APPLICATION PACK
JOB TITLE : /Peer Involvement Specialist (Project Work)
LOCATION :
/Polegate
HOURS :
/ 7-16 hours per weekREFERENCE : /
PTP
SALARY :(see FURTHER INFORMATION) / Starting salary : £18,033 per annum, pro rata*
Rising to : £18,692 per annum, pro rata*
Rising to : £19,374 per annum, pro rata*
Top of the scale : £19,875 per annum, pro rata*
CLOSING DATE : / 9am, Friday 29th July 2016
INTERVIEW DATE : / Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
FURTHER INFORMATION
· All salary scales at Southdown include several points. This recognises the value of staff who we believe generally develop their skills through experience within the job and the Association. New staff are usually appointed at the bottom of the scale with further increments awarded in April with each year of service, until the top of the scale is reached.
· This post requires you to be a driver with access to a car for work purposes
*Plus essential car users allowance of £955 per annum, pro rata (based on 37 hours per week)
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Peer Involvement Specialist (Project Work)
Accountable to: Peer Service Manager
Accountable for: N/A
MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY SERVICES
Southdown’s Mental Health Recovery Services offer support to people with mental health needs, promoting mental health, wellbeing and recovery.
The services include:
· Peer Specialist Support Services – formalised peer support
· Recovery Centre - café facilities, staff support and groups and activities
· Recovery College – education and training courses as a route to recovery
· Employment Support
· Housing and outreach Recovery support
PURPOSE OF JOB
The role of the Peer Project Worker has been developed specifically to improve the quality and effectiveness of mental health services across the care pathway within East Sussex. Utilising shared wisdom from an individual’s own experiences the Peer Service will inspire hope and self belief that recovery is possible, supporting others who are overcoming mental health challenges in their journey to recovery and wellbeing. The Peer Involvement Service will provide peer opportunities, training and support to clients and carers in order for them to regain control over their lives and receive the best quality services and support.
MAIN DUTIES
GENERAL
· To ensure all work embraces Recovery principles and social inclusion
· To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people accessing mental health services.
· To maintain a solution focused approach to all aspects of the role and ensure the service is delivered and promoted in a positive and professional manner.
· To ensure the aims, objectives and commissioning intentions of the contract are achieved and to support your manager and colleagues to develop and continuous improve the service. .
· To support and contribute to a culture change within the all mental health service towards a more recovery focused, inclusive approach.
· To maintain and project a respectful and proactive approach to all partner providers and professional bodies.
· To participate in regular service team meetings, development and training days
· To actively maintain and develop knowledge of the wider mental health sector
Specific
· To support the peer service manager to map primary, secondary and third sector mental health services across East Sussex
· To co-ordinate and support the continuous development of a mental health consumer network.
· To devise methods of gathering information from localised areas and hard to reach groups to feed into the overall consumer network.
· To deliver and develop peer training courses to enable clients and carers to fulfil roles and develop opportunities beyond services.
· To support individuals using a Peer approach, using appropriate self disclosure to inspire hope in others.
· To be a positive role model for other people overcoming mental health challenges, team members and members of the public.
· To work alongside clients to achieve individual training and development goals.
· To engage actively in peer and professional supervision.
· To work flexibly alongside people in the community
· To promote and make clients aware of personal strengths and social networks, and highlight their positive contribution to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.
· To be actively involved in the development of Peer Support Work roles within Southdown’s and across Sussex.
· Contribute to relevant systems of documentation and record keeping including database.
· To support the peer involvement specialist in the delivery of the volunteer student buddy scheme.
· To be proactive in seeking out and attending external meetings and events across East Sussex.
GENERIC TASKS
· To work in an inclusive way which promotes the involvement of all clients, and in a way that ensures co-production and involvement underpins service delivery and development
· Undertake training and supervision to support the development of the post
· To be able to set clear boundaries and work within the confines of the role
· To consider any other duties as may reasonably fall within the remit of the post and as required by the peer manager or management team.
· To adhere to all of the policies set by Southdown Housing Association specifically, Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality, Data Protection, Health and Safety requirements throughout all work practices.
· To promote the Associations’ equal opportunities policy throughout all work practices.
· To be positive and involved in creative solutions to problem solving.
· To maintain effective communication systems in line with the Recovery Services external and internal meeting framework.
This is a developing and changing service; therefore the aims of the post will require review and change to meet these needs. The role is emotionally demanding due to the nature of distress experienced by clients and the workers own lived experience. Issues may be encountered which may be emotionally distressing for the workers involved. Southdown will offer support and supervision.
Person Specification
Peer Involvement Specialist
Southdown Mental Health Recovery Service
Essential / DesirableQualifications
Evidence of training in Peer Support /
Good literacy and numeracy skills /
Demonstrate of continuing professional or personal development /
Experience
Lived experience of mental health issues/difficulties /
Experience of recovering a meaningful life, and using a range of self-management and or recovery tools and techniques /
Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role /
Experience of working as part of a team /
Experience of setting up a voluntary group /
Experience of giving presentations or training /
Experience of being supervised /
Experience of working with people with mental health needs / /
Knowledge
Knowledge of Peer Support, Recovery and Wellbeing in mental health and ability to apply this throughout your work /
Knowledge of working in a recovery focussed and socially inclusive manner, supporting people who use services to achieve their goals /
Knowledge of mental health services in East Sussex /
Understanding of the impact of stigma and discrimination /
Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures /
Skills and Abilities
Maintaining professional boundaries and working flexibly /
Ability to communicate in a sensitive and reassuring manner including a willingness to share personal story of recovery from mental health challenges /
Good IT skills to include word processing, use of e-mails to individuals and groups, electronic diary, database and spreadsheets. /
Ability to establish and maintain verbal and written communication with people /
Ability and willingness to reflect on work practice and be open to constructive feedback /
Ability to use own initiative and problem solving skills /
Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals /
Ability to manage stress and to plan and prioritise workload /
High level of self-awareness – ability to critically appraise own performance /
Understanding of the issues and concerns of mental health service users /
Ability to provide and receive confidential client information of a sensitive and often complex nature /
Ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary teams /
To be aware of professional roles within the therapeutic relationship /
Able to manage group dynamics confidently /
Approach and Values
Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of Recovery in the Recovery Services /
Work in a recovery focused and socially inclusive manner, supporting people who use services to achieve their goals. /
Empathy to needs of people using services /
Understanding and personal commitment to the values, standards and aims of the organisation. Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of Southdown /
Belief in the promotion of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice. /
Commitment to training and personal development /
SKILLS, KN
GENERAL INFORMATION
Southdown Housing Association Limited is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. Southdown is also regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency as a registered provider of social housing.
Southdown was established in 1972 and is one of the largest not-for-profit specialist providers of care, support and housing services to vulnerable people in Sussex.
We support people with learning disabilities, people facing mental health challenges and those at risk of homelessness or severe hardship. We provide holistic and tailored care and support that focuses on all of a person’s needs be they physical, economic, psychological, social or spiritual.
Everything we do is driven by the individual needs and aspirations of the people we provide care and support for. We involve our clients in the quality review and ongoing development of our services.
We believe the best way to increase people’s independence is for staff to work alongside them and coach them to develop their skills and confidence to take action and responsibility to achieve their personal goals.
We track and monitor the impact our services have on the people that use them. As well as regular satisfaction surveys, we also undertake detailed research to look at what works, for whom and in what circumstances.
We are a robust and successful organisation with a turnover of £24.5 million. We are governed by a Board of 12 members. We employ over 950 staff who we value and invest in. We have an excellent reputation for staff training and development.
We provide value for money. Whilst we’ve had to find ways to reduce our costs due to public sector budget cuts, we have not compromised on quality. We work with commissioners to deliver cost-savings whilst keeping people’s needs at the heart of what we do.
Contracts with local authorities and NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove supply most of our income to provide our services.
Data Protection Statement
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that any staff handling personal data on others must follow certain principles in relation to the data that they hold. Individuals have rights of access to data that is held on them and rights to claim for damages if various offences occur. This covers manual as well as computerised records.
In implementing the legislation, Southdown adopts a simple and straightforward policy that is, so far as is possible, easy to understand and unambiguous in its application. This is best achieved by adopting the principles of openness, which will, in turn, contribute to the fostering of open and honest management. The Association should not keep on record any information, opinion or judgement that we would not be comfortable showing to its subject and explaining and justifying if called upon to do so.
Application Records
Applicant records will only be made available to appropriate persons involved in the selection process. Details will be stored securely at all times.
Where individuals have not been successful, applicant records will be held for a period of twelve months.
Diversity and Equality Monitoring Form – This is destroyed after twelve months whether the applicant is successful or not.
Diversity & Equality
At Southdown, we pride ourselves on creating a culture that challenges prejudice and values diversity. We are committed to ensuring that all staff and service users feel welcome and are not discriminated against or treated unfairly.
We recognise that certain groups and individuals in society are disadvantaged because of discrimination experienced as a result of, race, nationality, belief or religion, physical or mental disability, health status, marital status, sex, sexuality, trade union activity, caring responsibilities, criminal convictions unrelated to the job, age or class.
Southdown believes that such direct or indirect discrimination is wrong and will ensure that the policies and practices of the Association in recruitment provide equal treatment for everyone. Adherence to our Diversity and Equality Policy is a condition of service for staff, and a copy of the policy is given to all staff and job applicants.
All managers are trained in anti-discriminatory recruitment practice. The diversity of our staff is monitored to ensure we continue to represent the diversity of the local communities. We are accredited by several national bodies for recruiting staff to best practice standards including Investors in People, Stonewall, Mindful Employer, Positive about Disabled People and Stonewall.
EX-OFFENDERS & THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Introduction
As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, Southdown Housing Association complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.
Southdown is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, as indicated by its Diversity & Equalities Policy Statement, including those with an offending background.
Southdown welcomes applications from a wide range of candidates and would consider those with criminal records. We select candidates for interview based on skills, qualifications and experience.