Peer Support Worker, Community Mental Health Transformation

Nova Wakefield District Limited; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 13,000 - 35,000

Job description

Peer Support Worker, Community Mental Health Transformation

Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service

Location: Leeds

Hours: 25 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

PayScale starts at: LS3.1 - £13.19 per hour – 25 hours a week (£25,447 FTE)

The role is based over various locations and requires travel across Leeds, working over various sites including home visits and work from home.

The Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service office is Dial House, 12 Chapel St, Halton, Leeds LS15 7RW. The post is permanent subject to successful probation.

This project is a partnership with Leeds Mind, Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service, and Mesmac, with Leeds Mind as the lead partner.

The Project/Programme

The Community Mental Health Transformation programme is a new way of supporting adults and older adults with ongoing and complex mental health needs. This new approach will allow more people to get the support they need, when they need it. It will provide mental health support at a local level, and there will also be help and advice for other issues such as housing, benefits, employment and physical health; all in the same place.

People with ongoing and complex mental health needs are sometimes referred to as people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). This covers a range of needs and complexities, some of which may coexist with frailty, cognitive impairments, neurodiversity, or substance use.

The Role

The successful candidate will be employed by Leeds Survivor Lead Crisis Service and will be part of a team of Peer Support Workers employed in a partnership project between Leeds Mind, Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service and Yorkshire MESMAC.

To promote and role model the peer support principles while building safe, trusting relationships with people using services based on non-judgmental listening and shared lived experience.

To use your personal experiences of using mental health services – sometimes called ‘lived experience’ – in your work and to support people to make use of their own strengths and build connections with their peers and wider communities. The post holder will support a range of people from across Leeds, in a non-judgemental, person-centred way, while holding cultural sensitivity at the heart of their approach.

To support individuals using 1:1 peer support sessions in the community, community organisation buildings, other community venues or home visits. The post holder will also be responsible for the running of some groups, courses and workshops. The role will include some evening and weekend work where required.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Lived experience of emotional distress/ mental health difficulties.
• Experience building connections within the wider community.
• Experience discovering personal strengths and the strengths of others.
• Experience walking with someone in a time of need, professionally or personally.
• Willing and able to share your own personal recovery to help others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role and impact of peer support in people’s lives.
• Demonstrate the knowledge, confidence, and skills to work with people with a range of needs.
• Good understanding of the way in which mental health services work locally.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Michaela Shaw, Senior Peer Support worker by email on [e-mail] or on 0113 260 9328.

If you wish to apply, please contact [e-mail] for an application pack.

• Closing date for applications is Sunday 13 April
• Shortlisted applicants will receive interview invitation on Friday 18 April
• Interviews to be held in person on Wednesday 30 April

Rolling Application Reviewed Every 2 Weeks

Registered charity no: 1143640 | Company no: 07183132

Registered office: Nova Wakefield District Limited, 11 Upper York Street, Wakefield WF1 3LQ