This role covers the Rare Dementia Service, Older People’s Intervention Pathway, Admiral Nursing Service and Memory Assessment Services.
The Peer Support Worker (PSW) will take a lead role in embedding peer support values within Dementia Services, alongside other Trust recovery champions, and act as an ambassador of Peer Support for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations. As an integral and highly valued member of the multidisciplinary team, the PSW will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users and carers based on their own unique goals, experiences and needs.
Through careful sharing of the wisdom from their own lived experience, the PSW will inspire hope and belief that meaningful quality of life, connection, adjustment and wellbeing are possible following a dementia diagnosis or whilst supporting a loved one with dementia. The PSW will recognise that each person’s journey is distinctive and deeply personal, and that experiences of dementia can impact identity, relationships, confidence, independence and emotional wellbeing.
Applicants must have relevant lived experience, either through their own experience of living with dementia or a related cognitive condition, or through providing care, support or advocacy for someone living with dementia. They must be able to thoughtfully and purposefully draw upon that experience to support others within the principles of peer support.
As part of the role, the PSW may support individuals and carers to:
Navigate the emotional impact of receiving or living with a dementia diagnosis.
Reduce feelings of isolation, stigma, anxiety or hopelessness.
Access community groups, dementia friendly activities and voluntary sector support.
Build confidence in managing day to day challenges and maintaining wellbeing.
Support carers and families to feel heard, understood and connected.
Encourage early conversations around coping strategies, routines, wellbeing and future planning.
Promote a compassionate, person centred and recovery informed approach within services (with the understanding that recovery isn’t always possible in certain circumstances).
The PSW will facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination, understanding of available support, and opportunities for connection with families, communities and local dementia related resources.
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
The PSW will work across Dementia Services, which may include the Rare Dementia Service, Older People’s Intervention Pathway, Admiral Nursing Service, and Memory Assessment Services. The role will involve working alongside clinicians and practitioners to support engagement, continuity, trust and holistic care for service users and carers.
As a member of the multidisciplinary team, the PSW will carry out duties aligned to the Trust’s Peer Support Core Competencies Framework and will work alongside service users and carers on a 1:1 and/or group basis. There will be opportunities for innovation and ongoing development as the post becomes established, including contributing to peer led groups, psychoeducation, co-production and service development.
Post holders could be exposed to distressing information and potentially challenging situations at times due to the nature of the work, including supporting people experiencing cognitive decline, grief, distress or carer strain. The post holder will be supported through regular clinical supervision, team support structures and the Peer Support Community of Practice.
All new Peer Support Workers will be expected to complete the Level 3 Accreditation in Peer Support through a partner organisation, ImROC, which will be embedded within induction and probation processes. Additional opportunities for training relevant to older adults’ mental health and wellbeing will also be available.
We are unable to support applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work the United Kingdom (UK)
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
