Peer Volunteer- Crisis Safe Space

As a Peer Volunteer you will be working alongside Senior staff and Crisis workers within Crisis Safe Space. Crisis Safe Space was co-designed by local people with experience of mental health difficulties, who wanted to create more support in the community rather than at hospital or other clinical services​. The service has been designed for people experiencing emotional distress who need immediate and short-term crisis prevention rather than intensive support from either an emergency or inpatient service​. We do not seek to define what a crisis is for those using our service, we simply aim to offer the support required on a person-by-person basis. As an alliance member of Open Mental Health, we work in close partnership with Second Step, Somerset Foundation Trust and other OMH partners.

Bringing your lived experience, you will have the desire to support and encourage others on their individual recovery journeys. You will be able to clearly draw upon and share, your own experiences of mental health challenges and services in order to inspire, model, and inform others in similar situations and support them in finding their own path to recovery.

You will be providing a specially designed role within the Crisis Safe Space Team in either Yeovil or Taunton. As part of the wider team, you will start to build a trusting relationship with individuals while they are accessing the Crisis Safe Space and your role will be to meet and greet, assist with any enrolment/paperwork, and offer support with signposting and feedback. You will work alongside the Crisis Safe Space Team, meaning you will have access to constant support and guidance.

What tasks will be involved?

·        Establishing a trusting and collaborative relationship with the service-user, working alongside a crisis worker within appointments to provide sensitive, collaborative, and non-judgemental support, offering you’re your own perspective and lived experience where appropriate. 

·        Offering follow up and aftercare appointments to individuals who have completed their work with the Crisis Safe Space team.

·        Completing feedback paperwork collaboratively with the service user at regular intervals following their appointment, compiling feedback to help develop an understanding of how the service is being received.

·        Supporting family members who visit with their loved one, ensuring they feel supported and listened to whilst they wait, and ensuring that their experience is also validated.

·        To identify additional community-based support networks and implementing group-based peer support events for users of the service.

·        To link people to training, volunteering/employment activities.

·        To maintain hope and optimism for the individual with high expectations for recovery, use lived experience to positively support the individual’s recovery.

·        Providing practical information and signposting.

·        Supporting the smooth and safe transfer into other services. 

·        Showing understanding, acceptance and empathy based on shared experience.

·        Supporting individuals to develop ideas for coping strategies and problem-solving skills.

·        Help individuals identify their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations and to explore opportunities and ways to realise them.

Who should apply for this role?

We are looking for Peer Volunteers who have:

·        Lived experience of mental health.

·        Personal experience of recovery from mental health challenges.

·        The desire and ability to share personal experiences of mental health and recovery to support, empower and bring hope to others.

·        The capacity to manage their own mental health needs.

·        An awareness of self-management resources and coping strategies.

·        An ability to empathise with others and form trusting relationships.

·        A non-judgemental approach and an ability to maintain appropriate boundaries.

·        Good listening and communication skills, reliability and good time keeping.

·        An ability to take responsibility for your own self-care and willingness to utilise the support and supervision provided by Deputy Project Lead.

Where and when will I volunteer?

The Crisis safe Space is an out of hours service open daily between the hours of 17:30 and 23:00. We welcome applications to those who can commit to a minimum of 1 shift per week.

What support will I get?

Prior to starting your volunteer position, you will complete a comprehensive training programme with our partner agency, Watch CIC, who are specialists in developing Peer Volunteer relations.

Once in role, you will be supported by both the Deputy to the Project Lead the Project Lead who will provide support as and when needed, alongside your colleagues on shift. 

Is a DBS Check required for this role?

YES, a DBS Check (Disclosure & Barring Service) is required for this role. You will be supported by the Project Lead. Any disclosures will be discussed on a case-by-case basis and will not automatically stop you from being involved.

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