Do you have lived experience of recovery from psychosis or a mood disorder such as depressive disorder or bipolar disorder? Have you previously worked in a range of settings as a peer support worker, lived experience worker or equivalent role?
If so, an opportunity has arisen for a Senior Peer Support Worker to work as part of the Milton Keynes Community Mental Health Hub’s Diagnosis and Condition Management (D&CM) pathway. The D&CM pathway provides support for patients accessing clozapine, lithium and medication management clinics in line with current need. This pathway is supported by highly experienced staff who also provide physical health checks and run a wellbeing clinic.
The role is aimed at candidates who have lived experience of recovery from psychosis or a mood disorder such as depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, have used secondary mental health services, and candidates who have previously worked in a range of settings as a peer support worker, lived experience worker or equivalent role. Please make the above information clear in your application.
Main duties of the job
The successful post holder will hold a caseload and fulfil key working duties. The Senior Peer Support Worker will work alongside members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) in the D&CM pathway and the wider Hub, and will also work closely with the Community Peer Support Team. This individual will work to support the development and delivery of the Milton Keynes D&CM pathway and promote the lived experience perspective in this team.
The post holder will play a key role in integrating recovery values across the service settings in which they work. As an ambassador for recovery, the post holder will actively share and draw upon their own lived experience to inspire others, challenge stigma and discrimination, and promote a culture of recovery within the Trust.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills who can work flexibly to meeting the demands of this exciting and very varied position. Regular clinical and peer support specific supervision will be provided.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between locations using own transport
- Willingness to work flexibly as the needs of the job dictate e.g. evenings, weekends
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Completed peer support worker training (preferably accredited)
- Evidence of further training in relation to personal recovery principles
- Willingness to undertake or completion of Level 4 accredited “Developing Expertise in Peer Support” course
Desirable
- Accredited certificate in Life Coaching
Experience
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
- Experience of working in a range of health and/or social care settings as a peer support worker
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems and supporting them to access opportunities beyond mental health services
- Recent experience of supervision of others (in paid or unpaid capacity)
- Recent experience of delivering training and presentations to a wide range of audiences
- Own personal lived experience of recovery from psychosis or mood disorder
- Experience of having personally used secondary mental health services
- Experience of working independently and providing group and 1:1 activities
Desirable
- Experience of a D&CM treatment pathway
- Delivery of Recovery College courses
- Experience of working in community voluntary services
- Undertaking evaluations, audit and research
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form peer relationships with service users and carers
- Effective listening skills
- Ability to act calmly and to respond in a professional manner to distress, disturbance and unpredictability
- Ability to communicate on all levels and to a broad scope of individuals, both internally and externally to the Trust
- 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
- Ability to see solutions rather than problems
- Good presentation skills
- Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower others
- Ability to work independently, flexibly, reliably and consistently with guidance
- Excellent planning, self-management and organisational skills
- Effective team working skills
- Ability to challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and discriminatory practice in an effective manner
- Ability to demonstrate practical skills to provide support with daily living activities
- Emotional intelligence and reflectivity with ability to work effectively with others to bring about change in a complex and dynamic organisation
- An awareness of behaviour and interactions as meaningful communications
Desirable
- Working knowledge of the principles of coproduction
- Interviewing skills
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: 18 March 2025
