Peer Support Worker

As an integral and highly valued member of the Specialist Care Team, the PSW will provide formal and professional peer support and practical assistance to service users in order for them to regain control over their lives and their unique recovery journey in a progressive way during their time on the ward.
Working in line with the national peer support competency framework, and the key principles of peer support as outlined by ImROC, The PSW will effectively use their own lived experience of recovery to support a person in their own recovery journey, helping the people they are supporting to navigate the inpatient pathway. By building positive relationship with service users and patients based on mutuality, reciprocity, and inclusivity, they will support people to identify their recovery goals and strengths working towards discharge. The PSW will advocate for a persons needs and support that person to self-advocate during their inpatient stay., Where the term "service users" is used, this includes individual service users, people with lived experience, their family members and carers.
+ To improve the lives of people with mental ill health by minimising the impact of their condition through the delivery of excellent services to promote recovery and wellbeing
+ To be compassionate in meeting the needs of patients and their carers
+ To work closely with multidisciplinary team within the service regarding the mental health needs of the people they are support, · To acknowledge and work to the key principles for providing peer support (Mutuality, Reciprocity, Non-Directive, Strengths-based, Progressive, Inclusive, Recovery-Focused, and Safe)
· Be aware the emotional context, staying calm and being clear, consistent and reliable. Ensuring that the approach with colleagues, and service users is balanced and fair.
· To work with multi-disciplinary teams to support service users access additional services and teams within the inpatient setting to better meet their needs where possible.
· To accept and respect service users' personal beliefs, uniqueness and identities. Working and communicating in a way that acknowledges the personal social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of the individual.
· To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.
· To attend multidisciplinary team and other meetings as appropriate, and champion a recovery and holistic approach to care. To actively participate in regular supervision and be willing to reflect on interpersonal dynamics.
· To be trauma-informed, and be an ambassador for trauma informed care
CARING RESPONSIBLITIES:
· 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.
· To contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and review of care with multidisciplinary teams.
· To accompany service users to appointments, therapeutic or social, and community-based activities, as appropriate.
· To work with their allocated service users as they. navigate inpatient services to assist recovery.
· To assist service users to integrate into the service and local area and support them to access information on health promotion, mental and physical wellbeing where possible.
· To assist the service user to understand their rights and choices within the services in which they participate.
· To offer transitional support and aid navigation for Peers and Carers to access EPUT, third sector providers and community resources as the need dictates where possible.
· To work with the family and carer ambassadors where possible to have a holistic approach to peer support for services users and their families / carers.
· To promote opportunities for peer support and Lived experience in other areas of inpatient services.
· To be an ambassador for lived experience across inpatient services.
RISK MANAGEMENT:
· To manage and work effectively in line with Trust risk policies and procedures, whilst supporting an individual's recovery.
· To ensure any observed concerns regarding an individual's wellbeing, including any issues of safeguarding, are raised with the team at the earliest opportunity.
· To report any untoward incidents or unusual occurrences to management immediately.
· Infection Control - to be responsible for the prevention and control of infection.
STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
· To embed recovery values and the ethos of peer support into Mental Health Services and champion the role of Peer support worker within the service, the trust and in the community and share best practice.
· To bear a caseload that will be dependent on capacity and demand, and individually negotiated with supervisor/line management.
· To plan, manage and prioritise own workload.
· To positively promote and support independent living by maintaining knowledge of and links with community organisations, especially in relation to employment and leisure.
· To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation and national and local policies in relation to the specific service user group and peer support.
· To attend operational and strategic meetings as identified and agreed with line manager, and contribute to development of Peer Support Worker roles in the ICS.
· To attend peer professional development forums.
· To read and understand the statutory requirements of the Mental Health Act 1983.
· To ensure day-to-day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and patient experience
· With the team managers and lead clinicians, play a lead role in the development of the Peer support worker team and the role of the peer support worker. Promote and encourage the development of the peer support initiatives.
ADMINISTRATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS:
· To comply with Trust policy regarding the use of the intranet, internet and e-mail and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
· To maintain a record of activities in which engaged. To uphold data protection legislation and only share client information as per EPUT's information governance policy, information-sharing protocols and client confidentiality agreements.
· Use of trust computers, mobile phones and other trust software.
Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.
Important Professional References
Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.
As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.
Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:
+ We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
+ We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.
EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.

Our vision and values
Our Vision
"To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".
Our Purpose
"We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".
Our Values
+ We Care
+ We Learn
+ We Empower
Our strategic objectives
+ We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
+ We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
+ We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
+ We will help our communities to thrive.
Our services
+ Mental Health Services
+ Community Health Services
+ Learning Disabilities Services
+ Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory., The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
Covid Vaccination
Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.
If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing [email protected].

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.