Volunteering

 

Service: Liaison & Diversion Community Peer Mentor Volunteers

Location: Greater Manchester

Supervisor: Liaison & Diversion - Involvement Lead

 

Role Summary/Purpose

The Liaison & Diversion’s Community Peer Mentor volunteers are there to support individuals who have entered Police Custody and Courts across Greater Manchester, to access health and social care in their community. We are looking for people with lived experience of the Criminal Justice system and community services to be a part of our diverse team. Sharing your own lived experience of what helped you and the knowledge you have built navigating those support services.

The aim of a Community Peer Mentor Volunteer is to promote hope and opportunity for change for those going through challenging situations.

Our service users tell us that they value support from others who have lived experience of the criminal justice system or of vulnerabilities such as housing issues, mental health challenges, substance misuse, to name a few. It is part of the national NHS Five Year Plan to integrate people with lived experience of such difficulties themselves, into the workforce. Our service users tell us that they would welcome support from someone who has experience of what they are going through, in order to help them in their recovery journey. We have feedback from many service users supported by our Volunteers, that tells us that creating this connection between peers offers hope, aspiration and motivation.

 

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Through sharing wisdom from your own experiences, you will inspire hope and belief that living well is possible for others.  You will:

• Support and promote living well as a user led concept.
• Emphasise hope and optimism, inspiring individuals to achieve their aspirations/goals.
• Value experiential learning alongside other people.
• Focus on strengths rather than deficits.
• Provide beneficial and meaningful support
• Support attending appointments.
• Collaboration between those who need support and those who support them.
• Enable and promote autonomy and self-management.
• Navigate service users to the correct services.
• Support service user engagement.

 

Support our service users in the community by:

 

• Being available for at least half a day per week (hours are negotiable as this is a volunteer role but for continuity, we would ask for a weekly commitment)
• Using your own lived experience to enrich your relationship with service users and offer mentorship in the community
• Attending and completing our in-house Level 2 Award in Peer Mentorship
• Respecting an individual’s rights to choose the community interventions that will help and support them in their own recovery journey
• Supporting people to access and engage with health and social care services including GP’s, Mental Health and Substance Misuse services, education, training, employment, and leisure activities
• Complying with all Trust policies and procedures but in particular in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children and managing personal information
• Working as part of Liaison and Diversion wider team; receiving and sharing information within that team in order support people to work towards their goals

 

Requirements for the Role:

In order to fulfil the duties of this role we ask that you:

• Have your own lived experience of either the Criminal Justice system and support services
• Can commit to at least half a day per week as a volunteer
• Can commit to the Level 2 Award in Peer Mentorship
• Have respect and compassion for others and their right to choose and to be treated with dignity
• Be prepared to draw on your own lived experience to support others
• Have good communication skills
• Be willing to work as part of a team
• Be proactive
• Be willing to complete pre volunteer checks and training necessary to work with potentially vulnerable people

If you are interested in becoming a Community Peer Mentor Volunteer, please complete the application as follows and email to: commhjpeersfeedback@gmmh.nhs.uk

https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n10672.docx&ver=13755

 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Natalie Dawson on either of the contacts below:

Mobile Number: 07385428057

Email:   commhjpeersfeedback@gmmh.nhs.uk

 

This role descriptor reflects the role at the present time and may need to be adapted in the future.

We strongly recommend that if you receive benefits you check with the Benefits Agency that your commitment to volunteering does not penalise you in any way and does not affect your benefits.

This role is unpaid; however, we will refund all travel expenses for training and volunteering in line with GMMH Trust Policy.

 

 

Role:            Needle Exchange Volunteer                                               

Service:       Achieve Bolton, Salford & Trafford, 

Location:     Beacon House (Bolton), The Orchard (Salford), King Street (Eccles), Chester Street (Trafford)

Supervisors: Nigel Critchley, Jennie Yates.

 

Role Summary/Purpose:

To offer harm reduction interventions, support and advocacy to substance users accessing the Needle and Syringe Exchange. To encourage those not already accessing, to engage with structured treatment and recovery options. To work under the direction of the Lead Nurse.  

 

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• To work as part of the Achieve Bolton clinical team

• Minimise risk by encouraging and supporting service users to adopt safer practices and healthier lifestyles.

• To staff the needle exchange in King Street as required, ensuring that sufficient stock is in place and identifying when further supply orders are required

• To offer harm reduction interventions, support, and advocacy to substance users accessing or seeking to access substance misuse services

• To monitor and report (both verbally and in writing) exchange activity, and make recommendations for the improvement of service provision to your Line Manager/Team Manager

• To make appropriate referrals to primary and secondary care in relation to ongoing treatment for identified blood borne viruses, drug related and general health problems

• Provide information about other services offered by Achieve, support the staff conducting Service User Feedback Surveys, taking Fire Safe and Well visit referrals and others as required.

