sustainability of Peer Support Worker posts, including role definition.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide high quality individual supervision to Peer Support Workers working within Eating Disorders services, and group supervision to Peer Support Workers across the Trust. They will work alongside newly recruited PSWs supporting them in establishing their role within the multidisciplinary teams.

The Senior PSW will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the service settings in which they work, alongside other Trust recovery champions. The post holder will act as an ambassador of recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations, co-delivering learning and development sessions to external agencies, which contribute to the peer support income generation programme.

The role will also encompass a clinical caseload and the co facilitation of group work to deliver support to those individuals accessing Community Eating Disorders Services in Kensington & Chelsea. The post holder will promote the use of a ‘coaching’ role to support service users in identifying goals and developing personal recovery plans.

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London NHS Trust expects the Senior Peer Support Worker to act in a way which shows an understanding of our core values and is active in putting them into practice with service users, their friends, family and carers and also other staff members.

RESPECT: acknowledge, respect and value diversity of each individual, recognition of uniqueness.

EMPOWERMENT: commitment to providing information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs. The Trust endeavours to support all staff to enable them to develop and grow.

PARTNERSHIP: work closely with others and behave in a way that demonstrates understanding that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and fund our work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

COMMUNICATION:

1. To provide high quality individual supervision to Peer Support Workers across Eating Disorders Services.
2. To be actively involved in the process of recruitment of peer support workers including being on interview panels.
3. To proactively engage and work with a range of internal services including Human Resources and Occupational Health to ensure robust processes are in operation for the recruitment and maintenance of wellbeing of the peer support workers.
4. To effectively co-deliver training, including the accredited ‘Developing Expertise in Peer Support’, ‘Peer Support Worker Team Preparation’ sessions in readiness for peer support workers taking up post within teams; and learning and development activities within the Recovery & Wellbeing College.
5. To maintain professional relationships with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of boundaries.
6. Develop stronger links and working partnerships with a range of external agencies including other NHS Trusts employing peer support workers and voluntary organisations.
7. To promote the benefits of employment for those with ‘lived experience’ of overcoming mental health challenges.
8. To challenge any inequalities and to address any discrimination whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation.
9. To contribute to publications and conference presentations in relation to peer support and using ‘lived experience’; and liaise with other similar programmes that are developing throughout the country
10. To effectively co-produce and co-deliver learning and development activities which address the needs of external agencies in developing their peer support worker workforce; and which contributes to the peer support income generation programme.
11. To work with the Trustwide Lived Experience Practice & Peer Support Lead to develop advice and guidance for service providers in the field of Eating Disorders re: the development and sustainability of peer support worker posts, including role definition.
12. Report any untoward incidents or unusual occurrences to the manager/senior clinician immediately.
13. To communicate with patients/clients and carers with empathy, reassurance and tact.
14. To act as an ambassador for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.

CLINICAL:

1. To work with the multi-disciplinary team alongside newly appointed peer support workers to deliver support to those individuals accessing community Eating Disorders Services.
2. To promote the use of a ‘coaching’ role to support service users in developing personal recovery plans.
3. To provide meal support from a peer support lens.
4. To meet, welcome, introduce and orientate the service user, their carer and families to the service upon arrival.
5. To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using the service.
6. To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate self-management skills and techniques, using own experience of recovery.
7. To act as a role model to service users to inspire hope, share life experiences and lessons learned as a person in recovery.
8. To skilfully use personal experience of recovery to help motivate patients.
9. To assume a ‘coaching’ role supporting service users in developing personal recovery plans; this can be delivered individually or in groups.
10. To support service users to maintain their physical health and wellbeing and attend GP health checks where relevant.
11. To accompany service users to appointments, meetings, therapeutic or social community-based activities as appropriate.
12. To work with carers and supporters where appropriate.
13. To work with the MDT in supporting those service users who are not actively engaging in services.
14. To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery-focused activities and imparting information and education as required.
15. To help people identify their own recovery goals
16. To assist service users to identify their strengths, personal interests and goals; providing opportunities for service users to direct their own recovery process.
17. To support service users to identify and overcome fears within a relationship of empathy and trust.
18. To contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care with the multi-disciplinary team.
19. To facilitate the individual to move through and beyond services.
20. To support service users to develop Health and Wellbeing Plans, encouraging individuals to connect/ reconnect with family, friends, significant others and in learning how to improve or eliminate unhealthy relationships.
21. To assist individuals in managing their health on a day to day basis including providing support with activities of daily living such as care of self, budgeting, personal care, caring for their home and leisure activities.
22. To positively promote and support independent living for service users in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and actively supporting service users to access them e.g. in relation to employment, community living and leisure.
23. To signpost to various resources, opportunities and activities within the Trust and in communities to promote choice and informed decision making.
24. To assist in the development and implementation of educational and peer facilitated support groups and activities.
25. To accept and respect service users’ personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.

