Carer Peer Support Specialist

Job summary

Do you have expertise from your own experience of caring for someone with mental health problems? Are you looking for an opportunity to share what you have learnt with other Carers and to work with a community mental health team to improve Carer engagement and involvement?

We are looking for a new Carer Peer Support Specialist to be based at the East Brighton Community Mental Health Centre, working with the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service. The team works with older people who have mental health needs and/ or a dementia diagnosis. Many of the people we work with have friends or family who act as unpaid carers. The role of the Carer Peer Support Specialist is to provide information and support to these Carers; to help them understand the mental health system and to help them work collaboratively with our clinical team to achieve the best possible outcomes for their loved ones.

Main duties of the job

The Carer Peer Support Specialist works collaboratively and aims to assist in improving the wellbeing of family and friend carers of people who use the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service through:

Supporting Carers directly.

Providing useful information for Carers about mental health

Building support networks for Carers.

Working with the clinical team to build collaborative alliances with Carers who may be struggling.

Contributing to service development by ensuring the 'Carer voice' is always represented.

About us

In return for your skills and enthusiasm we can offer you interesting and rewarding work in a team which prides itself with providing support, learning opportunities and regular supervision.

The successful candidate must be able to travel, preferably being able to drive using their own transport.

We are a 9-5 Monday to Friday service, but the working pattern can be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Job responsibilities

1. To share and discuss common experiences with family and friend carers in a variety of settings

2. To initiate, establish and maintain relationships with family and friend carers in a variety of settings, while developing trust and rapport

3. Act as a coach and mentor to family and friend carers by providing information about support and services available for them

4. Work collaboratively with community services to support the Carers' Clinics

5. Provide advice and signpost Carers to other support and relevant training

6. Actively seek to understand, communicate and support family and friend carers views and needs to internal and external stakeholders in a variety of settings

7. Develop links across other organisations that support carers

8. Receive and participate in clinical supervision

9. Participate in the evaluation, monitoring and audit of the Carer Peer Role with support from the People Participation Team

10. Participate in the evaluation and audit activities in the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service relevant to family and friend carers with support from professionals in the teams

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Health care or relevant NVQ Level 3 or equivalent skills acquired through experience
• A recognised Peer Support qualification, e.g. Level 3 Certificate in Peer Support Work, or an in-depth understanding of peer support approach
• Evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning

Experience

Essential

• Lived experience as a family member/carer for someone with severe mental illness
• Knowledge of the mental health system and carers support services
• Understanding of family issues, including in culturally diverse communities
• Experience of giving and receiving peer support and ability to describe the benefits