Peer to Peer Supporter

Peer to Peer Supporter

• Vice President of Membership and Workforce
• Director of Membership
• Peer to Peer Leads 

Voluntary role for three years with possibility to extend by one year in exceptional circumstances (e.g. to support the closure of an enquiry) and with the possibility to apply for an extension of one further and final three year term.

The College offers informal peer to peer support to members working in the UK or Republic of Ireland who are looking for guidance and support from their peers on workplace issues, interpersonal difficulties, return to work options, and non-clinical concerns.

This is not intended as a counselling or formal mentoring service but more a ‘connection’ service and a way for members to gain impartial advice and guidance on handling mainly non-clinical issues from other senior doctors who may have been through similar experiences. The advice and guidance is offered impartially and is strictly private and confidential.

To access support we invite members to complete an initial enquiry via an online form hosted on the College website. In this form they provide information about their career stage and their purpose for requesting the support services. 

This level of support required may be a one-off conversation or, if a case is more complex, it may lead to an ongoing dialogue between the enquirer and the supporter. The service is treated as strictly private and confidential. Issues discussed will not be shared outside the peer to peer relationship unless there is a specific agreement or a safety issue arises.

Peer to peer supporters will meet quarterly to discuss and review enquires received. Additional ad hoc meetings will be held as required.

The main responsibilities of the role are as follows:

1. Attend an induction session and undertake training relevant to the role
2. Offer impartial guidance, support and advice to College members seeking peer to peer support in line with the terms of reference and the College Safeguarding Policy
3. Engage with other peer to peer supporters and offer constructive advice on complex cases while maintaining confidentiality
4. Manage cases including correspondence and the maintenance of documented evidence of peer to peer cases and informal discussions in line with College Information governance and IT security guidance.
5. Attend quarterly peer to peer meetings with the Peer Support Leads and  Vice President for Membership & Workforce
6. Support the induction of new peer to peer supporters
7. Signpost members to workplace behaviour guidance and resources
8. Adhere to the terms of reference of the role and maintain confidentiality
9. To flag areas of concern that may arise in discussion and that sit outside the remit of the Peer to Peer Supporter role to the College Workforce and Professionalism team ensuring suitable action can be taken to safeguard the member, the Supporter and the College.

• Workforce Board
• Vice President, Membership and Workforce
• Head of Workforce and Professionalism
• Director of Membership
• Peer to Peer Leads

The time commitment for this role will vary depending on how busy the service is. The role is likely to be between 2-5 hours per month. In addition to this, the group will meet quarterly to discuss and review cases. For complex cases, the time commitment may increase but the onus will be on the individual supporter to decide on what amount of time is appropriate for each case.

This role description reflects the current requirements of the post. The role description will be re-evaluated in consultation with the post holder at the end of the term or mid-term if the duties and responsibilities change and develop.

Essential

• Working in a substantive consultant or senior SAS position or retired from one of these roles within the past three years and resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland
• Clear demonstration of a commitment to improving NHS workplace culture/practices and standards

Essential

• Experience of working in a substantive consultant or senior SAS role
• Experience of managing and supporting the development of doctors
• Experience of providing peer support
• Either FRCOG, MRCOG or RCOG Associate

Desirable

• Mentoring, coaching and/or counselling experience
• Experience of leading initiatives to improve workplace behaviours and cultures

• An enthusiasm for supporting the development of a sustainable and healthy medical workforce and improving workplace behaviours and culture
• An excellent communicator both oral and written
• High levels of empathy
• A good listener
• A commitment to supporting positive outcomes and local resolutions
• Prepared to undertake peer to peer cases and referrals
• Prepared to respond rapidly and flexibly to peer to peer requests

Information about the RCOG CPD Framework can be found here.

Committee Chair/Member/Course Convenors and Organisers

If within your committee role or work as course convenor or organiser you gain knowledge which enhances patient care or leadership and technical skills (including, for example, giving presentations, teaching sessions or mock examining) credits can be claimed as an ‘Experiential Learning Event’.

CPD users can now freely select and record the number of credits for all their CPD activities. For Experiential Learning Events, a Reflection is required to claim the selected credits. In addition, 1 or 2 credits can be claimed for an action following the learning (1 credit for a simple action, 2 credits for a complex action). To claim credits for an action, the individual needs to demonstrate how they have applied their learning to their practice, the service they provide and/or the potential impact of the learning.

For those who prefer to follow RCOG recommendations, the CPD Framework still provides a suggested number of credits that can be claimed for different CPD activities.

Further information can be found in the RCOG CPD Framework document.