Peer Support Worker

This is a Permanent, 21 hrs vacancy that will close in 13 days at 23:59 BST.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Peer Support Worker to work across the Gloucestershire Region. This is a part-time role: 21 hours per week.

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people to help us become an inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflects the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

A Peer Support Worker is someone who will have lived experience of recovery from mental illness. Someone who has been on their own recovery journey, explicitly drawing upon and sharing their lived experiences of recovery from mental illness, and tells their own recovery story, to inspire hope, model recovery and inform service users, as well as supporting service users in finding their own path to recovery. For this peer role, it is essential that you can demonstrate your own lived experience.

This is a new opportunity to have a direct influence on how services are provided in Gloucestershire and be part of a dynamic team that is working towards breaking down barriers and ensuring people get the right support at the right time.

About the Role:

• Work as a team to deliver 1-1 support and group-based sessions in community venues across Gloucestershire.
• Appropriately share my own personal experiences of recovery and coping with complex mental illness, to build connection and provide support to service users.
• Deliver forward-thinking, person-centred and high-quality support to people using services that meet the needs of individuals and commissioners.
• Educate the community and my service on mental illness and actively work to challenge stigma around mental health.
• Ensure that the tools of person-centred recovery planning are embedded into my practice.
• Use computer systems (Hive and data recording systems) correctly to record support activities.
• Ensure safeguarding awareness is integrated into practice.
• Engage with local community events, meetings, and forums to promote the service, which may include supporting the delivery of training to wider professionals.
• Maintain excellent working relationships with professionals, referrers and stakeholders.
• Maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality and maintain high standards of professional integrity and respect for others.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings for case and risk management and planning.
• Ensure that I work in line with Lone Working systems and policies and take responsibility for health and safety within my role.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion:

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation:

We have an ambition of becoming a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider. We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

What will you receive?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your abilities with the opportunity to make a real difference every day. In addition, you will have excellent development opportunities including funded training, career development, and a range of e-learning courses. You will also receive:

• Employer funded pension
• Flexible working
• Life assurance up to £55 towards the cost of new glasses or lenses
• Training opportunities, e-learning courses & much more
• Annual leave: 25 days rising to 30, plus bank holidays
• PULSE Reward, Benefits and Recognition Platform
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Rethink day: 1 day’s additional leave (pro rata) on your Birthday

Please be mindful that we may need to close adverts early if we receive a high volume of applications, we therefore encourage you to apply as soon as possible.