Lived Experience Peer Support Worker CYP

As a valued Lived Experience Peer Support Worker - CYP Autism, you will play a crucial role in providing peer support and practical assistance to service users, helping them regain control over their lives. Drawing upon your own lived experiences, you will offer relational support to Autistic children and young people, serving as a role model, guiding them to community resources, and fostering connections.

Through empathy and a deep understanding of their challenges, you will inspire hope and assist them in achieving their goals. In this role, you will be uniquely positioned to facilitate and support information sharing that promotes choice, self-determination, and integration into local communities. We are committed to delivering personalised and family-centred care, ensuring individuals receive timely support within their community.

Our dedicated team, including Lived Experience Workers, is instrumental in realising this vision by working closely with children, young adults, and their families to empower them and facilitate access to essential services.

• To provide peer support to Autistic service users (children & young people) supporting them in relation to their care plan and goals on a 1-1 or group basis focusing on building relationships and opportunities to learn together.
• To bring empathy and understanding into all interactions by sharing lived experience and hopefulness.
• To maintain equality with, and work alongside others facing similar experiences and challenges in their health and wellbeing with the central focus being on building trusting relationships rather than intervention.
• To positively support service users by making links and accessing community resources and supporting them with social inclusion.
• To promote understanding of the principles and practice of the Autism Outreach Lived Experience role (relationships and support).
• To interact with and work alongside a team of professionals and service user families and carers in the delivery of peer-based approaches (Informal support for other people with the same life experiences).
• To work closely with the Senior Lived Experience Lead to develop the community offer ensuring all services developed are co-produced collaboratively with CYP and their families to build positive relationships and ensure they are responsive to service user needs.
• To keep and maintain accurate, quality and up-to-date records (using the appropriate computer systems i.e. SystmOne).
• Work flexibly, being prepared to perform other duties commensurate with the role which may include new areas of operation following consultation.
• Work alongside and ensure active service user and carer participation in all aspects of work including design, implementation and monitoring of activities.

• Own personal lived experience of Autism / neurodiversity and willingness to positively share own life experiences.
• Excellent communication skills with children, young people and adults.
• Able to tell your story in a meaningful way.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience.
• Planning, organisational and time management skills.
• An ability to act calmly and to respond professionally to distress, disturbance and unpredictability.
• Driving licence and access to vehicle for work purposes.

• Level 3 in health & social care or equivalent experience.
• Experience of working or volunteering with neurodivergent individuals and/or people with mental health problems.
• An understanding of child development.
• Demonstrate understanding of the impact of trauma on child development and behaviour.
• Experience of working in a community capacity role/peer support role.
• Demonstrate record of good working practice with children and young people, having a positive impact on their lives and meeting their needs.
• Experience in actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid).