Reports To: Peer Support Team Leader (Safe Haven)
Direct Reports: None
Location: Eastleigh
Hours: 28 hours per week (4 shifts) (rota basis, shifts between 4.00pm-11.30pm, 7 days a week, with weekend/bank holiday working essential)
Salary Range: £18,900 to £20,360.54 (£24,975 to 26,905 full-time equivalent) - Solent Mind Band B (plus enhanced for unsocial hours)
Purpose:
As a Peer Support Worker, you will use your own mental health experiences to support, encourage and inspire people using the service. You will work directly with service users experiencing mental health crisis to offer support and guidance.
Main Responsibilities
To work directly with adults with mental health issues to offer support, validation and encouragement.
Work with individuals and groups, both face to face and online, to develop and undertake an action plan of activities, advice and guidance to help them recover from distress and move forward.
To work closely with colleagues to provide safe and appropriate support for service users.
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.
To support service user safety, including contributing to safety plans, and recognising and escalating safeguarding concerns as appropriate.
To maintain appropriate records of service user interactions, recording on CRM as required.
To participate in service monitoring, evaluation and reflection in line with the project guidelines.
To ensure attendance at relevant meetings and undertake necessary training
To proactively develop links and maintain good relationships with the local community.
To adhere to and support the development of relevant procedures and guidelines as they relate to the service.
To complete and understand risk assessments and procedures as appropriate.
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 Essential |
| An understanding of the role of peer support within mental health | Essential |
| An understanding of key concepts of recovery. 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. | Essential |
| Awareness of own wellbeing needs and ability to seek support to maintain resilience in emotionally challenging situations. | Essential |
| Experience/knowledge of the local area, including challenges faced by local communities and services available. | Desirable Desirable |
| Experience of supporting people in crisis or severe emotional distress. | |
| Knowledge/Skills/Competencies: • Demonstrate the knowledge, confidence and skills to work with people with a | Essential |
| range of needs. Demonstrate a knowledge of mental health services, and wider related groups | |
| and organisations. | Essential |
| Demonstrate the confidence and understanding to advocate for service users planning. | Essential |
| The ability to manage time and competing priorities and take responsibility for your own work, accountabilities and caseload. | Essential |
| Excellent team working skils including listening, constructive feedback, respect and dignity and skil sharing. | |
| Intermediate computer skills and the ability to use computer-based information systems including Excel, Word, Powerpoint, CRM, MS' Teams | Essential |
| The ability to maintain and monitor accurate recording of participation, progress and outcomes, in line with GDPR requirements. | Essential |
| Understanding of or lived experience of mental health issues. • Understanding of safeguarding in the context of mental health. | Essential Essential |
| Other: • Commitment to Solent Mind's values. | |
| • Commitment to Solent Mind's Equal Opportunities and Diversity and Inclusion | Essential Essential |
| Policies. • Willingness to undergo a relevant DBS Check if required. | Essential |