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South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Peer Support Worker (Maple Ward)

The closing date is 01 February 2026

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Job summary

We are seeking dynamic and dedicated Peer Support Workers to join our Acute and Urgent Care wards, with roles available on our new Maple Ward and across established AUC wards. You will be joining an experienced and supportive peer workforce, with a Peer Lead and Advanced Peer Support Practitioner on hand to help you strengthen your peer practice, build confidence and ensure positive outcomes for the people we serve.

Roles range from two days per week to full-time, and include evenings and weekends following induction.

Maple Ward is an innovative short-stay mixed-gender psychiatric ward operating on a maximum 28-day admission model. The team makes use of robust gatekeeping, Red to Green discharge facilitation and close partnership with Home Treatment Teams to support admission prevention and earlier supported discharge.

As a Peer Support Worker, you will use your own lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery in a safe, intentional and boundaried way. You will offer hope, build connection and empower people to take an active role in their care during a period that can feel overwhelming or uncertain.

Career Progression pathways and development opportunities

Clear progression pathways include Senior Peer Support Worker (Band 4) and options to explore peer leadership or specialist roles aligned to your interests and the needs of our wards.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide peer-led support that promotes personal recovery, resilience and self-advocacy.
  • Support individuals to develop crisis plans, recovery plans and advanced directives.
  • Facilitate and co-facilitate peer-led groups and structured activities on the ward.
  • Support engagement in ward rounds, community meetings and daily planning.
  • Offer debriefs following restrictive interventions, contributing to trauma-informed practice.
  • Signpost individuals to community resources, peer support and wellbeing opportunities.
  • Maintain accurate notes and comply with safeguarding, confidentiality and health and safety policies.
  • Work collaboratively within the MDT and escalate concerns appropriately.
  • Contribute to audits, service improvement work and peer support initiatives across the Trust.

Agile and flexible working

We offer flexible working conversations at interview. Posts are ward-based and rostered, with shifts that may include evenings and weekends following induction. Opportunities for part-time (from 0.4 WTE) through to full-time (1.0 WTE) are available.

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.

Details

Date posted

28 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£12,218 to £12,882 a year per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

294-AAUC-7768910-PC

Job locations

Springfield Hospital

Tooting

SW17 7DJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Use your lived experience to build authentic, trusting relationships that support recovery.
  • Offer emotional and practical support during crisis, helping people navigate the ward environment.
  • Model selfmanagement, resilience and hope.
  • Support people to prepare for and participate in ward rounds and care planning.
  • Facilitate peerled spaces that promote connection, shared learning and empowerment.
  • Share lived experience insights within the MDT to enhance understanding and care planning.
  • Contribute to compassionate debriefing and traumainformed approaches.
  • Help strengthen patient involvement and the recovery culture of the ward.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Use your lived experience to build authentic, trusting relationships that support recovery.
  • Offer emotional and practical support during crisis, helping people navigate the ward environment.
  • Model selfmanagement, resilience and hope.
  • Support people to prepare for and participate in ward rounds and care planning.
  • Facilitate peerled spaces that promote connection, shared learning and empowerment.
  • Share lived experience insights within the MDT to enhance understanding and care planning.
  • Contribute to compassionate debriefing and traumainformed approaches.
  • Help strengthen patient involvement and the recovery culture of the ward.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Lived experience
  • Experience of positively sharing your own life experiences, personal experience with People accessing the service and carers
  • Experience of building on own strengths and mitigating challenges faced when living with mental health issues
  • Experience of record keeping

Desirable

  • Paid, or unpaid, peer support worker experience
  • Experience of training, coaching or supporting the development of others in the workplace
  • Experience of recruiting others to roles in either a paid or voluntary capacity
  • Understanding of the role of mental health services

Qualifications

Essential

  • Undertaken/willing to undertake peer support worker training
  • Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training

Desirable

  • Undertaken Life Coaching training in line with Trust policy on coaching to include ability to demonstrate a reflective log of coaching practice
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Lived experience
  • Experience of positively sharing your own life experiences, personal experience with People accessing the service and carers
  • Experience of building on own strengths and mitigating challenges faced when living with mental health issues
  • Experience of record keeping

Desirable

  • Paid, or unpaid, peer support worker experience
  • Experience of training, coaching or supporting the development of others in the workplace
  • Experience of recruiting others to roles in either a paid or voluntary capacity
  • Understanding of the role of mental health services

Qualifications

Essential

  • Undertaken/willing to undertake peer support worker training
  • Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training

Desirable

  • Undertaken Life Coaching training in line with Trust policy on coaching to include ability to demonstrate a reflective log of coaching practice

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Springfield Hospital

Tooting

SW17 7DJ


Employer's website

https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Springfield Hospital

Tooting

SW17 7DJ


Employer's website

https://www.swlstg.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Lead Occupational Therapist

Natasha Cumberland

natasha.cumberland@swlstg.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

28 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£12,218 to £12,882 a year per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

294-AAUC-7768910-PC

Job locations

Springfield Hospital

Tooting

SW17 7DJ


Supporting documents

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