Peer Support Worker

**Due to the continued success of our Together in a Crisis service, we are recruiting two new Peer Support Workers to join our team working across Northumberland.**

As a Peer Support Worker, you must have lived experience of your own personal mental ill-health, strong interpersonal skills, and a passion for supporting people in their recovery. We have two part-time (18.5 hrs a week) roles available. Previous work experience is not essential.

This service provides a rapid response to people who, following contact with the NHS, are assessed as not in need of an urgent statutory response but who nevertheless are in emotional and psychological distress and may require an immediate response to their personally defined need.

You will be partnered with a Case Worker, working with individuals who are often facing several social/practical/emotional challenges and will support them in their recovery. You will be giving in-the-moment support to de-escalate feelings of crisis as well as case work. To be successful in this role, you will need to be able to work effectively as part of a team, with a good up to date knowledge of the issues affecting our clients, good interpersonal skills, and the ability to effectively manage your own workload. You will provide support focused on active, empathic listening, helping the person to problem solve and to link into services and other local support resources. You will support the individual to implement their co-produced crisis plan, relapse prevention strategies and other self-management tools in partnership with the allocated Case Worker. You will support the individual to develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to withstand future life challenges, whilst maintaining good mental health and wellbeing.

An essential element is a skilled staff team, with local knowledge, able to listen to what is important to the individual, help the person explore the solutions available and prioritise the actions needed to resolve their difficulties. We are looking for people who are passionate about empowerment, who can work alongside someone, so they have as much control as possible and leave more equipped to tackle future problems before they reach crisis point. If people skills and problem solving are strong attributes for you, this may be the perfect role for you.

**Please note, this is a remote working role. You will be required to complete admin duties and calls from home, and to travel around Northumberland to provide face-to-face appointments and in-person support within the community. Therefore, it would advantageous if you have a valid driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.**

The work pattern will be Mon-Fri (9am-4:30pm).

**About you**

We would love to hear from you if you possess the following:

- Lived experience of your own personal mental ill-health
- Awareness of mental health issues and how they may impact individuals, gained through your lived experience
- Experience of demonstrating empathy
- Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines in order to meet service provision criteria
- Very good interpersonal skills
- Ability to work in a team, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships
- Have a valid driving licence and access to a vehicle to use for work purposes

**What we offer in return**

We are proud to have been recognised and certified as a Great Place to Work, which speaks volumes on how much we value our staff members. In return for the hard work and dedication from our teams, we offer the following benefits:

- 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (rising to 32 days at 5 years’ service) and the option to purchase or sell day
- Enhanced pension
- Wagestream - ability to release earnings, giving you instant access to your pay
- Vitality Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistant Programme, GP and priority physiotherapy access and shopping discounts with the opportunity to sign up for a Blue Light Card
- Enhanced life assurance scheme, payment being three times your annual salary
- Plus, many more great benefits on offer

We welcome you to be yourself at work and have a range of Colleague Networks for members and allies of the LGBTQ+; Black, Asian and minority ethnic; menopause and neurodivergent communities.