Peer Mentor

As a Peer Mentor you will be sharing your own knowledge and experience to help others live healthy, happy and confident lives with HIV.

You will meet regularly with someone, for up to 12 weeks, who is struggling with issues such as accepting their HIV diagnosis, finding it difficult to adhere to medication, having relationship difficulties or feeling socially isolated.

Key tasks include:

• Providing one to one peer support by email, telephone, Skype or face to face at GHT, in the community or at sexual health clinics;
• Appropriately sharing personal experiences of living with HIV in order to help people come to terms with their own diagnosis or reduce anxiety about starting treatments etc.;
• Providing basic information about HIV as a medical condition, how to live well with HIV and the importance of adhering to HIV treatment;
• Accompanying people to clinic appointments, as appropriate;
• Providing a listening ear and emotional and social support.

To undertake the peer mentor role in sexual health clinics you will be asked to go through some additional recruitment processes and training; this is to ensure we meet the requirements of the NHS Trust we are working with. 

You will not be expected to volunteer for any more than two hours per week.

The amount of time you volunteer is up to you and will be agreed with the Project Coordinator.

You will be required to attend four days training before commencing the role.

Support can be provided onsite at George House Trust, in the community (e.g. a café or community centre) or at a sexual health clinic within Greater Manchester.

In some instances support may be arranged in the service user’s home, where there are mobility problems or if someone is struggling to leave their home independently.

• Good written and verbal communication skills;
• Understanding of the needs of people living with HIV;
• Understanding of the specific groups living with HIV and how to tailor support accordingly;
• Ability to listen to others and empathise with other peoples experiences;
• Non-judgemental approach;
• Understanding of confidentiality;
• Ability to demonstrate a practical knowledge of sexual health;
• Ability to recognise diversity and know how to work positively with this;
• Understanding of safeguarding for vulnerable adults;
• Understanding of monitoring and ability to maintain accurate records;
• Ability and willingness to signpost to further support services or information (e.g. other GHT services);
• Reliability, good organisation and time management skills;
• A commitment to attend regular volunteer team meetings and group supervision sessions.

• George House Trust Induction Training (one day);
• Project 100 Peer Mentor Training (three days);
• A commitment to complete one update training session each year.

An Enhanced DBS Check is required for this volunteer role.

Regular supervision and support is an important element of the role as it enables you to reflect on your experiences, plan sessions and problem solve with a member of staff.

Supervision sessions can take the form of group sessions, one to one meetings or telephone conversations.

You can request a supervision session at any time by contacting the Project Coordinator.

For further information, or to get involved email: joshua@ght.org.uk.