Peer Mentor
Job Introduction
Turning Point- Hertfordshire Complex Needs Service is a free and flexible service that works in partnership with specialist housing teams and health and wellbeing services to support adults aged 18+ living in Hertfordshire with mental health needs and who are experiencing a range of complex issues:
Role Responsibility
Peer Mentor plays an essential role in providing care and support people in our services. They have lived experience of the recovery process, and are well placed to offer guidance, friendship and hope to those experiencing similar problems.
Through their work, Peer Mentors represent the future and what is means to be substance free or to have moved on from a period of mental ill health into recovery.
They are positive role models who encourage the people we support to achieve their own recovery and at the same time, this involvement with other can also support their own recovery journey.
We are seeking Peer Mentors to provide one to one support to service users within the community assisting them in their recovery from mental health issues.
This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to increase their understanding of mental health issues and assist those within their local community.
Main Tasks
- Use their life experience to support others with health and wellbeing and substance misuse issues through their pathway to recovery
- Ensure that our service meet the needs of our mentees
- Provide different skills and perspective of recovery
- Increase our contact with the local communities and help build visible recovery communities to support individuals to remain in recovery
- All our peer mentors are required to complete accredited peer mentor training programme at the end of which volunteers receive an Open Awards Level 2 certificate in peer mentoring skills.
- Once the training and induction has been completed, Peer Mentors will be allocated one mentee in the community
- Peer Mentors will meet mentee in their own home or out in the community.
- Help mentees establish achievable goals to work towards during the 3 – 6 month partnership
- To complete a Peer Mentor session report and review recover star
- To engage socially with mentees and show empathy, share experiences and inspire hope, with the goal of promoting recovery and independence
- Develop coping, self-help and self-management capability within the peer relationship
- To support mentees to access community groups that enable service users and/or carers to participate in local community activities.
The Ideal Candidate
- Understanding or experience of caring for someone with mental health issues. Lived experience of mental health issues preferred
- Established interpersonal skills and patience, in order to build beneficial relationships with service users with Complex Needs
- Ability to map and navigate community based services to meet the needs of service users
- Ability to work with someone who presents challenging behaviour and remain calm in escalated situations
- Good listening skills, non-judgemental attitude and empathetic manner
- Ability to motivate and deliver person centred support
- Confident and effective communication
- Commitment for a minimum of 6 months
- Volunteers must be aged 18 and over
About us
- All volunteers will receive training in mental health awareness, confidentiality, boundaries, risk management, plus access to on-going training with Turning Point with recognised qualifications
- Induction and 6 week reviews
- Be an integral part of an individual’s recovery from mental health by inspiring hope and empowering them towards positive change
- Regular contact with the Peer and Volunteer Coordinator and wider team
- Access to volunteer group meetings
- Full role specific training
- Access to listings of paid-work opportunities within the Complex Needs Service when they arise
- We are able to provide references for future work/volunteer opportunities
- Travel expenses will be reimbursed (45p per mile for first 10,000 miles, 25p beyond 10,000 miles)
Next steps:
If you are interested in any of our volunteering opportunities, please contact the Complex Needs Service by phone or email:
Telephone: 01707 891 120
Turning Point
