Peer Support Worker

COLEBROOK (SOUTH WEST) LTD

**JOB TITLE**: Head Space Peer Support Worker

**SALARY**: £11.00 P/H

**PROBATION PERIOD**: 6 months

**CONTRACT PERIOD**: Permanent

**BASE**:Colebrook SW Ltd, R/O Engage Building, St Levans Road, Plymouth PL2 3BG

**REPORTS TO**: Head Space Coordinator_ _

**RESPONSIBLE FOR**:Supporting the volunteer peer support team

**NOTICE PERIOD**: Minimum of one calendar month

**HOURS**: 37***

**JOB SUMMARY**:
Plymouth has an out-of-hours service called Head Space for people who consider that they are approaching a mental health crisis. The service aims to provide a non
- clinical setting with a safe, calm and structured environment, where individuals can go to access peer support.
The Peer Support Worker of this new service will support the coordinator to ensure successful delivery of the service and will work directly with users of the service,
offering individual or group support as required.

The role of Peer Support Worker has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of Mental Health services. Through sharing wisdom from their own
experiences, Peer Support Workers will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. The role will provide formal peer support to Head Space service users
to support them to deal with their Mental Health crisis and promote recovery. The Peer Support Worker will act as an ambassador of recovery, will help to support the
volunteer Peer Support team and will be involved in the on-going development of peer support roles in the organisation.

**MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using Head Space.
- To listen to service users and support them to manage their crisis and focus on their recovery.
- To provide peer support whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- To share ideas about ways of achieving Recovery goals, drawing on personal experiences and a range of coping, self-help and self-management techniques.
- To model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness.

To ensure the service offers a safe, relaxed but structured environment for people to receive 1:1 and group support in times of crisis
- To offer triage, face to face support as a one to one as part of the Head Space team.
- To offer telephone service support during shift times.
- To ensure that people using the service are supported to develop self-management strategies and to make the best use of the local resources around them,

signposting or making referrals as required, while promoting choice and informed decision making.
- To encourage Head Space clients to make their own decisions relating to services.
- To support positive working relationships with partner services and other stakeholders.
- To support promotion and consistent communication about the service.
- To monitor and maintain own mental health, seeking support and working with the team to deal with anything that arises in practice.
- To support people within limits of your competences and authority and to seek advice and guidance when required.
- To deliver with the team a programme of activities that are engaging and of interest to people using the service.
- To facilitate a strong user and career led approach, through your contact with people using the service.
- To support the volunteer peer supporters on shift to deal with things that may arise.
- Undertake appropriate administrative duties to assist the team e.g. data inputting, filing, computer work and photocopying.
- To keep records of contact with Head Space clients maintaining Head Space records and support monitoring
- To contribute to the continued development of the Peer Support Worker training programme and in the ongoing evaluation of the Peer Support Worker role.
- To actively participate in Team Meetings and report regularly to the Head Space Coordinator to ensure effective communication.
- To actively share learning and experiences to inform service developments and improvements.

**GENERAL**:

- To undertake other duties that may reasonably be required by the Chief Executive, MT and Board of Directors.
- To comply with all aspects of the policies and procedures of Colebrook in accordance with legislation and good practice, complying with data protection act

requirements and promoting equality and diversity.
- To remain active and involved in personal development opportunities, training and participate in supervision and performance appraisals as required.
- To promote open and honest communication and to work as part of the team to deliver organisational objectives.

**COVID 19 service adaptions**

**During the pandemic our service had to change the way in which support was delivered. At that time, we were providing telephone support only. Since restrictions**

**have lifted, we have returned to venues which are located in different parts of the city. We still provide a telephone service which runs alongside th