The role of a Peer Support Worker

The role of a Peer Support Worker is an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, and they will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to people who have received services in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery process.

Through sharing from their own experiences, peer support workers will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. Peer Support Workers you provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to patients for them to regain control over their healthcare, to lead meaningful lives and to develop their own unique recovery process.Through sharing the wisdom from their own lived experience, the peer support worker will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.

Within a relationship of mutuality, the Peer Support Worker will facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.

As a Trust we welcome applicants who are currently receiving support from LPFT, if you are successful following interview we will discuss with you the service you currently receive support from to ensure you can continue to receive the right level of support without impacting your new role with the Trust.

Vacancies for all roles within Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust can be found on our Trust website via: www.lpft.nhs.uk/work-us/current-vacancies Guidance and helpful tips can be found here: www.jobs.nhs.uk/advice/write_appform.html

Help with your application

Beginning the application process can be extremely daunting, but we are here to try and make the process as easy and as smooth as possible. Now you are familiar with the recruitment process, we have some useful tips to help you with your application and interview.

Top tips for writing your application

• Use clear, plain English and avoid using jargon within your application.
• Keep your sentences short and easy to read.
• Two sentences are generally clearer than one very long sentence.
• Complete a spell and grammar check to ensure you have not missed any mistakes.
• Read the content back to yourself out loud—Does it make sense? Are your points clear and easy to understand?
• Check, check, and check again! If you can, give your form the ‘overnight test’ and revisit it again the following day and read it with fresh eyes.

It’s also extremely important that you prepare well for your interview. Preparing well for your interview can make all the difference when it comes to landing your perfect role with LPFT.

We have put together a list of our top hints and tips to help you before and during your interview, you can view them by scanning the QR code on your smartphone, or visiting lpft.nhs.uk/work-for-us/interview-hints-and-tipsBeginning the application process can be extremely daunting, but we are here to try and make the process as easy and as smooth as possible.

Now you are familiar with the recruitment process, we have some useful tips to help you with your application and interview.

Training

The Recovery College offers free educational courses on mental health and wellbeing, to anyone aged 16+. The Recovery College teaching team consists of people with lived experience of mental illness, qualified teachers and trainers and experienced health professionals Within LPFT’s Recovery College, we are beginning to develop an accredited peer support worker course where individuals, who have an interest in a career as a peer support worker, will be required to enrol and complete the training in order to help provide them with the skills and knowledge needed to fulfil the role of a mental health peer support worker within LPFT.

Pre-employment checks

Following been successful at interview you will receive a conditional offer letter. Prior to starting in your new role pre employment checks will need to be undertaken which will include;

• Satisfactory evidence that you are entitled to work and reside in the UK, prior to commencing employment.
• Evidence of your qualifications which are essential for this post as set out in the enclosed job description and person specification.
• Verification of your identity.
• Satisfactory clearance by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• Satisfactory employment history check.

Upon successful completion of your pre-employment checks your manager will contact you to discuss a start date and you will receive your contract which will state your terms and conditions of your employment.

DBS Risk Assessment

As part of your pre-employment checks it is a legal requirement to undertake an enhanced DBS check. An enhanced DBS check will show full details of a criminal record and will also search the children and vulnerable adults barred list (applicable to the role).

During the application stage you will be asked to disclose any criminal conviction/s, it is expected that applicants are honest with recruiting managers at application and interview stage. This allows for early discussions with yourself, recruiting manager and HR to not delay the pre-employment checks should you be successful.

It is important that previous criminal conviction/s do not abstain applicants from applying for a peer support worker role. A number of considerations will be taken into account prior to offering a formal job offer;

• The length of time since the offence/s
• The age of the candidate at the time of the offence/s
• Frequency of offending
• Context surrounding the offence
• The severity of the offence

Whilst previous cautions and convictions do not automatically exclude applicants gaining employment within LPFT it is important to be transparent and that in a small number of circumstances to ensure patient safety the risk of such convictions or cautions will be too high and therefore the offer of employment will be revoked, if this is the case feedback will be given via the recruiting manager.