Reports To: Senior Peer Specialist
Direct Reports: None
Location: Southampton
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 22.5 Hours per week working evenings on a rota basis 4pm-12midnight shifts, with weekend/bank holiday working essential)
Salary: £19,748.31 to £20,921.95 per annum (£32,475 to £34,405 full time equivalent) - Solent Mind Crisis Services Band B (includes unsocial hours enhancements)
Purpose:
Solent Mind is proud to be a partner in The Lighthouse - an innovative community-based facility which supports people experiencing a mental health crisis. Delivered in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Care NHS Foundation Trust, The Lighthouse offers open access support at evenings and weekends, for people to seek support and talk through their issues, through face to face or remote access engagement.
As a Peer Specialist, you will be using your own mental health experiences to support, encourage and inspire people using The Lighthouse. This work will include the following elements:
Supporting people who are in distress, providing a safe space for them to talk and make sense of their experiences both in person and via telephone, video call or text.
Supporting people to identify their strengths and goals, and to develop and use coping techniques.
Sharing your own experiences in an appropriate way.
Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Principal Accountabilities
To work directly with adults with mental health issues to offer support, validation and encouragement.
To work closely with colleagues to provide safe and appropriate support for users of The Lighthouse.
To support and encourage people to identify their own strengths, triggers and life goals and how they can be achieved.
To share and use your lived experience in an appropriate way, to offer understanding, support and hope.
To support people to develop and use techniques and skills to support their wellbeing.
To work with service users to identify longer term support needs and potential barriers, including signposting and/or referring to other services where appropriate.
To provide people with tools and coping strategies to maintain their wellbeing.
Participate in service monitoring, evaluation and reflection in line with the project guidelines.
To ensure attendance at relevant meetings.
To contribute towards building positive and informative relationships with internal and external services and communities via linking in work.
General
Adhere to the aims, values, policies and procedures of Solent Mind, particularly safeguarding and health & safety.
This list is non exhaustive, and other duties may be required to be undertaken to meet the needs of Solent Mind
| Requirement | Essential or Desirable |
| Qualifications/Education/Training: | |
| Sound basic education including English and Maths or equivalent. | Essential |
| Relevant training in peer support and/or mental health. | Desirable |
| Experience: | |
| Have lived experience of mental health problems and using mental health services. | Essential |
| Experience of working with people with mental health needs, in a paid or voluntary capacity. | Essential |
| Experience of providing support and/or guidance to people with mental health issues. | Essential |
| An understanding of the role of peer support within mental health. | Essential |
| An understanding of key concepts of recovery. | Essential |
| An understanding of the key difficulties and challenges faced by people on their recovery journey. | Essential |
| Experience of helping people identify their own goals and the ability to support people in pursuing these. | Desirable |
| Experience/knowledge of the Southampton area. | Desirable |
| Experience of supporting people in crisis or severe emotional distress. | Desirable |
| Knowledge/Skills/Competencies: | |
| Demonstrate an understanding of the role and impact of peer support in people's ives. | Essential |
| Demonstrate the knowledge, confidence and skills to work with people with a range of needs. | Essential |
| Demonstrate the confidence and aptitude to calmly and effectively support people who are distressed and/or in crisis. | Essential |
| Demonstrate the knowledge and skils to work successfully in partnership with other agencies to achieve a common aim. | Essential |
| Demonstrate a knowledge of local support services, organisations and groups and the skills and confidence to engage with them, including making and receiving referrals. | Essential |
| Skils to work with change and to support service users through the process. | Essential |
| The ability to manage time and competing priorities and take responsibility for your own | Essential |
| work and accountabilities. Good team working skils including listening, constructive feedback, respect and dignity | Essential |
| and skill sharing. Excellent communication and organisational skills including written and I.T. | Essential |
| Other: | |
| Demonstrate skills in managing your own health and wellbeing. | Essential |
| Demonstrate a solid understanding of the importance of confidentiality, boundaries and safeguarding. | Essential |
| Commitment to Solent Mind's values. | Essential |
| Commitment to Solent Mind's Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies. | Essential |
| Willingness to undergo a relevant DBS check if required. | Essential |
| Wilingness to work flexible hours to meet project needs. | Essential |
Date job originated: October 2019 Date job reviewed: April 2024 Reviewing Manager: