Kate Thomas Email & Phone Number

Bristol, Gb

Exeter, England, United Kingdom

Designing and delivering 8 sessions of Peer Support training to numerous NHS cohorts

Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Working from a lived experience perspective, I have a particular interest in the role of mindset and decision making in successful self management. Training is one of my passions and I recently designed and delivered staff training on Peer Support to our PSW and Peer Volunteers. This was all delivered over Zoom. I am also a qualified trainer on Personality Disorder.Working with a diverse staff group, I support staff with lived experience around self-management of their mental health with a view to maintaining work. This includes emotional support, identifying self-management methods and supporting around organisational responsibilities. As in my role with Bristol Recovery Partnership, I facilitate discussion and meetings between Peers and their line managers to support management to be more supportive and effective and for the organisation to maintain a positive view of staff with lived experience. I regularly interview for Peer roles and seek to improve the process to ensure we get the right candidates. This has recently involved changing interview questions to allow interviewees to be able to share their experience more effectively.I have recently fed into the Trauma Informed Strategy which is being led by Second Step's lead psychologist. My involvement has been co-designing PAT informed Lived Experience training to deliver in October this year, as well as engaging staff in the PAT working groups.I deliver Peer Group Support sessions (currently on Zoom). This has included facilitating connection, providing activities, providing a space for staff to share emotions and improving the cohesiveness of the staff group. I had a role in delivering Second Step's Peer Employability Project, which supports people with lived experience back into work. I have delivered workshop sessions on Zoom around employability topics and offered and delivered individual sessions to clients on topics of their choice.

As a PTLLS trained tutor, I designed and delivered group workshops for clients with complex needs, and also designed and delivered group workshops for clients with complex needs.This included groups on assertiveness, managing depression, discovering good mental health, resilience and wellbeing. I delivered workshops alone, managing the group, providing positive feedback, creating a safe environment for learning and managing risk. I was require to collect numerical and written feedback every session to support team objectives. I was responsible for delivering as a lead tutor. This included putting together session plans using a variety of delivery methods e.g. videos, group exercises and individual exercises to create great sessions.I created an environment where people felt safe and able to participate in the sessionI created a good environment for learning using ground rules, check ins with learners Managing dynamics in the sessionI managed any risk situations which came up during the session to ensure everyone were kept safeI worked with a volunteer in some sessions.This involved:Briefing the volunteer around their role and any presenting riskSupporting them to support service users and deliver parts of the sessionI delivered workshops in a variety of venues across Bristol (e.g. the Fire Station (Central Bristol) The Greenhouse, (Bedminster) ’The Park,’ in Knowle. This involved arriving at the venue in plenty of time, receiving keys and instructions, setting up the room and delivering the session.I was part of the Wellbeing College Team’s Wellbeing Events, which are monthly events for clients and support staff aimed at targeting new learners for the Wellbeing College and supporting current learners. I supported the development of activities, putting together a session on a different topic every month and delivering this to up to 15 learners.

Bristol, United Kingdom

Bristol Recovery Partnership I worked as a Peer Support Officer supporting Peer workers and their managers working for Bristol Recovery Partnership and Second Step.Provided support, often urgently, to Peer workers across the organisation. This was around a range of issues such as:Maintaining employmentRecognising symptomsSelf-managing their mental health including recognising triggers and planning for crisisDifficulties around managing their mental healthStress and anxiety at workUnder-performanceProviding requested support at meetings e.g. with line manager/HRAbsolute confidentiality unless there was a risk to self or othersThe attitude of colleagues to Peer rolesFacilitated, ‘Peer Group Support,’ meeting once a month.This was a space for Peers to discuss current issues, both personal and in their teams/the organisation, and a place share practice. My role included inviting and supporting workers, identifying topics for discussion, setting the agenda and conducting the meeting.As part of my role at Bristol Recovery Partnership I liaised with Peers' line managers often to support 3 way meetings, support the Peer around an organisational issue or providing support around self management. Where the Peer was not performing I have fed into the line manager around this and supported around Occupational Health and self-management with a view to maintaining work. With HR, I have been involved in any held meetings with the Peer e.g. suspension meetings I have done this in ways which protected Peer confidentiality but also promoted the welfare of the Peer and the needs of the services in which they worked.

Bristol, United Kingdom

I was a support worker at Toll House Court working with Complex needs clients (4 years). Working for the High Support Accommodation Service, I worked with service users with complex needs. My role was to support clients in their recovery. Included keeping contact notes and logs up to date, supporting clients with phone calls, arranging and attending appointments e.g. Doctor/Benefits, supporting with mental health and liasing with Benefits and employers as well as referring to other services.I supported clients with Mental Health difficulties, Dual Diagnosis, Alcohol, addiction and other difficulties such as ADHD. Key responsibilities included responsibility for their support plans and delivery, support to manage their mental health, support with community engagement and managing their housing including managing their information and case on the Housing Support Register. I liaised with other agencies to signpost to and co-ordinate services.General project work included risk management, keeping a project log, co-ordinating shifts, responding to challenging behaviour, managing incidents and liaising with other agencies e.g. working with Police and Ambulance on site and on the phone. Included dealing with a variety of mental health/drug and Police related incidents.Further to my support role I co-ordinated volunteers at THC, assigning volunteers to tenants who wanted the service (including support to access the community).I matched the volunteer with available roles. I dealt with volunteer on-boardings and ending of volunteering. I held volunteer meetings where clients were involved and also volunteer only-meetings including check ins, discussion of tasks and allocation to activities. I managed issues such as consistent unreliability leading to termination of volunteering. This was done in a supportive way, allowing the volunteer to explain the situation but also letting them know the needs of the service and their impact on tenants.

Master'S Degree, Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General, Pass

Activities and Societies: ‘Showstoppers’

Geography Ba, Geography, 2:1

Activities and Societies: Conservation Volunteering, Art, Ballroom & LatinSupporting the National and Woodland Trusts, I volunteered to do.