Mental Health Peer Support Worker - £ 18,158.00 - 30hrs per week

A unique and outstanding 

Community Hub

Centre4 was established in 1995 to support the ongoing regeneration of Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire.

Our modern, Wootton Road Community Hub puts an array of activities and services at your fingertips, whether you are looking to squeeze in a workout at our Community Gym, reduce your weekly shopping bills at the Community Shop or get access to practical help and support for a variety of issues, then our team is here to help.

The Centre4 team is on hand to provide free and friendly support about benefits, debt and money management, housing, employment and much more. Many of our services stretch beyond our Centre and we can deliver services throughout North East Lincolnshire and surrounding areas.

Our Vision

Support and enable the communities of North East Lincolnshire and surrounding areas to thrive and live happier, lives.

We are a value led organisation and remain committed to being: 

• Compassionate - We will care, show kindness, and a willingness to help others in all that we do.
• Honest - We will be honest, truthful, open, and sincere to others, everyone we work with and for. We will do what we say we will do.
• Inclusive – We will admire, value our communities, our staff and volunteers challenging oppression valuing the diversity of our communities.
• Empowering – We will support others to achieve their aspirations and to be stronger. We will involve community members in all aspects of service planning.

Our revised 5 Pillars of our Strategic Plan 2023-2028 will include:

1. Children, young people, and families 
2. Health and Wellbeing including advice and guidance 
3. Community engagement, education, and employability
4. Financial sustainability and human resources 
5. Facilities and Centre4 Community Hub, including the development of our community assets

Job Description 

Mental Health Peer Support Link Worker

The Role  

 The role of Mental Health Peer Link Worker has been developed specifically for people who are an expert through their own lived experience of mental health issues and recovery. 

Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, Peer Link Workers will engage with service users daily to promote well-being and support. Specific to the role will be supporting mental health Service Users with continuation of care and support to address the broader social factors of health and wellbeing. 

Peer Link Workers will support Service Users to access the right services, ensuring they get the right care from the right place at the right time to meet their identified needs. 

You will be an integral and valued member of the Community Health and Wellbeing Team and a key member of the NAViGO integrated Community Mental Health Teams. Using your experience of managing mental health and recovery, you will be providing hope, empathy and a different practical perspective through support and dialogue to ensure seamless care and assessment.

As part of the exciting Community Mental Health Transformation programme, Centre4 is working in partnership with NAViGO, the provider of Adult Mental Health services in North East Lincolnshire to introduce the Mental Health Peer Link worker roles. 

Mental Health Peer Link Workers will join our current team of Primary Care Link Workers, but with a mental health specialism within our Community Health and Wellbeing Team, working alongside NAViGO’s Community Mental Health teams. 

Based in the Primary Care Network setting the successful applicant will work with people within the community, as guided by colleagues in the Community Mental Health Team, who require additional help to manage their mental illness and support to ensure they get the right care from the right place at the right time to meet their identified needs.

We are looking for a friendly, engaging, empathetic individual with a natural ability to deliver with compassion and a practical approach.

The successful applicant should be able to quickly build positive, supportive, and motivational relationships with Service Users; have a strong commitment to team working with a proven ability of working flexibly in a team environment; have excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as a working knowledge of IT packages such as MS Outlook, Excel, and Word.

You will have strong organisational skills, excellent verbal, and written communication skills. The ability to quickly build positive and supportive relationships. The ability to work with IT systems, input, and export accurate information and a professional approach to the presentation of information and communication. A strong commitment to team working with a proven ability to work flexibly as part of a team. 

You will be required to travel within the North East Lincolnshire area at times, so you will be required to hold a full clean driving license and have access to your own vehicle with insurance coverage for business use.

Accountable to: Community Health and Wellbeing Team Lead 

Accountable for: NAViGO Service Users through the Peer Support program

Salary: £18,158

Hours: 30 hours a week, you will need to be flexible to work with the team to cover the operational hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday – Friday with occasional other hours as needed. 

