Peer Support Worker

About the Service/Department

The Camden Crisis Sanctuary is a safe place commissioned by the UCLH for people in mental health crisis and distress to attend for support. We are here to help you when you are unable to cope on your own by Supporting you in reducing, managing and coping with your immediate distress, anxiety and stress, Providing you with a short-term support network in your time of need, speaking to someone who will listen to you and provide you with information and assistance to manage your mental health and working with you to create your own individual plan to support your mental health needs during your stay at the Crisis Sanctuary and provide you with tools and information for when you leave.

The Peer Support Worker 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 process. The Peer Support Worker will support service users through their crisis recovery journey while attending the Crisis Café.

About the role

• Draw upon your experience of living with mental health issues and use these experiences in a positive, inspiring and enlightening way to support others who are at a crisis point in their recovery journey.
• Greet Crisis Café attendees and work with the team to establish their immediate and longer-term support needs.
• Co-produce small group and activity sessions to support the needs of service users.
• Respond to the needs of individuals with sensitivity with regard to their age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class or disability, modifying behaviour to optimise the relationship.
• Support people in mental health crisis to develop self-management, resilience and coping mechanisms to manage their own mental health care, in accordance with their care plan with a view to preventing further crises.
• Signpost to local community resources to address cultural/social barriers affecting their wellbeing.
• Link people with specialist services for continuous support eg counselling, money management, substance misuse.
• Promote the rights of individuals by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
• Promote and maintain effective communication with people in order to build positive working relationships with individuals, other team members, clinical colleagues, families and carers and other agencies.
• Contribute to the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, by recognising and reporting any signs that may indicate an individual is at risk of neglecting or harming themselves or at risk from others, and by participating in processes with other agencies to keep the individual safe

About you

• The ability to rapidly form and sustain a trusting relationship with service users/carers and other Peer Support Workers and professionals.
• Well-developed listening skills and effective verbal communication skills to be able to engage appropriately with service users in crisis, carers, and colleagues, statutory and voluntary agencies, both face to face and by telephone.
• Lived experience of the acute mental health care pathway (eg ED attendance, acute admissions etc.).
• Knowledge of recovery tools, mental health and wellbeing support and services available in the local area.
• Good IT skills that include a working knowledge of functions in MS Word, Outlook, Power point, Excel, Publisher and social media.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately.
• Able to demonstrate a general understanding of mental health issues with a positive non-judgmental approach towards individuals in crisis with mental health support needs.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and ability to address them appropriately.
  

Please note that i f you are offered a role with Hestia, you will be issued a conditional offer based on satisfactory references and a Basic or Enhanced DBS check.

Disability confident
Hestia is a disability confident employer, committed to the employment and career development of individual with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We will also accommodate reasonable adjustment during the selection and interview process and throughout your employment with us.

Hestia positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. But we particularly welcome individuals from an ethnic minority background and those with disabilities to apply. As an organisation, we are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.