Peer Support Practitioner

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; Dartford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to mental health care, where you will be an integral part of a dynamic team. This role involves supporting individuals in their recovery journey, providing essential care in their homes, and fostering a sense of hope and purpose. You'll engage with a diverse group of service users, helping them navigate their challenges and connect with community resources. With opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to employee well-being, this position offers a fulfilling career path in a supportive environment. Experience the satisfaction of making a meaningful difference in people's lives every day.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

23.7% employer pension contribution

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Opportunities for professional development

Buying and selling of annual leave

Qualifications

• Experience in mental health services and willingness to share personal recovery experiences.
• Ability to listen effectively and communicate at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Support service users in managing their mental health and daily living tasks.
• Facilitate therapeutic groups and assist in recovery processes.

Skills

Effective communication

Empathy

Coping skills

Ability to work independently

First aid knowledge

Basic health and safety awareness

Education

BTEC/City & Guilds/NVQ Level 2 in health and social care

Job description

The CQC rates us as an Outstanding organisation for Caring with an overall rating of Good

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) offer a range of ongoing benefits to our valued workforce across the Trust. From an active health and wellbeing programme to regular recognition events, we work hard to provide varied benefits that make a difference to your work-life balance.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you.

Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

Job overview

You will be part of an established Crisis resolution and home treatment team, supporting patients who are acutely unwell in the community, and providing the best level of care to them whilst remaining in their own homes. We provide support for individuals who are experiencing an acute episode in the community, as well as supporting people who have been discharged from inpatient wards. This is an opportunity to be a part of a dynamic service, providing opportunities to develop your skills and your career. You will play a key role in the multi-disciplinary team supporting the qualified and other support workers.

The main purpose of this role is to support service users to establish greater control over their lives, helping to identify aspects of life that give meaning, hope, value, and purpose, whilst recognizing that each individual’s recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.

As an integral and valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will provide support to individuals within the service, by role modelling and using lived experience. You will also work within the Rapid response function undertaking assessments 24/7 received from the Urgent Mental Health Helpline as well as undertaking gatekeeping assessments with the support of qualified staff.

Main duties of the job

• To provide opportunities for individual service users to direct their own recovery process, enabling them to complete their advanced care plan.
• To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate coping skills, using your own experience of recovery to inspire hope.
• To assist and advise individuals in managing their own mental health on a day-to-day basis, for example, activities of daily living such as self-care, budgeting, personal care, caring for their home, possible work roles and leisure pursuits etc.
• To positively promote recovery by making links with community resources and supporting service users to access them, e.g. in relation to training, education, employment, community living and leisure, etc.
• To facilitate and co-facilitate therapeutic groups as required.
• To work with staff and individuals to support a smooth discharge back into the community.
• To support the team in promoting the role of Peer Support Worker and to raise awareness of what recovery means, contributing to any local research/evaluation of this new role.
• To participate in regular supervision with the manager (weekly at first and then monthly once the role is established within the team) and mentoring, meeting other Peer Support Workers bi-monthly and quarterly.
• To participate and contribute to team meetings, individual appraisal, and setting personal development goals within the job.
• Provide accurate and up-to-date oral/written reports on the clients’ care and outcomes of care objectives.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times in line with the Trust policy.
• To assist in providing a safe and caring environment.
• To adhere to Trust and Statutory Health & Safety requirements.
• To maintain and update training as required.
• To undertake any other duties as may be assigned or delegated from time to time by the Unit Manager, or other Senior Trust staff.

Person specification

Experience

• Lived experience of secondary mental health services
• Willing to share own life experiences
• Knowledge and experience of emotional distress
• Knowledge and experience of mental health services
• Previous experience working in or using mental health services

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to listen effectively and communicate effectively at all levels
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Empathy, Compassion and patience
• Ability to work on own initiative in a range of settings
• Ability to provide practical support with daily living tasks
• An ability to act calmly in emergencies and respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
• To be able to travel within the geographical work area in a timely and effective manner
• Experience and knowledge to complete physical health vital signs for patients
• Basic first aid
• Willingness to complete job specific training
• Basic health and safety awareness
• Moving and handling awareness
• Awareness of local services/resources
• Knowledge of benefits/employment system

Training and Qualification and Registration

• To be able to work a shift pattern including day shifts, weekend shifts and bank holidays
• BTEC/City & Guilds/NVQ Level 2 in health and social care or equivalent experience

Your employer pays 23.7% towards your pension and life assurance benefits. 27 days for full time or pro rata if part time. After 5 years NHS service 29 days full time or pro rata if part time. After 10 years NHS service 33 days full time or pro rata if part time. Plus bank holidays, that’s up to 41 days - more than 8 weeks paid time off!

Medical staff have national Terms and Conditions. Buying and selling of annual leave is also available as part of our flexible approach to staff benefits.

Working for our organisation

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life. We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

KMPT takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.