Peer Support Worker

Do you have your own experiences of living with mental health challenges?

Could you draw upon your experiences of managing your own mental health conditions and maintaining your wellbeing, to inspire someone else to overcome the obstacles in their life by providing them with emotional and practical support.

Do you want to work with a leading advocacy charity organisation?

Then come and join us here at VoiceAbility.

Who are we?

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, Government, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations and our Camden Crisis Team Peer Support Service is one of our involvement services.

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions, around health, care and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are supported when it matters most.

Our service was co-developed back in 2015 by VoiceAbility and people who use the services.  This is now part of Reach Out Camden which is passionate about working together with Camden residents to design and deliver services that improve their mental health and for people to live healthy and fulfilling lives in a place where they feel connected to their community and have the right opportunities to thrive.

Your role will require you to provide one-to-one support for service users as they are discharged from the Crisis team, setting personal goals with the service user for recovery, developing ways with the service user on how to keep well and identifying their own personal sources of support. This will involve work and travel within the Borough of Camden but will be based in one of the Camden Crisis Resolution Team offices.  The post is a permanent contract with a starting salary between £24,500 - £31,500 per annum pro rata.

Professional Development?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your professional abilities and you will make a real difference every day.

Benefits:  

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time colleagues)
• 5% employer pension & 3% employee contribution
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Separate Life Assurance Cover
• Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays etc
• Discounted Gym Membership; Employee Assistance programme.
• Supportive working environment fostering a good work/life balance.
• Support with continuous professional development.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Peer Support Worker to join our team in the Camden Crisis Teams. We are looking for both full and part time staff, (working hours to be agreed, however, our service runs Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9am-5pm), on a permanent contract. Reporting directly to the Connections Team Leader.

Your role will require you to provide one-to-one support for service users, setting personal goals with the service user for recovery, developing ways with the service user on how to keep well and identifying their own personal sources of support. This will involve work and travel within the Borough of Camden but will be based at in one of the Crisis Team offices either at Daleham Gardens or St Pancras Hospital. The post is a permanent contract with a starting salary between £24,500 - £31,500 pro rata depending on experience.

How will you make a difference?

You will work with the Peer Support Team and draw upon lived experience to assist service users to move forward positively.  Acting as a specialist resource to provide a unique perspective to service users. 

You will hold a small caseload to allow regular sessions to be held with the service user, maintaining confidential records, utilising VoiceAbility and NHS electronic records system.  Planning, implementation of and review of care packages, including parts of the individual care plan. 

About you

We’d like to hear from you if you

·       Have lived experience of mental health challenges

·       Have experience of accessing mental health services

·       Have experience of being in a supportive and enabling role

·       Able to demonstrate a general understanding of Mental Health issues, with a general non-judgemental attitude, and the range of services available to support them

·       Have an understanding of confidentiality and can work within organisational policies and procedures and local health and social care polices, guidelines and process

·       Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with experience of working within a multi-disciplinary group

·       Are Professional, enthusiastic and engaging, a good listener, empathetic and have a positive “can do” attitude

·       Hold an Enhanced DBS with Children & Adults Barred lists (or willingness to obtain) 

Equality and Diversity
VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential.

Important Dates:

Closing date for applications: midnight on 10th July 2024, however, VoiceAbility reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy before this date.

Interviews via Teams or face to face: w/c 15th July 2024

How to apply

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account by clicking the apply button on this page. Follow the instructions to create your account, upload your CV, and complete our short application form.

Don’t forget to read the person specification so you can tell us about yourself and how your skills, abilities and experiences match the criteria outlined in the person specification.

We look forward to hearing from you.

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer. If you need to apply in a different way, please contact HR.

VoiceAbility reserve the right to close this vacancy early should a sufficient number of candidates apply.