Place of work:Based in the Primary Care Networks with regular outreach work in the North East Lincolnshire community, and also Centre4 or other locations as required.

Annual leave: 21 days/year plus bank holidays pro rata, rising to 25 days/year

Benefits: Health scheme, Community Shop, subsidised café, free car parking, low-cost gym access, work-based savings scheme, cycle to work scheme  

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users identified by the Community Mental Health team as having a severe and enduring mental illness (SMI) requiring additional help to cope with their mental health needs supporting them to regain control over their lives. 
• Advocate on behalf of the Service User where necessary and ensure that services are always in the best interests of the Service User and are recovery based.
• Show empathy, be willing to share your own experiences, inspire hope and promote recovery, with the aim of assisting/supporting service users on a 1:1 basis, to gain and maintain maximum levels of independence in the community
• Act as a role model to peers, carers, staff, and others from a 'lived experience' perspective.
• Work as part of the Community Mental Health team based in the Primary Care Network, offering support and advice to ensure the best possible outcomes for our Service Users.  
• Manage a caseload as guided and overseen by the community mental health team
• Agree to undertake relevant training appropriate to your role 
• Be sensitive to cultural norms and preferences.
• Assist in ensuring the service experienced is positive and service user confidentiality is always maintained. 
• Treat all contacts i.e., service users, families/carers, colleagues and all visitors with respect, dignity, and courtesy
• Work in collaboration with other key stakeholders e.g., housing, employment, education, and primary care, and third sector voluntary agencies.
• The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining up to date knowledge on Centre4 Community Health and Wellbeing Team policies, process and procedures and always working within these.

Other Duties

The above is a non-exhaustive list of duties and you are expected to undertake any other duties as requested by your manager.  The Company reserves the right to amend the job description in line with the changing demands of the business. 

Criteria/How Measured/Rank

Codes: A = application I = Interview E = essential D = desirable

Experience of recovery and self-management of mental health issues as a service user or as a carer A/I - E

A passion for helping people with mental health issues A/I – E

An understanding of peer support A/I – D

Ability to deal with stressful situations and clients A/I – D

Experience of working with people with mental health needs A/I – D

Experience of supporting needs and/or risk assessments A/I – D

Full Driving Licence A/I – E

Good IT skills A/I - E

Committed to self-development and flexibility to attend training A/I – E

General and Special  

Knowledge

Understands the need for confidentiality A/I – E

Understands the need for liaison with service users and their families sensitively, warmly and with empathy A/I – E

Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures relating to adults and children and young people A/I – D

Knowledge of peer work theory and practice A/I – D

Skills and Abilities

Ability to engage and support people who are experiencing challenges to their mental health A/I – E

Good communication skills and able to adjust style and content A/I – E

Ability to recognise and to deal with personal stress A/I – E

Understand the values of diversity and importance of equality A/I – E

Commitment to service user participation and involvement A/I – E

Access to appropriate motorised vehicular transport A/I – E

Knowledge of mental health services A/I – D

Knowledge of hospital administration systems A/I – D

A basic knowledge/understanding of the Mental Health Act A/I – D

Use of SystmOne A/I – D

Active and effective team member, work in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate A/I – E

Adaptable and flexible in approach to working practice A/I – E

Self-motivated and ability to use own initiative A/I – E

Ability to work under pressure A/I – E

Ability to manage challenging situations A/I – D

Ability to prioritise and plan work A/I – D

Ability to promote service user involvement A/I – D

Commit to and work within the aims, principles, and policies of Centre4 I - E 

Commitment to team working and in partnership with others A/I - E

Flexible with working hours to meet service needs A - E

Full clean driving licence and use of a car A – E

Equal Opportunities

Centre4 is committed to equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion in its recruitment and employment practices, as such we welcome applicants regardless of race, sexuality, gender, religion, disability, or age.

Safer Recruitment  

Centre4 is committed to the welfare and safety of children and vulnerable adults in all its operation and adheres to Safer Recruitment practice; the role will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Check at enhanced level.