Recovery & Connect Lived Experience Practitioner

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and the successful completion of a probationary period. Project Recovery & Connect is a project delivered in partnership with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, within the HOMEFirst alliance. Recovery & Connect works intensively with individuals who have pre-existing mental health issues and complex mental health needs, to support them in accessing community services and enable them to live well at home. Recovery & Connect Workers are closely aligned to HOMEFirst - a multi-agency alliance who work together to develop personalised care plans and enhance the community support given to individuals, with the aims to prevent future deterioration in their mental health and avoid the need for in-patient hospital admission. Many of the people HOMEFirst support have experiences of psychosis and a history of trauma. Job Overview Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, the Lived Experience Practitioner will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. As an integral and highly valued member of the team, the Lived Experience Practitioner will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to people using the service, to help individuals regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery journey. In particular, the Lived Experience Practitioner will support the smooth transition of people using the service to other mental health services. Within a relationship of mutuality and information sharing, they will promote choice, self-determination, and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.,

• Deliver one-to-one and group peer support interventions, as agreed within the multi-disciplinary team, and within the peer relationship.
• Provide support from a lived-experience perspective, in environments that are suitable and applicable to the individual service users.
• Provide support with strategies to manage activities of daily living, such as self-care, caring for their home, and pursuit of leisure activities.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and alliance.
• Build safe, respectful and trusting relationships with service users to empower and enable each individual in a non-directive and non-prescriptive way.
• Support individuals to discover and make use of their own strengths, and to build and strengthen positive connections with the service user's peers, networks and wider communities.
• Provide support through open, non-judgemental listening and sharing of lived experience and to validate service users' experiential knowledge.
• Help individuals identify their own recovery goals.
• Enable and support individuals to identify, choose and develop service user-owned recovery/wellbeing plans, crisis plans, and personal network maps, where they wish to do so.
• Support people using the service to identify and overcome fears within a relationship of empathy and trust.
• Share ideas about ways to achieve recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self-help and self-management techniques.
• Model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness.
• Signpost to various resources, opportunities and activities within the organisation and local communities, to promote choice and informed decision making.
• Accompany individuals to appointments, meeting and activities of their choice.
• Support individuals with a range of practical tasks, aligned to their recovery goals.
• Assist in risk assessments with multi-disciplinary staff, highlighting any changes in service users' presentations relevant to their safety.
• Support the service in promoting a recovery-oriented environment by identifying recovery-focused activities and imparting information and education as required.
• Act as a Recovery Champion with the service and an ambassador of recovery for the organisation with external agencies and partner organisations.
• Be actively involved in the continued development and evaluation of the Lived Experience Practitioner role, creating links with the wider Lived Experience workforce.
• Attend and complete an agreed induction programme, mandatory training, and peer support worker training programme (if not already completed).
• Identify personal development needs in conjunction with the line manager and supervision, undertaking further training if necessary.
• Make use of supervision and reflective practice to work with the challenges of using lived experience to support people with potentially difficult and distressing issues, maintaining appropriate boundaries.
• Work in accordance with the organisation's policies, procedures and values.
• To hand over issues of risk, safety and safeguarding to the most appropriate professional(s) within the multi-disciplinary team, following discussion with the service user.
• To maintain databases and undertake any other administrative duties.
• To record and report, as agreed, any KPI's, including DIALOG+, as a measure of client's progress and any information required for funders/trustees.
• To update electronic patient records systems (e.g. SystmOne) with information relating to clients on caseload.
• To undertake any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities of the post as defined, subject to the proviso that any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms., Amendments: This job description accurately reflects the present position; it may be amended and reviewed. Any change will be made following a period of consultation.
Equal Opportunities Statement We acknowledge the unique contribution that all host organisations employees and patients can bring to our organisation in terms of their culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, age, religion or belief and any physical disability or history of mental health or additional issues. All appointments and promotions are based on merit and no job applicant or employee will be treated unfairly or discriminated against. All staff have equal access to staff development. Any member of staff who breaches this policy may be subject of grievance and/or disciplinary procedures., We believe anyone experiencing any kind of mental or emotional health issues should feel unafraid to ask for help, receive appropriate support for as long as they need, and be inspired to develop the skills that will help them to restore and maintain their own wellbeing, and lead a fulfilling life. Our Values Inspiring We believe that everyone can lead a fulfilling life and achieve their goals and full potential. We encourage people to recognise and use their own strengths and resources. We inspire people to develop the skills that will empower them to become experts at managing their own mental wellbeing. To accompany people on this journey, we offer personal, tailored support to help them regain a sense of hope and control. Inclusive The people we support aren't passive recipient of our services and are not being "done to". Through our commitment to Co-Production, we involve people with mental health lived experience in every aspect of our organisation, including the design, delivery, monitoring, review and evaluation of our services. We believe in the power of connection. We encourage the people we support to fully participate in their local communities. As an organisation, we also strive to be part of and reflect the diverse population we serve. Agile We live in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, so we're always ready to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of the local communities we serve. We are an integral part of a wider mental health system and are dedicated to providing easy access first-class mental health support by working in partnership and collaboration. Respectful We work hard to establish mutual honest and trustworthy relationships. We actively listen and treat people we support with the same kindness and respect as we do our staff and volunteers. We strive to be an organisation where people feel safe and that they belong. Our Mission Our mission is to:
• Work alongside people experiencing any kind of emotional or mental health issues for as long as they need and inspire them to develop the skills that will help them to restore and maintain their emotional wellbeing.
• Involve people with lived experience of mental health issues at every level of the organisation so together we can design, deliver, monitor and review our services and ensure they respond to their changing needs.
• Consistently challenge stigma attached to mental illness and raise awareness of the importance of looking after your mental wellbeing.
• Lead and co-ordinate the development and delivery of first-class, voluntary mental health services in Surrey.
• Maintain sufficient funding streams to be able to provide person-centred services to people experiencing any kind of emotional or mental health issues.
Safer Recruitment We are committed to following Safer Recruitment practices to ensure the safeguarding of the whole community we serve, from members of the public and clients using our services, to our staff, volunteers, partners, and external facilitators. A criminal record does not automatically exclude you from applying for the position. MFT will assess each application on a case-by-case basis. This post is Exempt from the Protection of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). All successful candidates will be required to undertake Enhanced or Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks as well as reference checks. These will be a condition of any offer of employment being made. All candidates must disclose both 'spent' and 'unspent' cautions and convictions on application - other than 'protected' cautions and convictions which have qualified for filtering. Disclosure should be included in a separate covering letter on application, marked 'Confidential'. Guidance on Filtering: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-filtering-guidance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion We believe in a fair, equal, diverse and inclusive society. As an organisation, we believe we are stronger and richer when we bring together different experiences and perspectives to better serve our clients and local community. We are committed to creating a workforce that is diverse, inclusive of all, representative of the community we serve, promotes positivity, and instils a can-do attitude in everyone, no matter their background or characteristics at every level of our organisation from our staff and volunteers, all the way to our Trustees and Patrons. We strongly encourage applications from members of every community and actively seek to hire people with lived experience of mental health issues.


