Aims
Competences covered in this unit
Ability to offer a recovery-oriented and person-centred perspective, for example working with staff to:
- discuss (and possibly challenge or improve) their attitudes and perceptions about mental health
- improve their awareness of the importance of treating people with dignity, respect, kindness and consideration
- improve their understanding of recovery-focused approaches (including the difference between personal recovery, clinical recovery and service-defined recovery)
- understand the importance of people defining, owning and leading their own personal recovery (rather than having recovery defined for them by professionals or the service)
- understand the importance of co-production (involving people with lived experience of mental health difficulties in planning, developing, delivering and evaluating services), social inclusion and equality
- explore ways to work in a recovery-oriented way with people
- help them understand the peer support worker’s role and remit
Ability to help mental health professionals, organisations or services to be well-informed about the perspectives and concerns of people being supported.
Ability to support co-production in service development and evaluation, and to work with services to co-produce and co-deliver staff training.
Ability to work with staff to make reasonable adjustments and ensure that environments are culturally sensitive and free from discrimination.
Underpinning understanding and knowledge for peer support workers
Communication and engagement skills
Working in partnership. Supporting people as a peer support worker
Self-care and support
Optional skills – using psychological approaches to support personal recovery