Job summary
We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Peer Support Worker to join Ward 1, our Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Springfield Hospital.
This role is for someone with their own personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of accessing inpatient mental health services, who is ready to use that experience to walk alongside others in their recovery journey. We welcome applicants who may also have experience of caring for or supporting someone in mental distress. Please note that professional experience alone will not meet the essential lived experience criteria.
Ward 1 is a dynamic environment providing intensive care for people experiencing significant mental health challenges. As a Peer Support Worker, you will bring hope, understanding, and empathy aiming to help people feel heard, valued, and respected during what can be a difficult time.
You will work closely with our multidisciplinary team, drawing on your lived experience and peer support principles to build trusting relationships, promote recovery, and support people to regain a sense of control and connection. You will also contribute to developing a positive, inclusive anti-racist ward culture that actively challenges stigma.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of our growing Lived Experience Workforce, supported by training, supervision, and opportunities for progression.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will draw on your own lived experience to offer hope, mutual understanding, & sense that recovery is possible, walking alongside people staying on Ward 1 as a partner in their journey. You will provide both one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside the ward team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused environment.
While you will not be expected to take part directly in any act of force, you will support these situations in real time by helping to reassure and orientate other patients, maintaining calm, and assisting in managing the ward environment while clinical staff are engaged. You will also have an important role in supporting the process afterwards through debriefs, reflection, and helping to maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone.
Your role will involve listening without judgment, sharing experiences in a way that promotes connection and mutual learning, supporting people to identify and work towards goals that matter to them.
To thrive in this role, you will need to be at a stage in your own personal recovery where you feel secure, confident, and able to speak up, even in difficult moments. We will support you to have robust wellbeing plans in place and to maintain your own resilience, motivation, and morale, so you can bring your best self to the role while continuing to look after your own recovery.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Peer Support Worker on Ward 1, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), you will:
- Use your personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of using inpatient mental health services to inspire hope, build trust, and promote recovery.
- Provide one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside patients as an equal partner in their recovery journey.
- Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused ward environment.
- Support people to identify and work towards their own goals, maintain important personal connections, and prepare for transition or discharge.
- Promote involvement and co-production, encouraging people to have a voice in how the ward operates and the care they receive.
- Support staff to increase compassion, understanding, and empathy as part of wider cultural change towards more humanised, recovery-oriented care.
- Provide real-time support during challenging situations, including reassuring and orientating other patients and helping to maintain calm while staff are engaged.
- Take part in debriefs and reflective discussions after incidents, contributing to learning and maintaining a respectful ward culture.
- Act as a visible advocate for the values and principles of peer support, challenging stigma and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
- Maintain your own wellbeing and resilience through robust personal wellness planning, regular supervision, and active self-care, supported by the Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Peer Support Worker on Ward 1, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), you will:
- Use your personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of using inpatient mental health services to inspire hope, build trust, and promote recovery.
- Provide one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside patients as an equal partner in their recovery journey.
- Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused ward environment.
- Support people to identify and work towards their own goals, maintain important personal connections, and prepare for transition or discharge.
- Promote involvement and co-production, encouraging people to have a voice in how the ward operates and the care they receive.
- Support staff to increase compassion, understanding, and empathy as part of wider cultural change towards more humanised, recovery-oriented care.
- Provide real-time support during challenging situations, including reassuring and orientating other patients and helping to maintain calm while staff are engaged.
- Take part in debriefs and reflective discussions after incidents, contributing to learning and maintaining a respectful ward culture.
- Act as a visible advocate for the values and principles of peer support, challenging stigma and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
- Maintain your own wellbeing and resilience through robust personal wellness planning, regular supervision, and active self-care, supported by the Trust.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery
- Experience of using lived experience to support others
- Completion of recognised Peer Support Worker training (or willingness to complete) and ability to articulate peer principles, benefits and outcomes
- Understanding of trauma-informed and recovery-focused practice
- Good communication, self-awareness, and ability to work with distress
- Experience of working within a team and managing personal boundaries
- A good standard of literacy and numeracy that may have been gained through education, training or life experience
- Able to document work and contribute to care planning processes
Desirable
- Own personal experience of: oaccessing secondary mental health services & oof an Act of Force
- Experience of facilitating peer-led groups and activities in mental health settings.
- Peer Leadership qualification or equivalent CPD in Peer Support
- Experience in co-production, quality improvement, or service user involvement
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery
- Experience of using lived experience to support others
- Completion of recognised Peer Support Worker training (or willingness to complete) and ability to articulate peer principles, benefits and outcomes
- Understanding of trauma-informed and recovery-focused practice
- Good communication, self-awareness, and ability to work with distress
- Experience of working within a team and managing personal boundaries
- A good standard of literacy and numeracy that may have been gained through education, training or life experience
- Able to document work and contribute to care planning processes
Desirable
- Own personal experience of: oaccessing secondary mental health services & oof an Act of Force
- Experience of facilitating peer-led groups and activities in mental health settings.
- Peer Leadership qualification or equivalent CPD in Peer Support
- Experience in co-production, quality improvement, or service user involvement
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
