Psychosis Health Integration Team (HIT) seeks Peer Director

The newly formed Psychosis Health Integration Team (HIT) are looking for a Peer Director to join their leadership team.

HITs are cross-organisational and interdisciplinary groups set up to harness research, innovation, education, healthcare and prevention strengths to improve health outcomes across the city of Bristol. They are hosted by Bristol Health Partners, a dynamic collaboration between the city’s three NHS trusts, three clinical commissioning groups, two universities and Bristol City Council.

The Psychosis HIT aims to hear the voices of people who experience psychosis, their families and carers, and those of staff in mental health services and other settings, in order to improve services across the city.

The HIT is structured to have peer involvement at all levels and stages, hence this opportunity to work as one of the HIT Directors.

The role

The Peer Director is an essential role that will offer the crucial perspective of users and carers in the leadership team. The role could be shared between two people if preferable.

The Peer Director would be supported by the other directors and Patient and Public Involvement mentor Mike Bell.

Main responsibilities

The Peer Director would be expected to:

• Oversee and support (together with the other directors) a user and carer forum (a larger cohort of users and carers that are involved in the HIT)
• Prepare for and actively participate in meetings as required. This will include reading meeting papers that may be lengthy and/or complex
• Respond and comment on any written materials being produced (including proposals for research or service development)
• Undertake activities between meetings as mutually agreed, for example: attend events organised by the HIT, participate in talks or workshops and be involved in other relevant activities as appropriate
• Promote the work of the HIT to others
• When appropriate, provide support to new public contributors/members
• Potentially offer advice and support to users and carers who are involved in HIT activities (as appropriate)

Commitment

The role requires a commitment to regular meetings with the other directors (roughly monthly). Although this would not be a fixed-term post, and the post-holder is free to leave at any time, we would encourage a long-term commitment.

There would be ongoing supervision and support for the role, and it would be mutually reviewed at regular intervals. The aim of the HIT directors is to support each other in guiding the work of the HIT to cultivate a stable, supportive, collaborative environment.

Confidentiality and potential conflicts of interest

It is possible (and, indeed, desirable) that the post-holder will have come into contact with local mental health services in the past. The post-holder may also need to use services in the future. As part of this role, it is possible that the post-holder could come into contact with members of her or his current or previous care team.

It is important to acknowledge the potential significance of this and reassure any applicants that this would be dealt with in a sensitive way. There would be no obligation to work with particular people, and the post-holder’s confidentiality would be respected at all times.

Any disclosures about one’s own experiences (including use of services) would be down to each individual and the PPI team and/or other directors would offer ongoing support to think about these issues.

Payment and expenses

Payment for time will be £20 per hour for attending meetings, which covers time spent reading minutes and associated papers. Out of pocket expenses such as travel will be paid (current government allowable rate for a car is 45p/mile).

Further information

For further information and a role description, please visit the People in Health West of England website.