PLANNING AND ORGANISATION:

1. To effectively organise workload and priorities when supporting and supervising peer support workers across a number of teams whilst also providing internal and external learning and development opportunities.
2. To support and guide peer support workers in the management of their caseload, to meet their local service requirements.

1. To implement and suggest changes to guidelines and practice within the team and wider service line re: peer support worker roles in the workforce.
2. To work in collaboration with the Eating Disorders Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner and other Senior PSWs/Advanced Lived Experience Practitioners to co-produce (i.e. design, implement and review) Trustwide peer support documents and initiatives.
3. To attend peer support conferences and workshops to increase knowledge of current developments and disseminate findings to enhance service delivery.
4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific service user group, peer support and mental health.
5. To comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information and to be aware of any changes in these.
6. To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.
7. To attend clinical, business & service development meetings as required.

DOCUMENTATION:

1. To ensure timely and accurate recording of clinical related data and information on the electronic patient record system.
2. To maintain accurate supervision records of peer support workers as defined in Trust Guidelines, including the maintenance of a supervision record log.

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:

1. To actively participate in own group and individual Peer and team-based supervision structures and objective setting/appraisal, including developing a Personal and Professional Development Plan (PPDP).
2. To ensure mandatory training is up to date.
3. To keep abreast of changing practice and development of peer support work and the wider recovery agenda by participating in relevant learning and development opportunities; and support peer support workers to also identify and access relevant opportunities.
4. To participate in Trust mandatory training & development opportunities considered appropriate to the Senior PSW role and as identified in the Personal and Professional Development Plan (PPDP).
5. To undertake the accredited ‘Developing Expertise in Peer Support’ Level 4 module.
6. To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development review/ Appraisal.
7. To engage in monthly Peer Support group and individual supervision.
8. To receive regular line management supervision as arranged by the ward/ service manager.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:

1. To contribute to the evaluation of peer support worker roles, with regard to the extent that peer support workers improve the service user experience, add value to the individual’s recovery journey and demonstrate value for money.
2. To lead local audits in relation to the peer support worker role in Eating Disorders Services.
3. Under guidance of the Trustwide Lived Experience Practice & Peer Support Lead, to engage in national studies re: peer support.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT:

1. To ensure high quality and regular professional supervision of peer support workers within Eating Disorders Services.
2. To contribute to the annual appraisal of staff who are supervised.
3. To support individual peer support workers to identify their own learning needs.
4. To work with MDT colleagues to embed recovery focused practice within the team, delivering presentations as and when required.
5. To identify the learning needs of the Trust peer support workers and co-produce and co-deliver training activities in response to needs identified.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Completed peer support worker training (preferably accredited)
• Evidence of further training in relation to personal recovery principles
• Willingness to undertake or completion of Level 4 City, University of London-accredited “Developing Expertise in Peer Support” course
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

• Accredited certificate in Life Coaching

Previous Experience

• Own personal lived experience of recovery from eating disorder(s)
• Experience of having personally utilised secondary mental health services
• Experience of positively sharing own life experiences, and personal recovery journey, with service users, carers and others
• Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others
• Experience of working in a range of health and/or social care settings as a peer support worker
• Experience of working with people with mental health challenges and supporting them to access opportunities beyond mental health services
• Recent experience of supervision of others (in paid or unpaid capacity)
• Recent experience of delivering training and presentations to a wide range of audiences
• Experience in implementing recruitment and selection processes
• Experience of project development
• Experience of working both independently as well as providing group and 1:1 activities

• Undertaking evaluations, audit and research
• Delivery of Recovery College courses

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others
• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
• Interviewing skills
• Effective listening skills
• Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
• Ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
• Ability to see solutions rather than problems
• Good marketing and presentation skills
• Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower others
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, reliably and consistently with guidance
• Excellent planning, self-management and organisational skills
• Effective team player skills
• Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner
• Ability to demonstrate practical skills to provide support with daily living activities
• Emotional intelligence and reflectivity with ability to work effectively with others to bring about change in a complex and dynamic organisation
• An awareness of behaviour and interactions as meaningful communications

• Working knowledge of the principles of coproduction

Other

• A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictate (e.g. some evenings & weekends)
• Ability to travel between locations using own or public transport

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.

If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.