Job description

Job responsibilities

Hours of work: 24 hours a week during service opening hours. Service opening hours: 6pm-12pm, Monday to Sunday, 365 days a year Salary: £22,880 with progression to £23,920 per annum, pro rata Base: Medway Hospital Medway Safe Haven is seeking a Peer Support Worker to cover 4 shifts per week, between 6pm to 12am, 365 days a year. The service will be providing a crisis alternative to A&E. About us Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a national charity with over 40 years of experience in delivering high-quality mental health and social care services. We have a positive impact on the lives of people living with mental health needs in our local communities. We provide services across England, from Northumberland to Plymouth, led by a highly motivated and enthusiastic workforce who are committed to delivering the best quality services to those in need of support. Everything about MHM is people focused, our people are central to delivering the highest quality of service and care to peope who use our services. Medway Safe Haven provides a crisis alternative to A&E through non-clinical, person centered support and recovery interventions. About the role As a Peer Support Worker within our Crisis Recovery Service, you will work alongside Crisis Recovery Workers and other staff to offer practical and emotional support to individuals by drawing directly from your own experience of mental health difficulties or caring for someone who experiences mental health difficulties. You will work with our experienced team to provide practical and emotional support, allowing you to connect with people and enabling them to build self-confidence, a sense of personal wellbeing, build their own networks and engage with their family, friends, and communities. Your work will include supporting people to achieve their own recovery goals in a personalised non-judgement way. Responsibilities will include: * To work alongside the individual through their journey to achieve their personal goals * To work with people in a face to face, virtual and telephone-based way to offer responsive support * To support people who use our services to access statutory support including psychological interventions. * To develop and maintain a good working knowledge of community resources and partner organisations to signpost individuals and to promote social inclusion. * Give them a sense of hope and wellbeing and support them to gain a sense of control over their lives, * Help them engage with, and build connections and a sense of belonging to their local communities, * Help them gain satisfaction in different parts of their lives and; * Live the values of Peer Support as described in the PSW Competency Framework 2020. About you You will have experience or knowledge of community mental health services, whether through lived experience or work. You will have experience of communicating with people who have difficulties with their mental health in a supportive and beneficial way and be able to demonstrate a proactive and positive attitude. You will be able to demonstrate careful listening and a non-judgemental attitude working with people to understand their needs and aspirations. You will be able to support people's self-management (that is, the actions people can do to take care of themselves and gain control over their own lives) and be able to place the person at the heart of their own support, working alongside them to achieve their goals. What we offer You will go through our comprehensive, in-person training program in your first week of employment which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role, as well as offering a great opportunity to get to know your new colleagues. In addition, you will receive: * A minimum of 25 days annual leave per annum, plus statutory holidays, rising with length of service * A 5% contributory pension scheme, with the opportunity to increase contributions. * A holistic approach to your health and wellbeing, including Employee assistance programme and personalised wellbeing action plans. * Enhanced family friendly policies, pay and leave. * Cycle to work scheme. * Discounted gym membership. * Healthcare cash plan. * A discount platform covering online, high street and supermarket purchases. * You will receive a tailored induction and probation review program which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role * Our structured career development pathways and support from our accredited Learning Team will provide you with advice and guidance on how to access development to allow you to flourish in your chosen career

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or willingness to
• undertake such training in the first 12 months of employment,
• dependant on course availability

Experience

Essential

• Good standard of written English
• Able to demonstrate a lived experience of mental health
• difficulties and supporting someone with a mental health
• difficulty.
• Able to demonstrate careful listening and empathy and a nonjudgemental attitude.
• Able to support people's self-management (that is, the actions
• people can do to take care of themselves and gain control over
• their own lives).
• Understanding of recovery-focused and person-centred
• approaches.
• Ability to communicate effectively within a Team and externally
• with voluntary and statutory agencies.
• Good interpersonal and listening skills
• Able to plan and prioritise workload and meet competing
• demands
• Able to demonstrate a commitment to self-development,
• training and CPD
• Able to motivate, support clients, volunteers
• Able to work effectively unsupervised and as part of a team
• Able to keep good and accurate records

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Mental Health Matters

Address

Windmill Rd, Gillingham ME7 5NY

Gillingham

ME7 5NY