Job summary
As a Mental Health Peer Support Worker (MH PSW) in our Yeovil STEP team, you will play a uniquely meaningful role, using your own lived experience of mental health difficulties to support others at some of the most important moments in their recovery. This is a role built on empathy, authenticity and mutuality - qualities that can only come from someone who has truly "been there".
You will work alongside people who are experiencing mental health challenges, offering the kind of understanding, validation and hope that only a peer can provide. By sharing aspects of your own recovery journey in a safe and boundaried way, you will help people feel less alone, seen, and supported to take control of their own lives. Your contribution will complement clinical work by bringing a personal recovery perspective that helps individuals build confidence, develop coping strategies and reconnect with what matters most to them.
At its heart, this role is about walking alongside someone - supporting them to rebuild their identity, strengthen their sense of meaning and self worth, and move toward a life that feels hopeful and possible. You will be part of a team that values collaboration, compassion and personal growth, and you will receive dedicated training and supervision to support you in your development as a Peer Support Worker.
Main duties of the job
- Use lived experience to offer emotional, social and practical support
- Build trusting, reciprocal peer relationships using personal recovery principles
- Support people to develop coping strategies, problemsolving skills and selfmanagement techniques
- Encourage engagement in meaningful activities and community resources
- Participate in coproduction of care and recovery plans
- Promote people's rights, challenge stigma and advocate for inclusion
- Work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team
- Maintain appropriate boundaries and practise safe, reflective working
- Maintain accurate records and uphold confidentiality and safeguarding standards
- Engage in supervision, reflective practice and the MH PSW training programme
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
You will use your personal experiences of mental health difficulties to build connections and support people in ways that traditional services cannot. This includes:
- Listening, validating and empathising with individuals' experiences
- Offering alternative perspectives without giving direct advice
- Supporting people to recognise their strengths and progress their personal recovery
- Helping people navigate services, appointments and community resources
- Modelling hope, resilience and selfcare
- Supporting individuals through transitions - into, through, and out of services
Supporting Personal Recovery
You will help people:
- Build relationships and improve their sense of connection
- Develop hope and optimism
- Rebuild identity beyond illness
- Explore meaning in their day-to-day lives
- Strengthen empowerment, personal agency and independence
This approach focuses on mutual learning, shared experiences and the development of practical, healthy coping strategies.
Teamwork and Collaboration
You will work collaboratively with:
- Service users, their families and carers
- Clinical and nonclinical colleagues
- Voluntary sector organisations, community groups and statutory partners
You will bring a unique recovery perspective to team discussions, always promoting dignity, rights and inclusion.
Professional and Ethical Responsibilities
- Maintain high standards of confidentiality and safe recordkeeping
- Work within Trust policies, including safeguarding and information governance
- Use supervision constructively and reflect on your own wellbeing
- Participate in service development, quality improvement and audit where appropriate
Training and Development
All successful candidates must complete the enhanced Peer Support Worker training, aligned to the Health Education England national competency framework. This includes:
- Classroom and online learning
- Assessment through discussion, case studies and observation
- Ongoing support to complete the programme within the first 12 months of employment
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will use your personal experiences of mental health difficulties to build connections and support people in ways that traditional services cannot. This includes:
- Listening, validating and empathising with individuals' experiences
- Offering alternative perspectives without giving direct advice
- Supporting people to recognise their strengths and progress their personal recovery
- Helping people navigate services, appointments and community resources
- Modelling hope, resilience and selfcare
- Supporting individuals through transitions - into, through, and out of services
Supporting Personal Recovery
You will help people:
- Build relationships and improve their sense of connection
- Develop hope and optimism
- Rebuild identity beyond illness
- Explore meaning in their day-to-day lives
- Strengthen empowerment, personal agency and independence
This approach focuses on mutual learning, shared experiences and the development of practical, healthy coping strategies.
Teamwork and Collaboration
You will work collaboratively with:
- Service users, their families and carers
- Clinical and nonclinical colleagues
- Voluntary sector organisations, community groups and statutory partners
You will bring a unique recovery perspective to team discussions, always promoting dignity, rights and inclusion.
Professional and Ethical Responsibilities
- Maintain high standards of confidentiality and safe recordkeeping
- Work within Trust policies, including safeguarding and information governance
- Use supervision constructively and reflect on your own wellbeing
- Participate in service development, quality improvement and audit where appropriate
Training and Development
All successful candidates must complete the enhanced Peer Support Worker training, aligned to the Health Education England national competency framework. This includes:
- Classroom and online learning
- Assessment through discussion, case studies and observation
- Ongoing support to complete the programme within the first 12 months of employment
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
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Knowledge of local services and sources of mental health care and support
- IT literacy including email, internet, and Microsoft Teams or Zoom
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
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Knowledge of local services and sources of mental health care and support
- IT literacy including email, internet, and Microsoft Teams or Zoom
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.
