Peer Support Worker

**Job details**:
Job reference

REQ000698NEW

Date posted

28/08/2024

Application closing date

23/09/2024

Location

London

Salary

£24,001.58 plus £3,630 geographical allowance

Package

See link in ad for details of Together's benefits

Contractual hours

37.5

Basis

Full time

Job category/type

Blank

South West London and St. George’s Mental Health NHS Trust is working in partnership with Together for Mental Wellbeing and Off the Record to deliver the Merton Peer Support Service for people living in the Merton borough. The Merton Peer Support service will form a part of the Integrated Recovery Hub (IRH) to support with the delivery of increased timely access to a wider range of holistic mental health and wellbeing interventions. The service will work closely with individuals using the service, the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and partner organisations to facilitate access to and deliver appropriate peer support when such needs are identified.

Peer Support specifically provides an opportunity for people who have experience of mental distress to support each other towards greater wellbeing, as people of equal value, on a reciprocal basis, using their lived experience as a tool for support. The key aim of the service is to provide both 1-2-1 and group peer support to people experiencing mental distress who would benefit from peer support to reach the goals that are important to them. Drawing on their lived experience of mental distress, our Peer Supporters will work collaboratively with the individuals accessing the service, focusing on the persons strengths and skills to promote better wellbeing, which may also include educational and practical support.

**What does the service offer?**

The service will provide 1-2-1 and group peer support. Peer support activity might include:
One to One Peer Support:

- We provide up to 12 sessions of weekly or bi-weekly 1-2-1 peer support either in the community, online or via phone. Those are regular planned sessions and will be offered by a Peer Support Worker.
- 1-2-1 sessions will provide an opportunity for individuals accessing the service to develop a holistic wellbeing plan that focuses on their wants and needs. Working collaboratively alongside the Peer Support Worker, who also has lived experience of mental distress, the sessions provide a space to inspire hope, whilst developing and building on strengths and skills that will empower individuals to work towards

better wellbeing and develop tools they need to self-manage.

Group Peer Support:

- A variety of peer support groups, workshops and activities are available that provide a safe environment that allow individuals to be themselves, build trust with their peers whilst supporting each other towards greater wellbeing. All groups will promote a sense of solidarity, aim to tackle isolation, and build on individual strengths.
- Group peer support is delivered by Peer Support Volunteers with a pre agreed topic that is deemed important to those we work alongside at regular consistent day/time and will be held for up to 6 weeks.
- In addition, the service will offer Self-Management Peer support Groups. These groups are led by Peer Supporters who are both participants of the group as well as facilitators of the group. The group support each other through developing peer relationships and sharing experiences on managing wellbeing.

Who can access the service?
- People who are over 26 years of age
- Off the Record will be supporting service users aged between 18 - 25
- People who live in the Merton borough
- People who are open and ready to try peer support
- People who struggle with mild to moderate mental health challenges and distress

**Where is the service located?**

Please note this is a community-based service without a set location. People using the service are able to choose how they access support and whether that is in person, online via video chat, or on the phone. It should be noted though that this does not extend to meeting people in their homes. Together staff will meet people in the community in Merton in public places such as libraries or coffee shops and those meetings will be specifically to provide one to one support.

**_ This is a fixed term position until March 2026_**

**The benefits of working for Together