Opportunity to make a tangible impact on the mental health of Black and mixed Black communities, promoting equity in healthcare.
Ability to use personal lived experiences of mental health issues to foster understanding and connection with service users.
Role focuses on culturally congruent practices, ensuring that care is tailored to the specific needs of diverse communities.
Collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, including staff ADC facilitators and forensic psychologists, enhancing professional development.
Support from the PCREF project, aiming to improve access and outcomes, which highlights the importance of the role within the Trust.
Potential for flexible work arrangements, including part-time opportunities, which can help in achieving a work-life balance.
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is offering a Peer Support Worker (PSW) position within their Forensic Services Pathway, focusing on the culturally relevant adoption of Advanced Choice Documents (ACDs) for black and mixed black service users. This role, funded through the Patient & Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), aims to enhance care delivery by providing peer support, advocacy, and fostering collaboration between service users, families, and mental health professionals. The position is fixed-term, full-time from January 6, 2024, to March 31, 2025, with potential for part-time work depending on the applicant's preferences.
The successful candidate will leverage their lived experiences with mental health to empower patients in navigating their treatment options, promote self-advocacy, and ensure their voices are heard. The role recognizes the unique challenges faced by Black communities and aims to mitigate these through thoughtful integration of cultural awareness in mental health services. The PSW will work closely with Community Forensic Mental Health Teams, support staff in implementing ACDs, and contribute to a broader initiative aimed at improving equity in mental health outcomes.
The successful candidate will leverage their lived experiences with mental health to empower patients in navigating their treatment options, promote self-advocacy, and ensure their voices are heard. The role recognizes the unique challenges faced by Black communities and aims to mitigate these through thoughtful integration of cultural awareness in mental health services. The PSW will work closely with Community Forensic Mental Health Teams, support staff in implementing ACDs, and contribute to a broader initiative aimed at improving equity in mental health outcomes.
We are excited to be able to offer a unique opportunity in South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation trust to take up a role as a Peer Support Worker (PSW) in the Forensic Services Pathway. These roles have become available through funding for Patient & Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) project funding. PCREF is a Trust-wide initiative to improve equity in access, experience, and outcomes for all our communities, with an initial focus on Black communities. The contribution of this PSW role is to work with Community Forensic Mental Health Teams (CFMHT) to support culturally congruent adoption of Advanced Choice Documents (ACDs) by black and mixed black service users, with the support of their families and carers. Funding is available for 5 days a week (1.0 wte) fixed term, initially, from 6th January 2024 until 31st March 2025. The funding for the roles may also be used to support part-time work in one or more CFMHT team local to the successful applicant. Candidates will be asked as to their preferred location at interview.
The aim of this role is to support black and mixed black patients in forensic services. The role will focus on enhancing the uptake and effectiveness of Advanced Choice Documents within forensic services by integrating cultural awareness and peer support. It involves collaborating with service users, carers, and their families to design and deliver services. This support will involve peer support and advocacy ensuring that patients’ voices are heard. Peer Support Workers will use their own lived experiences of mental health issues/services to help others, providing a space where individuals feel respected, accepted, and understood. They will understand that everyone’s experience will be unique but will treat everyone’s experience as being equally important. This role will need individuals who acknowledge the inherent challenges of racism for Black communities within traditional mental health services. The role will also involve encouraging Black service users and carers to coproduce care plans and advocate for themselves; gathering information to inform them of their options and providing formal feedback to staff in secure settings and the PCREF Forensic Triple Leadership team.
The postholder will work closely with staff ADC facilitators, the PSW Coordinator, and line managed in Forensic Psychology.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Eke Mba Job title: Peer Support Coordinator Email address: Telephone number:
The aim of this role is to support black and mixed black patients in forensic services. The role will focus on enhancing the uptake and effectiveness of Advanced Choice Documents within forensic services by integrating cultural awareness and peer support. It involves collaborating with service users, carers, and their families to design and deliver services. This support will involve peer support and advocacy ensuring that patients’ voices are heard. Peer Support Workers will use their own lived experiences of mental health issues/services to help others, providing a space where individuals feel respected, accepted, and understood. They will understand that everyone’s experience will be unique but will treat everyone’s experience as being equally important. This role will need individuals who acknowledge the inherent challenges of racism for Black communities within traditional mental health services. The role will also involve encouraging Black service users and carers to coproduce care plans and advocate for themselves; gathering information to inform them of their options and providing formal feedback to staff in secure settings and the PCREF Forensic Triple Leadership team.
The postholder will work closely with staff ADC facilitators, the PSW Coordinator, and line managed in Forensic Psychology.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Eke Mba Job title: Peer Support Coordinator Email address: Telephone number:
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Here are 5 questions you could be
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1. Can you tell us about your understanding of the role of a Peer Support Worker and its importance within forensic services?
2. What motivated you to apply for this position with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust?
3. How do you think your personal experience with mental health, whether your own or through others, influences your ability to support service users?
4. How do you approach the concept of cultural congruence in mental health support, particularly when working with Black and mixed Black communities?
5. What strategies would you use to ensure that the voices of Black service users and their families are heard and represented in the care planning process?
1. Can you tell us about your understanding of the role of a Peer Support Worker and its importance within forensic services?
2. What motivated you to apply for this position with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust?
3. How do you think your personal experience with mental health, whether your own or through others, influences your ability to support service users?
4. How do you approach the concept of cultural congruence in mental health support, particularly when working with Black and mixed Black communities?
5. What strategies would you use to ensure that the voices of Black service users and their families are heard and represented in the care planning process?
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Useful skills for a Peer Support Worker - Advanced Choice Documents:
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To work as a Peer Support Worker in the UK, you typically need a combination of personal attributes, skills, and practical knowledge. Here are some essential skills and qualities that are valuable for this role:
1. Lived Experience: Having personal experience of mental health challenges, addiction, or other relevant issues is fundamental. This allows you to relate to and understand the experiences of those you will be supporting.
2. Empathy and Compassion: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others is crucial. You should be able to listen without judgment and offer support in a caring manner.
3. Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential for effectively engaging with individuals, families, and the wider community. This includes active listening and expressing thoughts clearly.
4. Interpersonal Skills: Building trust and rapport with those you support is important. You should be approachable, friendly, and able to connect with diverse individuals.
5. Problem-solving Skills: The ability to help individuals find solutions to their challenges is key. This includes being resourceful and supportive in helping people overcome barriers.
6. Teamwork: You may work collaboratively with mental health professionals, social workers, and other support staff, so being able to cooperate and integrate within a team is vital.
7. Boundaries and Professionalism: Understanding professional boundaries and maintaining a professional demeanor while being supportive is crucial. This includes knowing when to refer someone to a professional for additional help.
8. Cultural Competence: Awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences, including understanding how different backgrounds can affect an individual's experience and needs.
9. Advocacy Skills: The ability to advocate for the needs and rights of those you support, navigating services and systems effectively on their behalf.
10. Knowledge of Support Services: Familiarity with local mental health services, support networks, and community resources so you can guide individuals to appropriate help.
11. Training: Some positions may require or recommend specific training programs, such as Mental Health First Aid, or specialized peer support training.
12. Self-care and Resilience: The role can be emotionally demanding, so you should have skills in self-care and resilience strategies to maintain your own well-being while supporting others.
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