• Provide information about other agencies operating within the area, including providing information and referral to carers’ services. To offer support, reassurance and information to carers/family members who may attend with service users.

• Actively work as part of a team in order to create working conditions conducive to providing better and fairer services to substance users, their families and the wider community. Elicit service views to enable continual service development.

• Regularly attend volunteer group meetings/supervision.

• Value, promote and manage diversity, and to actively encourage equality of opportunity in all areas.

• Ensure a safe environment for service users, colleagues and visitors in accordance with the Trust Health & Safety Policy.

• Adhere to Trust policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines at all times, in particular Trust Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy.

• Work within agreed professional boundaries at all times.

• Maintain quality standards in every area of ones work in accordance with quality assurance protocols for working within the substance misuse field.

• Make use of regular supervision and support, and to take responsibility for updating personal knowledge and skills in order to meet the objectives of the volunteer role.

• To actively promote service user and carer involvement in the planning and delivery of services.

 

Requirements for the Role:

In order to fulfil the duties of this role we ask that you:

• Have knowledge of the effects of substance misuse
• Have a workable knowledge of basic IT with the ability to use email and online platforms
• Have a basic understanding of service users’ recovery process
• Understand the importance of motivating and encouraging service users
• Complete all mandatory training (within 4 weeks of starting role)
• Complete local induction and any training deemed necessary for your role
• Have a basic understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children
• Have a basic understanding of confidentiality and information sharing
• Have a basic understanding of professional boundaries
• Have respect and compassion for others and their right to choose and to be treated with dignity
• Have good communication skills
• Be willing to work as part of a team
• Have a basic understanding of equal opportunities
• Have completed or willingness to complete Practically Volunteering training
• Have completed or be willing to complete harm reduction training
• Be able to complete basic monitoring systems
• Ability to update training and knowledge to respond to changing substance use trends

 

Please complete the application below and email to:

Nigel Critchley: nigel.critchley@gmmh.nhs.uk

Jennie Yates: jennie.yates@gmmh.nhs.uk

https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n10672.docx&ver=13755 

 

 

Please note that we strongly recommend that you check with the Benefits Agency that your commitment to volunteering does not penalise you in any way and does not affect your benefits.  This role is unpaid, however, we will refund all travel expenses for training and volunteering in line with Trust Policy

Role Summary / Purpose

The peer mentor will support individuals leaving prison setting to enhance their health, wellbeing and quality of life, assisting them to connect with and access health services, voluntary sector services and community-based activities and emotional support.

The Peer mentor is an important and valued role within GMMH. Peer mentor knowledge and skills can make a huge difference for our service users, careers and staff. In return we will help you develop new skill, gain experience and help with employment opportunities when the time is right for you.

We are currently wanting the peer mentor volunteer to support service users over the phone with emotional support and meet in community when needed to. We are looking for the peer mentor to check in and chat with service users to make sure they are okay and working towards their support plan.

• Promote safe practices
• Value the aims of service users
• Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice
• Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change
• Value social inclusion

Responsibilities:

Lived experience of being in prison setting and or mental health illness.

Be available for at least a day per week (hours are negotiable as this is a volunteer role but for continuity we would ask for a weekly commitment).

Use your own lived experience of prison experience and mental health difficulties.

To respect individual’s rights to choose the interventions that will help and support them in their own journey.

To comply with all Trust policies and procedures but in particular in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, and information sharing.

To work as part of the Reconnect Team and receive and share information within that team in order to safeguard individuals and support them to work towards their goals

To encourage and support staff member in interviews or when deliver training.

Good empathic communication skills.

Ability to build relationship with staff.

Respectful of confidentiality, but report safeguarding issues to staff member.

Patience.

Understanding to the needs of the service users and their families.

Reliable.

Be committed to Greater Manchester Mental health Trust Values.

Be committed to at least one day a week.

Knowledge, understanding of confidentiality and maintaining boundaries.

• Have your own lived experience of mental health difficulties
• Can commit to at least half a day per week as a volunteer
• Can commit to the Level 2 Award in Peer Mentorship
• Have a basic understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children
• Have a basic understanding of confidentiality and information sharing legislation
• Have a basic understanding of professional boundaries
• Have respect and compassion for others and their right to choose and to be treated with dignity
• Have good communication skills
• Be willing to work as part of a team

This role description is not exhaustive but is intended to give an overall picture of the role.  Other duties within the general scope of the role may be required from time to time.  The duties of the role and role description can be reviewed through the agreed process.

All Trust sites have been designated a no smoking area.  The post holder is therefore advised smoking is not permitted within the hospital premises or grounds or whilst representing the Trust in the course of their duty.  While the Trust will not discriminate against employing smokers, all prospective employees should be aware of this policy.

For further information please contact: Natalie Dawson

Mobile: 07385428057

Email: commhjpeersfeedback@gmmh.nhs.uk

 

GMMH162 Reconnect Volunteering flyer A5.pdf