Peer Supporter (Neuro)
Hello!
We are so delighted you are considering coming to work with us at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).
We know the power of looking into an organisation, one you might want to work in, or one where you are going to get help, and being able to say, ‘I’ve seen somewhere I can fit in and be myself.’ We’re on a journey to make the Trust an inclusive employer, representative of the community we serve and we want more of our community to consider applying for jobs with us.
Opportunities for you
Spanning east to west coasts from Northumberland to Cumbria and from the Scottish Borders down to Middlesbrough we’ve got exciting new opportunities available at every level and in every area.
We offer flexible working, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities, or training and development needs and there’s lots on offer in the way of benefits, such as, lease cars, childcare schemes, staff discounts, season tickets for travel and a cycle to work scheme.All this in a vibrant workplace supported by the following staff networks.
- Cultural diversity staff network
- Disabled staff network
- LGBT+ staff network
We also have a number of staff support groups which are open to any staff to attend. These Include:
- Armed Forces and Veterans Staff Association
- Mind, Health and Wellbeing Community
- Menopause toolkit and cafes and staff carer support group
We offer fantastic personal development opportunities through our Collective Leadership Programme and other Organisational Development initiatives. Whatever you are looking for, you will be joining a supportive, friendly team, offering varied and interesting roles, with opportunities for career progression.
Always improving
CNTW is regulated by the national healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our last two inspections have rated us as an outstanding organisation. We’re always seeking to improve as an organisation. Do you want to be part of that?
Job overview
Do you have a lived experience of Traumatic Brain Injury? Do you have personal experience of trying to make sense of the changes experienced after a head injury, of going through rehab and adjusting to a new sense of self? If so, Northumberland Head Injuries Service (NHIS) wants to hear from you.
The role is for a part time Peer Supporter to work in the community with people with traumatic brain injury.
This is a unique opportunity to join Northumberland Head Injuries Service as part of the clinical team, utilising your personal experience or traumatic brain injury to:
- Find a mutual connection with service users and their families by sharing your rehab story and lived experience
- Engage in 1:1 work with service users and some group work to develop confidence, supporting service users throughout their rehabilitation journey and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Help develop a bank of former and existing service users to ensure we have full and meaningful service user involvement and consultation in all our service developments.
- Record progress and concerns, working in a manner which ensures confidentiality and security.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be expected to confidently discuss their own brain injury rehab journey with service users. The post holder will need to possess excellent listening skills, demonstrating an ability to listen sensitively without judgement.
The post holder must be able to meet the mobility requirements of the job in order to visit and support service users across the county. The service has access to pool cars for staff.
The Peer Supporter’s responsibilities will include:
- Sharing their own experiences of brain injury
- Helping the individual and their family to understand their condition
- Sharing ideas to promote wellbeing
- Working within the ethos of giving hope to service users and their families, and supporting them to engage with NHIS, especially those hard to reach individuals
- Support and encourage service users to access and engage in the rehabilitation process, for example, where necessary helping them to attend appointments
- To promote the ongoing development of service user involvement at NHIS
- Encourage service user recruitment into the neuro rehabilitation service user involvement bank.
- To contribute to ongoing NHIS projects for example planning service user and family educational study days, Quality Improvement projects.
- Be involved with NHIS operational processes, eg. Staff recruitment
- To be involved with the wider Peer Support Worker Network within CNTW
Working for our organisation
As an employee of CNTW, the wellbeing of all of our staff is vitally important. The post holder will have several avenues of support to help them develop confidence in their own personal skills and abilities.
The team is a well established service which has been serving the Northumberland community for over 30 years. The team has an excellent reputation both locally and nationally with staff frequently asked to present at conferences or contribute to the development of neuro services in other parts of the country.This post is another example of the service showing willingness to take involvement to a new level by recruiting someone with lived experience into the team. The team has even made links with Northumbria university to research and evaluate the impact of the peer supporter role.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 25th February 2025Closing date : 9th March 2025
We welcome your application.
Person specification
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria- Commitment to Complete CNTW Peer Support Educational Programme
- Good level of Secondary education
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria- Personal lived experience of Traumatic Brain Injury and own recovery journey
Skills and Competencies
Essential criteria- Good interpersonal and team-working skills
- Ability to facilitate groups
- Understanding of issues affecting mental health and well-being
Please ensure to check out all of the supporting documents linked to this advert, for useful information about working for us, information from our Chief Executive and much more.