Lived Experience Recovery Worker

Rethink Mental Illness

  • Cheshire
  • Permanent
  • Part-time
  • 13 days ago
Peer support is when people use their own lived experiences to support others who are having similar experiences. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with personal experience of living with mental distress or supporting a loved one with mental health challenges to share their experience and support others.The Community Mental Health Unit at Rethink has a range of colleagues with different expertise needed to be the voluntary sector partner for system transformation. Experience of joined up treatment and support that meets the needs of people severely affected by mental illness is a key objective for us across our organisation. Rethink Mental Illness and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are working collaboratively to deliver this service.As a Lived Experience Recovery Worker, you will work closely within the Involvement, Recovery and Wellness Centre (IRWC) to deliver peer support coaching and mentoring to those who suffer with a mental illness.As well as working alongside colleagues of the Community Mental Health Unit at Rethink Mental Illness, you will be working as an integrated member of the IRWC team. The team coach, mentor and utilise their lived experience to teach/help people to self-manage the symptoms of their long-term health conditions, promoting hope, opportunity, and empowerment.As a pivotal and highly valued members of the IRWC team, Lived Experience Support Workers will have a case load of identified service users who they will work with on both an individual basis; and by delivering group training interventions and workshops in collaboration with the wider multi-disciplinary team.This formalised peer support will allow the post holder to provide a safe space for individuals to talk and make sense of their experiences whilst sharing wisdom and self-management techniques from their own recovery, to inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible.You will promote choice, self-determination and opportunities and assist the individual to set and achieve their own unique recovery goals, and recognising that each individual’s recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process.Your work may also involve providing practical assistance such as encouraging healthy lifestyles, helping individuals to build confidence, and offering information, advice and support to form connections within their local community resources.Lived Experience Support Workers will support individual’s to co-produce their care plan with members of the wider multi-disciplinary team and contribute to the overall team management of complex clinical and risk presentations. They will champion recovery and work closely with all members of the team to add to the quality of recovery orientated care and support.You will work as an advocate to promote engagement and amplify the voices of those who use services, to ensure that their experiences are understood and reflected in the ongoing development and co-production of the service.The post holder will challenge any stigma which may exist, be able to demonstrate initiative and have the ability to work independently within the limits of their competencies.All Lived Experience Recovery Workers will undertake the same role, however, each worker will be expected to have lived experience and developed knowledge in one of these specialist areas:
  • LGBTQ+,
  • Neurodiversity,
  • Carer’s support or
  • Severe enduring mental health
Please state on your application which of these specialisms you are applying for.Please note, applicants who do not indicate that they have personal lived experience of mental health challenges (or as a carer or supporting a loved one) in their application, will not be considered for the role.Please also confirm on your supporting statement that you have your own experience of mental ill health (or caring for a loved one) and describe how you manage your wellbeing now.Part Time hours will be considered.*Appointments will be at the minimum of the band.We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.Please see further details on ourYou can also follow us on / / and to find out more about the work we do!Don’t meet all requirements?If the role sounds exciting to you but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t exactly match every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply, you may be just the right person for our position!Caring for our people.We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:
  • PULSE: our recognition, rewards, wellbeing, and benefits platform. Providing access to thousands of discounts and benefits including cashback; reloadable cards; savings etc. As well as being able to thank colleagues and nominate them for awards.
  • Wagestream: gives you instant access to up to 50% of your pay. Also provides a library of expert tools, tips and articles plus, helps you start building a rainy-day pot straight from your salary.
  • Wellbeing support: our Wellbeing hub gives physical, emotional, and mental health support. We also have a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments.
  • Taking time for you: we work flexibly –you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off. We also offer the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave.
  • Planning for the future: We have a contributory pension scheme.
  • Structured Corporate Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.
  • £300 when you introduce a Friend: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member.
Who are we?We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy – delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.Diversity, Equity, InclusionDiversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.Becoming a truly anti-racist organisationWe have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.If you have any questions about the position, please contact -Our work to achieve this is guided by seven core values:
  • Commitment
  • Equity
  • Expertise
  • Hope
  • Openness
  • Passion
  • Understanding​
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Rethink Mental Illness