Oxford Health NHS Trust

Senior Peer Support Apprentice - South Oxfordshire PCMHT

The closing date is 07 August 2025

Job summary

We're looking to recruit a Senior Peer Support Worker to join our team to support other Peer Support Workers, team members and service users.

This vacancy is open to existing Oxford Health Peer Support Workers and people with experience of working in a peer support role in another organisation.

Peer Support Workers (PSW's) are people who have their own lived experience of mental health challenges. They use empathy informed by their own experiences to support service users who are accessing mental health services and their families.

This vacancy is for a position within our new South Oxfordshire Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT). You will be based at the Wantage Keystone hub and covering the Didcot area.

PCMHTs are comprised of professionals from health and social care including mental health professionals from the NHS, the third-sector and people who have experienced mental health challenges themselves.

Each PCMHT has one or more Keystone Hubs - developed to provide more specialist care at local level via their GP surgery, and improved communication between GPs and mental health services and form a core of the strengthening of community mental health services in Oxfordshire.

Oxford Health offer the Peer Support Training programme as a nationally recognised accredited Level 3 Apprenticeship (fully funded by Oxford Health) this is completed over a period of 15-19 months depending on whether a Peer Support Worker works part time or full time (22.5-37.5 hours).

Main duties of the job

The Senior Peer Support Worker will be responsible for supporting the current PSWs to successfully embed the role within the clinical area, to support with their caseloads and to offer mentoring around using their lived experience to support others. This is in addition to, providing support with individual service users and leading or co-leading groups.

Lived experience:

Drawing on lived experience of mental health to provide emotional and practical support to an allocated group of service users to promote their recovery.
Experience in delivering peer support and have a clear understanding of the peer support model within the NHS
To support service users to engage effectively with care being offered and access appropriate services
To build relationships that are founded on the value of mutuality which will facilitate the provision of regular and practical support, both one to one and via group facilitation, to service users in developing and managing independence and maintaining dignity and self-respect.
To build rapport with service users, whilst maintaining professional boundaries, drawing on both experience and knowledge of the service user perspective and an evidence-based approach.
Ability to mentor less experienced peer staff, be a positive role model, sharing knowledge and co-reflecting in peer supervision

About us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

Excellent opportunities for career progression
Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
Competitive pension scheme
Lease car scheme
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Mental Health First Aiders
Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum/pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

267-OA7317784

Job locations

Wantage Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub

18 Kingfisher House Limborough Road

Wantage

OX12 9YN

Job description

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

Please see attached document regarding the eligibility criteria for this role and ensure you have read this carefully.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached document regarding the eligibility criteria for this role and ensure you have read this carefully.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

The ability to offer specialist support using their personal experience of recovery
Demonstrate the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality, professional boundaries and actively promote positive role modelling

Desirable

Be able and willing to facilitate the peer led supervision sessions

Personal Qualities

Essential

Able to challenge and be challenged appropriately and with compassion

Personal Qualities

Essential

The ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary teams

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

The ability to offer specialist support using their personal experience of recovery
Demonstrate the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality, professional boundaries and actively promote positive role modelling

Desirable

Be able and willing to facilitate the peer led supervision sessions

Personal Qualities

Essential

Able to challenge and be challenged appropriately and with compassion

Personal Qualities

Essential

The ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary teams

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.