Children and Young Persons Peer Support Worker

Job overview

Before committing to a career in Peer Support Work, please watch the attached video. It provides valuable insights into this role within our teams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOnc0LTknNw

Band 3 Children and Young Persons Peer Support Worker

Do you have lived experience of receiving mental health support or do you have experience of working as a Peer Support Worker?

Would you like to support children, young people and their families?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our service.

Peer Support is based on the recognition that some of the key people to support the path towards recovery and to play a role in the prevention of mental health challenges are people who have walked a similar path to those individuals and have the skillsets needed to build non directive, strength based, safe and recovery focused relationships.

You will be a valued member of the Mental Health Support Team, within the Children's Mental Health Care Group, using lived experience to come alongside people using services on a one-to-one and group basis to explore peoples own goals and personalised recovery.

• For a CYP Peer Support Worker, the primary role is to skilfully utilise lived experience and relational skills to engage with other young people within our communities, raising awareness about mental health challenges and providing support which allows for individuals to explore their own unique path.
• You will work as part of the Mental Health Support Team and work in collaboration of other key stakeholders involved in the delivery of care in the community. Much of this work will be group based within school settings with young people that attend primary, secondary and SEND schools.
• You will work alongside individuals during the facilitation of drop-in session and other agreed activities. This work will be agreed to and overseen by a member of qualified staff.
• You will get involved in activities such as one to ones, wellbeing groups, workshops (e.g. social media and wellbeing), setting up mental health ambassadors, attending parent’s evenings, and delivering assemblies.
• You will have an area of special interest (e.g. learning support, social media awareness, sports, artwork, group work, LGBTQ+ etc…) and use this experience/expertise to the benefit of service users.
• You will engage with mental health service users to show empathy, share experience, inspire hope and promote recovery with the aim of assisting service users to gain and maintain independence

Working for our organisation

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by:

• Supporting your career development and progression
• Excellent NHS Pension scheme
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
• If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
• Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
• Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, milage paid at business rate s
• Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
• Free car parking at all trust sites
• Free flu vaccinations every year
• Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Please note this vacancy may close early if we receive a high volume of applications for the role.

For further information about this role, please refer to the attached job description and specification

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training, (including accredited peer support worker training if not previously undertaken)
• Willingness to undertake or completion of ImROC Peer Support training

• Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
• Accredited peer support worker training

Experience

• Own personal lived experience of mental health challenges which you feel has significantly impacted you in your life
• Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid)
• Developed plans for managing own recovery/wellbeing

• Experience of team working.
• Paid or unpaid, peer support worker experience