Peer Support Worker - Folkestone

Peer Support Worker Hours: 20 hours per week Service open hours: Monday-Sunday 18:00 to 23:00, 365 days a year (shifts) Salary: £12,202 per annum with progression on completion of competency framework £12,757 per annum (FTE £22,880 - £23,920) Location: Folkestone Safe Haven, 3 Rendezvous Street, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1EY Do you have lived experience of mental health? Would you like to use this to help others in your community? This could be the perfect opportunity for you! About us Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a national charity with over 40 years of experience in delivering high-quality mental health and social care services. We have a positive impact on the lives of people living with mental health needs in our local communities. We provide services across England, from Northumberland to Plymouth, led by a highly motivated and enthusiastic workforce who are committed to delivering the best quality services to those in need of support. Everything about MHM is people focused, our people are central to delivering the highest quality of service and care to our clients and service users. We are looking for passionate people to join our team of Crisis Recovery Workers (CRW) supporting clients in our community mental health drop-in service. Our goal is to support with de-escalation of immediate mental health crises and to work towards a higher sense of safety, social inclusion and independence through emotional support, safety-planning and peer support groups. About the role As a Peer Support Worker within our service, you will work alongside our Recovery Workers and other colleagues to offer practical and emotional support to people by drawing directly from your own lived experiences. You will work with our experienced team to provide practical and emotional support, allowing you to connect with people and enabling them to build self-confidence, a sense of personal wellbeing, build their own networks and engage with their family, friends, and communities. Your work will include supporting people to achieve their own recovery goals in a personalised non-judgement way. We offer a range of support to the people who use our service which can include:

• Confidence building and understanding their experiences
• Signposting to other opportunities and services in the local community and supporting to access these
• Support and advice to encourage a sense of hope and wellbeing and support to gain a sense of control over their lives,
• Help people gain satisfaction in different parts of their lives

About you To be successful in these roles, you will have experience or knowledge of community mental health services, whether through lived experience or work. You will have experience of communicating with people who have difficulties with their mental health, or are having difficulties following a diagnosis, in a supportive and beneficial way and be able to demonstrate a proactive and positive attitude. You will be able to demonstrate careful listening and a non-judgemental attitude working with people to understand their needs and aspirations. You will be able to support people's self-management (that is, the actions people can do to take care of themselves and gain control over their own lives) and be able to place the person at the heart of their own support, working alongside them to achieve their goals. You will live the values of Peer Support as described in the PSW Competency Framework 2020. Please refer to the attached job description for full details on person specification for this role. Please note that due to the sensitive nature of the duties, an enhanced DBS will be sought in event of a successful application. What we offer You will go through our comprehensive, in-person training program in your first week of employment which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role, as well as offering a great opportunity to get to know your new colleagues. In addition, you will receive: A minimum of 25 days annual leave per annum, plus statutory holidays, rising with length of service A 5% contributory pension scheme, with the opportunity to increase contributions. A holistic approach to your health and wellbeing, including Employee assistance programme and personalised wellbeing action plans. Enhanced family friendly policies, pay and leave. Cycle to work scheme. Discounted gym membership. Healthcare cash plan. A discount platform covering online, high street and supermarket purchases. You will receive a tailored induction and probation review program which will give you the tools you need to succeed in the role Our structured career development pathways and support from our accredited Learning Team will provide you with advice and guidance on how to access development to allow you to flourish in your chosen career. How to Apply We operate Safer Recruitment processes, so if you are interested in this role, you will need to apply via our online application form. We are an equal opportunities employer. We really value diversity and are committed to ensuring our processes are inclusive. We may ask some personal information during the application process, however, everything we ask is to ensure we can offer fair and accessible opportunities for everyone. CLOSING DATE: 20th March 2025 (please note this date is a guide, and may close earlier depending on the number of applications we receive) INTERVIEW DATE: Week commencing 24th March 2025