Job summary
Are you someone with lived experience of mental health difficulties who wants to use that experience to support others? Do you believe in the power of connection, hope, and personal empowerment? If so, we'd love to hear from you.
We are recruiting a Mental Health Peer Support Worker (MH PSW) to join the Somerset Team for Early Psychosis (STEP), based in Taunton. This is a unique and rewarding opportunity to support people who are experiencing similar mental health challenges and walk alongside them in their recovery journey.
As a MH PSW, you will draw upon your personal lived experience of mental health difficulties to offer emotional, practical, and motivational support. You'll become a vital member of a multi-disciplinary team, providing compassionate, peer-based support that goes beyond clinical models.
Main duties of the job
Use your lived experience to provide mutual, non-judgemental support to people navigating their own mental health journeys.
Support people in building strong, healthy relationships and reconnecting with their communities.
Help individuals reclaim their identity and overcome stigma associated with mental illness.
Encourage personal empowerment by helping people focus on strengths and take control of their recovery.
Promote meaning and purpose by supporting people to explore what makes life valuable to them.
Maintain appropriate interpersonal and professional boundaries while fostering a sense of trust and equality in peer relationships.
Work closely with clinical teams, carers, families, and community services to support integrated care.
Please note: All successful applicants will be required to complete an enhanced Peer Support Training Programme aligned with national competencies.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role is grounded in the values of peer support and the belief that lived experience is a powerful tool in supporting recovery. As a Mental Health PSW, your work will include:
Peer Support Practice
Drawing on personal lived experiences to build connections and foster hope.
Supporting individuals to develop coping strategies and personal recovery goals.
Helping people to engage in meaningful activities and access services.
Offering a non-directive presence and validating individual experiences.
Teamwork and Advocacy
Collaborating with clinical teams and community organisations to promote recovery-focused care.
Bringing a lived experience perspective to team discussions and service planning.
Promoting anti-stigma and mental health equality across services.
Learning and Development
Participating in supervision, reflective practice, and ongoing training.
Completing a nationally recognised peer support training programme within 12 months of starting the role.
Wellbeing and Professionalism
Maintaining focus on self-care and personal wellbeing.
Understanding professional boundaries, safeguarding protocols, and ethical frameworks.
Adhering to information governance and Trust policies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role is grounded in the values of peer support and the belief that lived experience is a powerful tool in supporting recovery. As a Mental Health PSW, your work will include:
Peer Support Practice
Drawing on personal lived experiences to build connections and foster hope.
Supporting individuals to develop coping strategies and personal recovery goals.
Helping people to engage in meaningful activities and access services.
Offering a non-directive presence and validating individual experiences.
Teamwork and Advocacy
Collaborating with clinical teams and community organisations to promote recovery-focused care.
Bringing a lived experience perspective to team discussions and service planning.
Promoting anti-stigma and mental health equality across services.
Learning and Development
Participating in supervision, reflective practice, and ongoing training.
Completing a nationally recognised peer support training programme within 12 months of starting the role.
Wellbeing and Professionalism
Maintaining focus on self-care and personal wellbeing.
Understanding professional boundaries, safeguarding protocols, and ethical frameworks.
Adhering to information governance and Trust policies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A good standard of English and Maths
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of providing Peer Support or Peer Mentoring.
- Lived experience of mental health difficulties
- Experience of drawing directly on own lived experiences of mental health difficulties
- Experience of using mental health services such as being a hospital inpatient, housing and community services.
- Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques to support health and well-being
- Experience of collaboration and/or working in a person-centred way to help people develop coping and problem-solving skills
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Experience of communicating in a respectful and non-judgemental way and supporting people in a way that is tactful and sensitive
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A good standard of English and Maths
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of providing Peer Support or Peer Mentoring.
- Lived experience of mental health difficulties
- Experience of drawing directly on own lived experiences of mental health difficulties
- Experience of using mental health services such as being a hospital inpatient, housing and community services.
- Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques to support health and well-being
- Experience of collaboration and/or working in a person-centred way to help people develop coping and problem-solving skills
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Experience of communicating in a respectful and non-judgemental way and supporting people in a way that is tactful and sensitive
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
