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Peer Worker January 2020
Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest in the post of Peer
Worker. This is an exciting post that
offers the opportunity to work with one of the leading mental
health organisations in
Scotland. We support around 1600 adults and young people every
week. With over
400 staff across Scotland, we work to promote mental health and
wellbeing for all,
prevent mental ill health for people who are ‘at risk’ and to
support people with mental health problems.
Working with Penumbra
It is one of our key strategic objectives to support, value,
develop and involve all of
our staff. We seek to ensure our employees have a working
environment that
enables them to feel safe at work, have the necessary skills
they need, and access
to the learning opportunities to fulfil their potential.
Our most recent staff survey found:
• 95% of staff would recommend Penumbra as a good place to
work
• 95% of staff feel they have a competitive benefits package
when compared to
other third sector organisations
• 96% of staff are proud to tell people they work for
Penumbra
• 90% of staff look forward to coming to work
Working with Penumbra offers you the opportunity to -
• work with a leading provider of mental health services
• gain qualification in health and social care ( role and
service specific)
• learn new skills and work with award – winning tools and
approaches
• develop personally and professionally through support and
supervision
• develop new ideas within a culture that support innovation and
continuous
improvement
• coach other members of the team in recovery approaches
• access support at any time through employee assistance
programme
• access to lone-working procedure so you can get help at any
time
Peer Worker Job Ref: E07/20
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Peer Worker January 2020
Recovery
Recovery means to experience positive wellbeing and to have the
opportunity to live
as full a life as possible. A Peer Worker is therefore someone
who supports and
enables people to achieve their goals and maximise their
potential.
A Peer Worker is therefore…
• Compassionate
• Respectful
• Hopeful
• Reliable
• Willing to Learn
• Open to new ideas
• A good team player
• A good communicator
• Creative
• Solution - Focused
Application Process
All applicants must complete and submit an application.
Please visit www.penumbra.org.uk/vacancies to complete an online
application form or to
download a .doc or .pdf form.
Closing date for applications is: Tuesday 28th January 2020 at
5pm Interviews will be held on: Friday 7th February 2020
Applications can be completed online or sent to:
[email protected] Good luck with your application. Yours
sincerely
http://www.penumbra.org.uk/vacanciesmailto:[email protected]
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Peer Worker January 2020
Job Title: Peer Worker Responsible To: Recovery Practitioner
Salary: £17,850 - £18,480 per annum (£9.15 - £9.48/hr equivalent)
Working Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week) or Part Time
(minimum 22.5 hours per week) Location: East Lothian Services
Leave: 33 days (pro rata if part time)
Job Summary You will be working in the East Lothian Services, to
support people with their mental health and or wellbeing. You will
assist people to establish and maintain meaningful and fulfilling
links in the community and support them to identify their desired
outcomes. You will support people to achieve these desired outcomes
by being a therapeutic practitioner/facilitator, and where
appropriate use own lived experience of recovery.
___________________________________________________________________
Main Duties and Responsibilities
• To have initial conversations and be the initial point of
contact for people. • To establish a supportive relationship with
each person, enabling them to maximise
their own resources in order to improve their quality of
life.
• To explore coping and self-management techniques, with the
person. • To help people develop their own support plan • To assess
risk and help people keen themselves and others safe • To help
people to access the support they need • To reconnect people to
their support network in the community • To connect people to
positive activities • To ensure people can access specialist mental
health interventions • To meet people in community settings • To be
flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of people and
the
organisation as well as the community, within the agreed
criteria.
• To work in cooperation with other Penumbra peer teams (and
other support teams) and external professionals, stakeholders as
needed.
• To participate in and facilitate training activities,
community events, workshops and related meetings as required.
• To uphold Penumbra’s Code of Practice. • To be responsible for
maintaining the relevant systems of paper-based and electronic
documentation.
Job Description
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Peer Worker January 2020
Person Specification Qualifications
Essential
• Good level of educational attainment Desirable
• SVQ3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent as defined by the
SSSC or willingness to work towards to it.
• Completion of Peer Support Worker Training (e.g. Meta Services
Peer Employment Training or other similar peer support
training)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
• Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role •
Personal experience of mental health recovery and or
management. Desirable
• Experience working with a person-centred approach • Experience
of working in the mental health field
Core Competency – Working with Others
Essential
• Builds good working relationships with team members. • Works
collaboratively with other professionals as required. • Gives
others time and space to express what they think, feel and
want.
• Shows sensitivity and seeks to understand the perspectives of
others.
Core Competency – Learn and Apply
Essential
• Is aware of own strengths and development needs. •
Demonstrates commitment to keeping knowledge, understanding
and skills up to date.
Core Competency – Communication
Essential
• Speaks and writes clearly and accurately and ensures the
message is understood.
• Explains clearly and accurately issues, policies, procedures
and other pertinent information.
• Conveys sensitive or contentious information tactfully.
Core Competency – Managing Self
Essential
• Is able to deal with difficulties by keeping them in
perspective. • Is open to change and continually improving
practice. • Is able to maintain a good work life balance. • Has the
awareness of when to ask for help and has the confidence
to do so, where appropriate.
Core Competency – Professionalism
Essential
• Demonstrates a commitment to Penumbra’s values. • Works to
policies, procedures and relevant legislation. • Maintains sound
ethical and professional standards at all times. • Has a clear
understanding of confidentiality, disclosing information
only to those who have the right and need to know.
• Takes responsibility for own work. • Strives to provide
efficient, effective, high quality services. • Projects a positive
image of Penumbra at all times.
Role Specific Essential
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Peer Worker January 2020
Competency – Supporting People
• Supports individuals in line with organisational values,
policies and procedures.
• Understands recovery and is able to work with a
recovery/outcome focused approach.
• Consistently works with a person-centred approach. • Supports
the individual’s right to control their lives and enables
them to informed choices about the services they receive.
• Protects the rights and promotes the interests of people.
For more information about Penumbra: www.penumbra.org.uk
For enquiries about the position please contact:
[email protected]
or 0131 475 2380
Penumbra, Norton Park, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5QY T 0131
475 2380 | F 0131 475 2391
W www.penumbra.org.uk E [email protected]
http://www.penumbra.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.penumbra.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]
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Experts by Experience
Values Framework for Peer Working
Hope Authenticity
Experience
Mutuality
Responsibility
Empowerment
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 1
Experts by Experience
Values Framework for Peer Working
Developed by
The Scottish Recovery Network
In partnership with the
Peer Learning Network
Special thanks to
Working Group members
Sylvia Collumb, Moira Gillespie, Gillian Grant, Dorothy
Hansen,
Andrew Kernohan, Sharon Lear, Rona McBrierty, Jacquie Nicholson,
Susan Pollock.
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Experts by Experience
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Introduction
The Scottish Recovery Network (SRN) was formally launched in
2004
as an initiative designed to promote and support recovery from
mental
health problems. Our goals are to raise awareness of recovery;
encourage
empowerment; develop the evidence base and influence policy and
practice.
Since 2004 interest in the concept of recovery has increased
greatly. We
understand more about what recovery means to people and are
working
to raise awareness of the implications of this for the way
people with
mental health problems are supported.
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 3
What is Peer Working?
Peer working is an emerging role within the mental health
sector.
Peer workers are individuals with personal experience of mental
health
problems who are trained and employed to support others. This
involves:
Developing mutually empowering relationships.
Sharing personal experiences of recovery in a way that inspires
hope.
Offering help and support as an equal.
Peer working is a complement to both informal peer support and
services
provided by a range of different organisations and agencies.
Peer working is a potentially powerful way to support and
develop recovery
focused practice. Peer support and recovery focused practice are
underpinned
by common sets of values that guide and inform their
approaches.
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Experts by Experience
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Why develop a Values Framework?
SRN offer support to develop and implement peer worker roles
through our ‘Experts
by Experience’ guidelines publication. More recently we have
also commissioned
and worked with the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) to
develop a national
qualification (Professional Development Award) in Mental Health
Peer Support.
The Values Framework is part of this work to support and promote
peer working in
Scotland. We worked with those actively involved in peer working
to develop this
Values Framework with the aim of:
Ensuring the role remains true to the peer support ethos.
Clarifying the role and identity of peer workers.
Creating a basis for the further development of peer worker
roles and services.
Improving understanding of peer working.
Complementing the Experts by Experience guidelines and the
national
SQA award.
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 5
How to use the Values Framework
The Values Framework has been developed to increase
awareness
and understanding of the role. It will inform and guide peer
workers,
employers and those interested in developing peer working
roles.
For more information about peer working go to our website
www.scottishrecovery.net.
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Experts by Experience
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Introduction to VALUES
The Values Framework is grounded in six core values:
Hope
Authenticity
Experience
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 7
A useful way to remember key information is to create what are
known as mnemonics. The values developed happen to fit into HEAR ME
which is an apt memory aid.
Mutuality
Responsibility
Empowerment
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Experts by Experience
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We believe in the reality of recovery for all and that:
Peer workers are powerful role models
and evidence of the reality of recovery.
We are all unique individuals, with hopes,
dreams and aspirations with the potential
to be all that we can be.
The peer relationship offers a unique healing
environment and powerful way of promoting
hope and optimism.
It is possible to learn and grow from
challenges and setbacks.
Hope
Values and Beliefs
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 9
We believe recovery is a unique and individual experience and
that:
We are all experts in our own experience.
There are many roads to recovery and
different ways of understanding and
interpreting experiences.
The sharing of experiences can be a powerful
catalyst for personal change and growth.
Peer workers use their lived experience
intentionally to encourage and support recovery.
Experience
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Experts by Experience
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We believe being authentic is about being true to ourselves and
that:
Empathy and compassion are at the
heart of the peer relationship.
Authentic relationships are open,
honest and mutual.
Peer support is about building connections
that enable people to trust and to share their
wisdom.
Having compassion for others is grounded
in being compassionate towards yourself.
Authenticity
Values and Beliefs
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 11
We believe wellness and recovery involves taking responsibility
and that:
Supporting people to make changes is achieved
through ‘being with’ rather than ‘doing for’.
Peer workers have a responsibility to ensure
that the values of peer support are nurtured
and developed.
Peer workers should take responsibility for their
learning and development.
Peer workers have a responsibility to challenge
stigma and discrimination encountered in their
role.
Responsibility
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Experts by Experience
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We believe that mutuality is core to peer working and that:
We are interdependent and all have
something to contribute.
Mutuality is developed through respectfully
sharing ideas, learning and experiences.
Mutuality develops through discussion and
negotiation of what is helpful in the relationship.
Everyone involved in the relationship has
a responsibility for making it work.
Mutuality
Values and Beliefs
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 13
We believe empowerment means being in the driving seat and
that:
Recovery is the job of each individual and the
peer relationship is based on learning together.
Empowerment happens as we draw on our
strengths and abilities both individually and
collectively.
Taking risks, trying new things and moving
beyond our comfort zone are essential to
personal growth and change.
Having power and control comes from identifying
our own needs, making choices and taking
responsibility for finding solutions.
Empowerment
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Experts by Experience
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The values in the framework are demonstrated in practice through
the following behaviours
Encourage peers to challenge themselves and to mitigate for
potential risks.
Intentionally sharing experiences and stories of hope and
recovery.
Values into Practice
Accepting peers where they are at, avoiding judgement and
interpretation.
Demonstrating and modelling relationship skills through our
attitudes, interactions, behaviours and use of language.
Being alongside and partnering peers – not doing to or for.
Help peers explore and broaden personal identity and
worldview.
Encourage responsibility for self care, wellness and
recovery.
Take a strengths based approach focusing on hopes, aspirations
and self defined goals.
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Values Framework for Peer Working
www.scottishrecovery.net 15
Encourage the reframing of setbacks and help identify ways to
learn from them.
Encourage peers to make informed choices and seek out relevant
information to enable this.
Support peers to explore meaning and purpose in their lives.
Work with boundaries that are responsive and flexible being
mindful of organisational policies.
Acknowledge and discuss issues relating to power.
Respect rights, dignity, privacy and confidentiality.
Respect diversity and have cultural awareness.
Maintaining and building on skills and learning whilst keeping
current with emerging knowledge on peer support and recovery.
Be a reflective practitioner and learn from experience.
Help people build social supports and make community
connections.
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Experts by Experience
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Use supervision to support and enable you to develop your
understanding and practice.
Seek out opportunities to meet with other peer workers to share
learning.
Take personal responsibility for your own self development, self
care, wellness and recovery.
To be a role model and champion recovery.
Ensure the values of peer working are at the centre of all our
interactions.
Advocate for peers to make their own decisions in matters
affecting their lives.
Be an active member of the team and contribute in a positive and
solution focused manner.
Constructively challenge non-recovery focused, stigmatising and
discriminatory practices.
See and use the community as a resource.
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Scottish Recovery Network
Suites 320-323
Baltic Chambers
50 Wellington Street
Glasgow G2 6HJ
Phone: 0141 240 7790
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.scottishrecovery.net
Charity number (Penumbra) SC010387
Published: September 2012
ISBN 978-0-9556359-5-3
Supported by the Scottish Government’s Mental Health
Division.