Job summary

We are looking to recruit a Peer Support Worker to the Southend Rough Sleeper’s Mental Health Team. The post-holder will be required to travel to Community Mental Health Teams, inpatient facilities and other partner sites within their locality. We are looking for an individual passionate about delivering Peer Support, and someone who is kind, caring and compassionate

As an integral and valued member of the team, you will provide support to individuals who are earlier in their journeys of learning to live with complex emotional needs or are experiencing challenging times. By role modelling and sharing your story in a way that conveys a sense of connection, hope and optimism, you will provide time-limited support to enable service users with complex emotional needs to progress towards their own goals. This may include – demonstrating a knowledge of local services and how to access. You will work in line with principles of recovery-orientated practice.

Main duties of the job

The role will require an understanding of the health needs of rough sleepers and the challenges experienced by homeless individuals within healthcare settings.

The Peer Support Worker will provide service users with a voice through empowerment and support.

Establish effective relationships to enable service users to share their views, aspirations and ideas on how to improve mental health services, in order to achieve better outcomes and improve the patient experience.

Promote genuine collaboration in order for changes to be made through co-production. As a result, we hope to achieve an increase in high quality and personalised care by ensuring we listen and respond to service users.

Provide a platform for service users to seek peer support, share their experience and learn of the services available to them.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

  • Season Ticket Loans
  • NHS discounts for staff
  • Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
  • Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
  • The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
  • Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
  • Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Date posted

24 January 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£21,730 to £23,177 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

364-A-5431-A

Job locations

The Taylor Centre

Warrior House, 42 – 82 Southchurch Road

Southend

SS1 2LZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To support service users to direct their own recovery process through encouraging them to work collaboratively with teams, and where possible, carers, to identify their own goals and needs and to co-produce care plans to support these.
  • To assist service users to identify their strengths, personal interests and goals, and support them to access and participate in activities which meet these, whilst demonstrating acceptance of and respect towards service users’ personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.
  • To support service users to maintain and/or develop positive relationships with others and learn how to improve or eliminate unhealthy relationships.
  • To provide support to service users in the community and maintain continuity of contact if they are an inpatient, as appropriate to the role.
  • To facilitate the individual to move through and beyond community services.
  • To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate coping skills, using own experience.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • To support service users to direct their own recovery process through encouraging them to work collaboratively with teams, and where possible, carers, to identify their own goals and needs and to co-produce care plans to support these.
  • To assist service users to identify their strengths, personal interests and goals, and support them to access and participate in activities which meet these, whilst demonstrating acceptance of and respect towards service users’ personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity.
  • To support service users to maintain and/or develop positive relationships with others and learn how to improve or eliminate unhealthy relationships.
  • To provide support to service users in the community and maintain continuity of contact if they are an inpatient, as appropriate to the role.
  • To facilitate the individual to move through and beyond community services.
  • To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate coping skills, using own experience.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • The ability to follow procedure and develop a culture of safe practice.

Desirable

  • Working knowledge of ‘Safeguarding Of Vulnerable Adults’ framework.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the challenges experienced by people with complex mental health conditions

Desirable

  • Knowledge of national and regional mental health policy, specifically relating to Personality Disorders and Complex MH conditions / serious mental illness.

Skills/Experience

Essential

  • Personal lived experience of managing or living with mental health related difficulties and/or not having access to secure accommodation
  • Ability to work in a recovery orientated, person-centred, non-judgemental manner
  • Ability to provide calm, consistent support to those experiencing a mental health crisis
  • Effective compassionate listening skills
  • Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS, in emotive situations.

Desirable

  • Literate in IT/Computer Skills
  • Ability to provide calm, consistent support to those experiencing a mental health crisis
  • Experience of working with volunteers, 3rd sector organisations and/or community and social enterprise organisations
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • The ability to follow procedure and develop a culture of safe practice.

Desirable

  • Working knowledge of ‘Safeguarding Of Vulnerable Adults’ framework.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the challenges experienced by people with complex mental health conditions

Desirable

  • Knowledge of national and regional mental health policy, specifically relating to Personality Disorders and Complex MH conditions / serious mental illness.

Skills/Experience

Essential

  • Personal lived experience of managing or living with mental health related difficulties and/or not having access to secure accommodation
  • Ability to work in a recovery orientated, person-centred, non-judgemental manner
  • Ability to provide calm, consistent support to those experiencing a mental health crisis
  • Effective compassionate listening skills
  • Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS, in emotive situations.

Desirable

  • Literate in IT/Computer Skills
  • Ability to provide calm, consistent support to those experiencing a mental health crisis
  • Experience of working with volunteers, 3rd sector organisations and/or community and social enterprise organisations

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .