Peer Support Worker

Job overview

The team recently won the Chairs Outstanding Performance award at the 2024 CFPT Staff awards.

The service also works closely with our local inpatient units and acute hospital trusts.

The post-holder will be offered the opportunity for continued professional development within a well-established multi-disciplinary service. Our service has a strong commitment to professional development through individual supervision, training, appraisal and an ethos of close multi-disciplinary working.

The post is a permanent role and full time hours. We will also consider part time hours.

• To work as part of the specialist CAMHS Eating disorder team to provide support to young people and their families, either in their homes or in a clinic based setting.
• As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the PSW will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to peers and other service users in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery process.
• Through sharing the wisdom from own lived experience, the PSW will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. Within a relationship of mutuality, the PSW will facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.
• The PSW will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the CAMHS Eating disorder service, alongside other Trust Recovery Champions, and act as an ambassador of Recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.
• The PSW will promote their role, through the provision of information and a range of learning opportunities for the multi-disciplinary team and others across the Trust.
• As a core member of the multi-disciplinary team, the PSW will work alongside an agreed number of peers and other service users on a 1:1 and/or group basis for at least 60% of their time.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Establish a supportive and respectful relationship with peers and other service users.
• Help individuals identify their own achievable and meaningful recovery goals and set recovery objectives, drawing on your mutual resources as peers and utilising a range of recovery tools, techniques and experience.
• Model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness via the telling of own recovery story to inspire and instil confidence in peers.
• Assist peers and other service users in creating a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and advanced directives to feed into the CPA process.
• Share and coach coping, self-help and self-management techniques within the peer relationship.
• Support peers and other service users to identify and overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenge negative self-talk.
• Facilitate access to community groups and networks that enable peers and other service users to participate in community activities, in order to maximise opportunities for taking on socially valued roles and positive identity.
• Accompany peers and other service users to appointments/meetings of their choice and perform a range of practical tasks, aligned to recovery goals.
• Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multi-disciplinary team members, peers, other service users and carers.
• Have a focus on the rights of peers and other service users at all times.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

• Good level of secondary education to GCSE level
• Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment
• Completion of own Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or whole life plan or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment

• Related Health or Social Care qualification
• Level of educational attainment to NVQ 3 / AS Level or equivalent

Experience

• Lived experience of a long-term health condition
• Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role
• Experience of working in a team or a group environment
• Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques
• Have been discharged from mental health services for at least 1 year

• Experience of working in the public sector
• Experience of training, teaching, coaching/mentoring others

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Able to relate to a wide range of people
• Ability to share personal story of recovery in a professional and appropriate manner
• Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
• Ability to manage stress and to plan and prioritise workload

• Presentation skills

Knowledge & Understanding

• Understanding and practical knowledge of recovery
• Understanding of the issues and concerns of mental health service users
• Understanding of the impact of stigma and discrimination

• Understanding of the service delivery goals of the care pathway
• Knowledge of local policies in respect of safeguarding children and protection of vulnerable adults

Personal Qualities

• Respectful and compassionate

Other

• Must be able to travel to a wide range of locations across the Trust

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children and young people’s mental health services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Social care;
• Ground-breaking research

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity.

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.

Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.