MH Peer Support Worker - Young Persons Transition Pathway in Stafford

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role, your application may be withdrawn.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic Mental Health Peer Support Worker, to work in our new Young Persons Transitional Care Team. The Young Persons Transitional Care Team provides mental health support to young people transitioning from Children’s Mental Health services to Adult Mental Health Services. We follow a “person centred” model of service delivery focusing on the direct needs of the Young Person, working across boundaries of care, organisation and role. Please note that lived experience roles require applicants to have personal lived experience of mental health difficulties and of receiving care in the relevant services such as secondary health services. In this instance, applicants who do not hold lived experience of either accessing Children’s Mental Health Services and/or Adult Mental Health Services need not apply.

AS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SUPPORTING STATEMENT. PLEASE NOTE - ONLY THOSE WHO ANSWER THE QUESTION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR SHORTLISTING: Do you have direct lived experience of mental health challenges and of accessing secondary care health services?

Main duties of the job:

• As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, you will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery journey.
• Through sharing the wisdom of own lived experience, you will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.
• You will facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.
• You will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the service, alongside other Trust recovery champions, and act as an ambassador of recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.
• You will also have the opportunity to co-work with other colleagues and there will be some opportunities for group work.

Working for our organisation:

• By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by:
• Supporting your career development and progression
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days)
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
• If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
• Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
• Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
• Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
• Free car parking at all trust sites
• Free flu vaccinations every year
• Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people. Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application. Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

Regular hours would be 09:00 to 17:00 hrs Monday to Friday. You will be required to travel over a large geographical area, so access to suitable transport is essential for this role.

For further information or an informal chat about the role, please contact the Young Person Pathway Lead, Marlene Vernon – marlene.vernon@mpft.nhs.uk

Person specification:

• Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training, (including accredited peer support worker training if not previously undertaken)
• Willingness to undertake or completion of ImROC Peer Support training
• Own personal lived experience of mental health challenges
• Own personal experience of accessing inpatient mental health services
• Willing to positively share own life experiences, and personal experience of mental health challenges with service users and carers
• Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid)

Skills & Knowledge:

• Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others
• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
• Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
• Ability to demonstrate a good understanding of mental health issues

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.