Job Summary
The role of the Eating Disorders Peer Support Worker – Outpatient Community Team (Eating Disorders PSW) has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of recovery from a/an eating disorder(s) such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. In the context of CNWL’s Eating Disorders Service postholders will have experienced recovery from disordered eating challenges and accessed support through an eating disorders service in relation to this. Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, Eating Disorders PSWs inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. Using recovery principles and socially inclusive practice, the post-holder will support service users in their personal recovery journeys through the Eating Disorders Service. This means providing peer support for adults and young people who are currently receiving clinical support for their eating disorder.
Main duties of the job
Organisational Work
- Promote development of best practices in peer support and Lived Experience Practice across the service through active participation in internal and external training and development programmes.
- Work with the multi-disciplinary teams across both the adult and child and adolescent eating disorder service in the support of people accessing eating disorder services, ensuring the needs of individuals accessing the service are met through promoting strengths-based practice.
Lived Experience Specialist Work
- Model/mentor a recovery process, inspire hope, and demonstrate self-management skills and techniques by skillfully using own experience of recovery.
- Support service users in making sense of their experiences of eating disorders and recovery. This might include understandings of personal and social recovery, health and wellbeing, personal and social identity whilst recognising that each individual’s recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.
- Engage in self-reflective practices and commit to continued personal development.
Learning and Development
- To participate in Trust mandatory training & development opportunities considered appropriate to the Eating Disorders PSW role and as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).
- Undertake the accredited ‘Developing Expertise in Peer Support’ Level 4 module.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training
- Completion of Level 4 City University accredited course “Developing Expertise in Peer Support” course.
- Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable
- Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
- Accredited peer support worker training
Previous Experience
Essential
- Own personal lived experience of a(n) eating disorder(s)
- Experience of having personally accessed eating disorders services.
- Paid or unpaid working experience in health and social care .
- Developed plans for managing own mental wellbeing
- Willing to positively share own life experiences and personal experiences of an eating disorder with service users.
Desirable
- Paid or unpaid peer support worker experience.
- Involvement in service redesign and development.
- Paid or unpaid experience of working with people with eating disorders.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others
- Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
- Effective listening skills
- Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
- Ability to appreciate / understand other people’s worlds
- Ability to demonstrate empathy, compassion and patience
- An ability to be non-judgemental
- An ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
- Knowledge of how to build community links and networks
- Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service user
- Understanding of issues arising from experiencing mental ill health
- Sensitive understanding of diversity issues and an ability to promote anti-discriminatory practice/ equal opportunities
- Ability to demonstrate practical skills to provide support with daily living activities
- Excellent planning, self-management and organisational skills
- Effective team player skills
- An awareness of behaviour and interactions as meaningful communications
- Ability to work independently, flexibly, reliably and consistently with guidance
- Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner
- Emotional intelligence and reflectivity with ability to work effectively with others to bring about change in a complex and dynamic organisation
Desirable
- Knowledge of basic food hygiene
- Knowledge of basic first aid
- Basic Health and Safety awareness
- Moving and handling awareness
- Awareness of local services
- Knowledge of benefits/ employment systems
- Ability to demonstrate a good understanding of mental health issues
- Ability to speak other languages
- Working knowledge of the principles of coproduction
- Knowledge of current legislation which underpins Health and Social Care and a working knowledge of the Equalities Act 2010 and Human Rights Act
Other
Essential
- A preparedness to work flexible hours through prior arrangement as the needs of the job dictate (e.g. some evenings & weekends)
- Ability to travel between locations using own or public transport
Numeracy and Literacy
Essential
- Acceptable level of written literacy and numeracy
- Basic IT skills i.e. word & email
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Closing Date: 03 April 2025
