HIV Peer Support Worker

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 Clinical:

Supporting newly diagnosed and existing clients to understand and overcome the complexities of their diagnosis by providing:

1. To work with the multidisciplinary team to provide emotional and practical peer support to service users in order to motivate engagement, build self-esteem and confidence.
2. To support newly diagnosed and existing patients regarding adjustment to HIV diagnosis including, but not limited to, issues around confidentiality and disclosure.
3. To refer patients with more complex needs such as suicidal ideation or enduring mental health issues to the MDT.
4. To provide a supportive and respectful relationship with service users, respecting their personal beliefs, uniqueness and identity. 
5. To assume a ‘coaching’ role, supporting service users in developing personal wellbeing plans; this can be delivered individually or in groups to assist individuals in managing their physical and mental wellbeing.
6. To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate self-management skills and techniques, using own experience of recovery to illustrate a life beyond an HIV diagnosis.
7. To encourage the individual to be involved in care plans and risk/safety management plans.
8. To skilfully utilise personal experience of recovery and act as a role model for service users inspiring hope, sharing personal life experience and lessons learned as a person in ongoing recovery.
9. To assist service users in identifying their own strengths, personal interests and goals; providing opportunities for service users to direct their own recovery process.
10. To collaborate closely with the MDT to link service users with the most appropriate support. Including signposting patients in need of emergency financial support, immigration issues, benefits and housing to appropriate agencies and charities.
11. To positively promote and support service users in the community by maintaining extensive knowledge and links with community resources and to actively support service users to access opportunities of their choice.
12. To develop and maintain excellent working relations with the HIV voluntary sector, local partners, mental health services, homeless charities and other relevant organisation.
13. To signpost to the HIV voluntary sector and facilitate focus groups, social events and the Beyond Diagnosis course in collaboration with the Bloomsbury Network (BN).
14. To attend team meetings as scheduled by the line manager and the Senior Peer Support Worker. 

Communication

15. To maintain professional relationships with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of boundaries.
16. To promote the benefits of employment for those with lived experience, challenging the perception that people diagnosed with a long-term condition can’t contribute to society.
17. To actively challenge inequalities and to address discrimination whilst ensuring a process of learning for the organisation.
18. Report any incidents or unusual occurrences to line management/senior clinician immediately and make use of Datix, the Trusts internal incident reporting framework.
19. To work effectively both autonomously and collaboratively with Bloomsbury clinic colleagues, organising and prioritising workload.

Service delivery 

20. To attend relevant conferences and workshops to increase knowledge of current developments in the HIV medicine and disseminate findings to enhance service delivery and client’s knowledge.
21. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both HIV and peer support.
22. To comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information and to be aware of any changes in these.
23. To undertake any other duties as instructed by line manager/s that will contribute to fulfilling project aims.
24. To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti-discriminatory practice as appropriate.
25. To attend clinic-based HIV meetings
26. To keep accurate and up to date records regarding patient interventions on the clinic based EPR system.
27. To help promote, educate and present on issues concerning HIV to colleagues, students, nurses, doctors and the general public where appropriate in conjunction with Trust Communications team. 

Learning and Development

28. To participate in teaching sessions where a patient perspective or a personal experience of living with HIV is required.
29. Provide updates at Local Education Meeting as requested
30. To actively participate in clinical supervision.
31. To ensure mandatory training is up to date.
32. To maintain and update personal knowledge of HIV/STIs, HIV issues and associated issues related to the job description.
33. To keep abreast of changing practice and development of peer support work and the wider recovery agenda by participating in relevant learning and development opportunities,
34. To work with MDT colleagues to embed recovery focused practice within the team, delivering presentations as and when required.
35. To participate in Trust mandatory training & development opportunities considered appropriate to the PSW’s role and as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).