Work with us

For many people Discovery College has really made a difference to their emotional well-being, for others it has transformed their social life. It has helped people engage with college, and some have reported that it has helped them get to University and find their way into employment.

We even have paid roles for young people at Discovery College.

Trainee Peers are young people who have been participants themselves in Discovery College courses and are now wanting to support other young people. To have a go at this role you need to let us know you are interested in becoming a Trainee Peer, you can apply at any age. We will then give you some free training. You will be supported during the course by the facilitator and mental health practitioner and you will be offered monthly support in a group with other Trainee Peers and Peer Trainers. The Trainee Peer role is a voluntary role and you can claim back any travel expenses.

Watch one of our Trainee Peers talk about his role

 

Peer Trainers are young people aged 16yrs or older who have attended courses, tried and enjoyed being a Trainee Peer. Peer Trainers take on more responsibility in the courses and so there are more steps involved to become one. Firstly you have to complete at least a level 2 training in education and training. There is also a level 3 course which we advise you to do when you feel ready but is not a requirement for applying for the role. These courses are free. The next step is an interview but to reassure you, this is a very supportive interview and we understand it may be the first you have ever done. If you pass the interview you will be employed by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on the ‘bank’ system and you will be offered monthly support in a group with other peer trainers and mentors.

“I’ve been able to be around so many people that need that support. I can just go in swiftly like a bird and go: I’m here, I can talk to you”

Discovery College also deliver the CAMHS Expert by Experience Training. Experts by Experience are young people of any age who have experience of mental health challenges and have received some support from CAMHS or Discovery College. As an EBE you can be involved in recruitment panels to find new members of staff for CAMHS. You can take part in focus group discussions, workshops and CAMHS meetings where the service is interested in learning from your experience. We offer a free one-day training course to help you prepare for this role. Some EBE opportunities are voluntary although you can always have your travel expenses paid. Some EBE roles receive an hourly rate of pay and you will be asked to sign up to the SPFT payroll to receive these payments into a bank account. All EBEs are offered support in a monthly group with other EBEs. Please let us know if you are interested in becoming an EBE.

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Oh, hello there!

I see that you have stumbled onto our trainee peer and peer trainer corner of the website. Maybe you have heard the terms ‘trainee peer’ and ‘peer trainer’ tossed around and are wondering what they mean. Perhaps you are wanting to find out a bit more about why they are important to Discovery College or maybe you are already thinking that you would like to give one of these roles a go. Well, you have come to the right place. My name is Em (you have probably seen me dotted around the website) and I am a Peer Trainer for East Sussex CAMHS Discovery College and I am here to tell you a little about what it has been like to take up this exciting, rewarding and privileged role.

 
 

At the beginning of 2017 I finished my Level 3 Award in Education and Training and subsequently began my work as a Peer Trainer. The unique quality of both roles as mentor and trainer is that it harnesses your own experiences of mental health challenges that you might have faced in the past or are currently facing. Sometimes in life we can be made to feel ashamed or embarrassed about suffering with our mental health. However at Discovery College your insights, knowledge and understanding is invaluable and an essential part to how we operate and deliver as a college.

 
 

Creating new courses, planning sessions, supervisory support and co-facilitating courses are just some of the different aspects of my role as a Peer Trainer. Oh, and emails! (fortunately, I like emails but don’t let that put you off if you don’t) One of the greatest joys about my role is getting to work in a team of likeminded colleagues who bring their own wealth of knowledge, background and experiences to the table. As a peer you can expect to work alongside participation workers, mental health practitioners, subject-specific therapists and other partner organizations By coupling the first hand mental health experience of a peer this is how we, as a team, collaborate together to create really supportive and engaging courses and material for children and young people. That feeling of joy remains ever present nearly four years later. To witness the difference our courses make to the lives and wellbeing of children and young people that we reach is something truly special. Watching participants grow in confidence and self-esteem, to take charge and ownership of their difficulties and to have the desire to change are all things that I feel incredibly honoured to witness.

Naturally with any job there are going to be challenges and difficulties. There have been times when there have been clashes of creative expression and feelings as though my voice was not heard or what I had to say was not relevant. Sometimes it can take a bit of time for other members of the team to see you as an equal. Using my own mental health experiences to help shape Discovery College adds a uniqueness to the quality of the courses we run however when I am experiencing a period of poor mental health it can be stressful and tiring to share these and feel as though I am doing my job to the best of my ability. You might be reading this and thinking that all that sounds a bit much however support is at hand and you are never alone.

 
 

One crucial element of my role is supervision. For those of you who have never come across the term supervision it is an opportunity for you to talk and explore what you have been experiencing at work, to celebrate the highs (which there are many) and to discuss any challenges that might have arisen. For example, perhaps you have felt a course session didn’t go quite as planned and you are not sure why or maybe you felt concerned about what a participant had disclosed to you on a course and you felt that it was serious enough that you couldn’t keep it to yourself. It is also a place to receive more practical guidance such as if you are needing some support with filling out timesheets and expenses forms. As Discovery College grows and our team of trainee peers and peer trainers expands, we are aiming to focus more on group and peer-led supervision.

 
 

If you have read all of that and are thinking that this role sounds like something you would like to explore or if you have any further questions then please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.