• Lived experience of mental health issues or caring for somebody who has mental health problems.
• Experience of accessing primary and/or secondary care services (e.g. GP, talking therapies, community mental health teams) and/or crisis services.
• Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role.
• Paid or unpaid experience of working in a lived experience/peer support worker role.
• Numerary and Literacy at Key Stage 3 level or equivalent.
Desirable
• Peer support worker training e.g. ImROC Peer Support Training course.
• A diploma or degree in appropriate subject i.e. counselling, psychology, social work, probation, mental health, Health and Social Care (Level 3).
Knowledge and Skills Essential
• Understanding and knowledge of recovery - The issues and concerns of mental health service users and the impact of stigma and discrimination.
• Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and a commitment to accurate and confidential record keeping.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, including serious mental illness diagnoses such as schizophrenia, psychosis, and bipolar disorders.
• Ability to share personal stories of recovery in a professional manner.
• Ability to assist people to develop recovery and crisis plans.
• High level of self-awareness, and the ability and willingness to reflect on work practice, critically appraise one's own work, and be open to constructive feedback.
• Understanding and knowledge of trauma informed care, and the ability to use trauma informed care principles to benefit yourself and others.
• Knowledge and commitment to service users' rights.
• Ability to manage stress, plan and prioritise your workload and activities.
• Professional in appearance and behaviour.
• Ability to interact effectively with the clients, colleagues and other professionals whilst retaining clear boundaries.
• Ability to work to all the policies, procedures and standards of the service and joint working arrangements with statutory and voluntary sector partners., Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and basic Excel skills.
• Ability to learn how to use the electronic patient record system (SystmOne).
• Ability to work from home and maintain confidentiality and professionalism when and if required using Microsoft Teams and other virtual platforms., Ability to travel and work flexibly across Surrey where required.
  
  Mary Frances Trust (MFT) is a mental health and emotional wellbeing charity, supporting Surrey residents since 1994 in Banstead, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley.
We offer a variety of face-to-face and online services, available to adults (aged 16+) living in Surrey who would like to restore and/or maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing (no diagnosis needed). Our services are free of charge, with no waiting list and no time limit (you can use us for as long as you need and register again at any point).