Perinatal Peer Support Worker

West London NHS Trust; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

West London NHS Trust is seeking a Peer Support Worker for the Tri-borough Perinatal Mental Health Service, based in Hounslow and covering Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing. You will use lived experience to inspire hope and support recovery for women and their families.

You will join a multi-disciplinary team, deliver client-centred activities, and contribute to the ongoing development of the PSW training programme while maintaining patient records and safeguarding confidential information.

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience of mental health distress.
• Personal experience of accessing primary or secondary mental health services.
• Evidence of further related training.
• Experience of working within a team environment.
• Experience of working with peers and clinicians using co-production methodology.
• Experience of working as a peer trainer.
• Experience of group work interventions.

Responsibilities

• Providing recovery focussed support to service users.
• Establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services.
• Help service users complete recovery plans with identified goals.
• Ensure interactions are respectful of service users' ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds.
• Promote social inclusion and engagement.
• Share ideas about recovery drawing on personal experiences and interventions.
• Model responsibility, self-awareness, and hopefulness.
• Sign-post to resources and activities within the Trust and community.

Skills

Recovery support

Motivational techniques

Planning & decision-making

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

Expert by experience registration

Job description

The Tri-borough Perinatal Mental Health Service is looking for a motivated and passionate Peer Support Worker to join us. This is an innovative award winning service delivering new models of specialist care within West London NHS Trust.

The position will be in the borough of Hounslow, however the successful candidate will be asked to work across the tri-borough service; Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow who are based at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Maternity Hospital, Trust headquarters and Hounslow House.

This would be an exciting opportunity for a person with lived experience of Perinatal Mental Health to join our service. You will be a member of the multi-disciplinary team, facilitating client-centred activities for our women and their families.

We expect through sharing aspects of your own lived experience of mental health challenges and of accessing services, that you as Peer Support Workers will inspire hope and the belief that recovery is possible in others.We would support the successful candidate with an ongoing training programme to facilitate their development within the post.

Main duties of the job

• Providing recovery focussed support to service users


• To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services.


• To help service users to complete recovery plans, incorporating identification of users own goals and support needed to achieve them.


• To ensure that interactions are sensitive and responsive to the service users' ethnic, cultural and social background, using a range of communication and engagement skills as appropriate to the context.


• To promote social inclusion and engagement.


• To share ideas about ways of achieving and developing recovery, drawing on personal experiences and a range of interventions.


• To model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness.


• To sign-post to various resources, opportunities and activities within the Trust and the community to promote choice and informed decision making.


• To accompany service users to appointments/meetings/activities of their choice and performing a range of practical tasks, aligned to recovery goals.


• To be actively involved in the continued development of the PSW training programme and in the ongoing evaluation of the PSW role.


• To maintain adequate case records in accordance with Trust policy, and to ensure that concerns are reported to relevant professionals and documented promptly.

About us

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person Specification

Experience

• Personal lived experience of mental health distress


• Personal experience of accessing primary or secondary mental health services


• Evidence of further related training


• Evidence of working within a team environment


• Experience of working with peers and/or clinicians using a co-production methodology within a work setting


• Experience of working as a peer trainer


• Experience of group work interventions

Qualifications & training

• To be registered as an expert by experience with West London Perinatal Service


• Evidence of further related training

Knowledge

• Understanding of how lived experience of mental health problems can be used to support others


• Good understanding of recovery focussed principles and how they can influence support for service users


• Understanding of the issues and concerns that service users may have in relation to their care


• Knowledge of mental health policies and legislation that may contribute to support for service users


• Understanding the impact of stigma and discrimination on service users

Skills

• Ability to support others in a recovery orientated way


• Good motivational techniques and abilities


• Clear effective planning and decision-making skills


• Ability to receive highly complex and sensitive information and maintain confidentiality


• Computer Literacy


• Good organisational and time management skills


• Ability to challenge clinical practice and attitudes in a diplomatic way


• Ability to develop and maintain constructive working relationships with colleagues

Other requirements

• Commitment to life-long learning


• High level of self-awareness


• Ability to manage stress and maintain a work-life balance


• Ability and willingness to share personal story of recovery in a professional and appropriate manner


• Accepting and non-judgemental approach


• Personal resilience


• Positive and approachable manner


• Enthusiasm and passion for working within mental health services


• Practical, resourceful and has a problem-solving approach


• Experience of receiving counselling or psychotherapy


• Ability to critically think and reflect

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.

£33,262 to £36,027 a yearper annum pro rata inclusive of 15% HCAS