Autistic Peer Support Workers use their lived experience of mental health challenges, autism, and use of services to inspire hope that change is possible.
This Autistic Peer Support Worker (PSW) role is within the newly formed Community Autism Service working with autistic adults who are not eligible for other services such as mental health or learning disability services.
Autistic Peer Workers use their lived experience to: offer emotional support, promote social inclusion, share coping mechanisms, and support service users to navigate mental health services.
The successful candidate will have completed an accredited Peer Worker training course or be willing to complete training shortly after starting their role. They will be a member of a multidisciplinary team, working alongside autism-specialists.
The Community Autism Service is a new team, set up to meet the needs of autistic adults in Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham who need health input but are not able to access other types of support (e.g. mental health or learning disability services).
You will join a multi-disciplinary team including an occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, clinical psychologist and administrator. The team will meet together regularly, and there will be opportunities for joint working.
The team will be situation within the neurodevelopmental pathway.
You will be fully supported in the role through regular 1 to 1 supervision within the team line management structure. You will also have access to
training opportunities to support your professional development. In addition, there will be access to monthly peer mentoring and weekly online group supervision.
Key Responsibilities:
- To use lived experience to inspire hope that change is possible.
- To share your own lived experience safely and effectively.
- To share your own and other examples of lived experience of recovery.
- To work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths of the person.
- To use evidence-based recovery tools to support the service user.
- To support the service user to understand the role of statutory mental health services and how they can support their recovery alongside other community resources.
- To support the service user to communicate this too involved mental health professionals and wider support network.
- To record information in a clear and accessible way and ensure timely and accurate records are maintained for all activity related to input or support provided.
- To ensure that any handwritten and electronic records are maintained in accordance with Trust policy.
- To promote service user involvement in all aspects of their work.
- To ensure confidentiality and safe keeping of client records.
- To be able to signpost to community and/or online resources and access appropriate mainstream and autism resources.
- To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to autism and stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.
- To attend team meetings as appropriate.
- With agreement of line manager, to promote the role of peer support both within SLAM and externally, through co-delivery of presentations, workshops, and information sharing. In addition, to participate in Trust-wide peer related projects and audits.
- To take part in regular one-to-one supervision with senior staff.
- To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual appraisal.
- To complete mandatory training.
- To take part in group supervision and mentoring for peer workers.
- To work with other CAS team members in co-production (design), delivery (processes), evaluation (of outcomes) and dissemination as part of service development opportunities within the team
- To work with CAS team members to co-produce (design) and co-deliver teaching, training and workshops focused on autism and related topics for service users, carers/supporters and staff
- To work within the spirit of co-production and co-delivery for all presentations and workshops
- To support autistic service users and/or carers accessing the CAS team in relation to wellbeing, social inclusion and other aspects of recovery
- To role-model the positive use and impact of lived experience of mental ill-health, recovery and self-management with service users and/or carer they are supporting
- The post holder will be required to be self-reflective about their personal lived experience of autism and/or mental ill-health. This is an essential criteria of the role and successful applicants will be expected to use this experience within coproduction and delivery of the team’s aims and objectives. Peer support workers will need to be able to recognise the value and impact of their own lived experience.
Effective use of personal experience of recovery and wellbeing is an essential role requirement to support the service users, carers/supporters and staff to understand the teaching materials and develop knowledge, attitudes and skills to enable wellbeing and self-management. Successful applicants will be offered regular team and individual supervision and training opportunities to support their own wellbeing and links to their work activities.
- To work closely with other CAS team members, and practitioners from a variety of professions and roles within SLaM.
- To ensure that any concerns regarding an individual’s mental and physical health and wellbeing highlighted within interactions with service users are shares with the team and/or their line manager in order that a decision to notify the individual’s care team is made
- To identify the diverse needs of the service users, carers and staff and to adapt teaching and communication style in response to the audience's level of need and understanding.
- To work flexibly including travelling to sites within the boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark where relevant and appropriate. There is not an expectation to work out of hours.
