Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

IPS Peer Support Worker

The closing date is 30 June 2025

Job summary

Do you want to be part of a friendly and dynamic team of Employment Specialists committed to delivering excellent employment support to our service users? If you believe passionately that anyone with drug and alcohol challenges, can work and would like to be part of that journey, then this could be the role for you.

We are currently seeking a Peer Support Worker to join ourwell established Individual Placement and Support Team embedded into CGL Drug and Alcohol treatment services across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

This is an incredibly rewarding role - you'll have the opportunity to transform the lives of service users, to give them hope, direction and support their recovery journey.

https://ipsgrow.org.uk/about/what-is-ips/

Main duties of the job

You will be able to share your own valuable experiences of how you overcame any obstacles to achieve your own career goals and how you continue to move forward in your journey of recovery offering support

You will be based within the Employment Support Service and working with direction from the IPS Employment specialists.

Through sharing your wisdom from your own experiences you will inspire hope and belief that recovery and gaining paid employment is possible in others.

Within a relationship of mutuality, the PSW will facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection to local communities.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

16 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

310-ASMH-7110971

Job locations

CGL sites Peterborough / Cambridge / Huntingdon / Wisbech

102 - 104 Bridge Street

Peterborough

PE1 1DY


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

The partnership between the Employment Specialist and Peer Support Worker is crucial to this role; ongoing communication is vital to ensure the needs of the individual you are working with are met.

Support peers to identify and overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenge negative self-talk.

Attend and participate in the team multi-disciplinary team meetings and IPS team meetings as agreed by the Employment Specialist and IPS Team Manager.

Discuss goals for employment with individuals who are referred to the IPS service; sharing your personal success stories around achieving goals and employment to inspire others.

Support individuals to attend work related appointments/ interviews.

Help people consider disclosing a disability (or other personal information) to employers, again offering personal experience.

Co-facilitate wellness recovery action planning sessions.

Support Senior ES/ tutors and participants with delivering courses and group sessions.

Support employment specialists to engage individuals who have missed appointments.

Support individuals in using public transport.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

The partnership between the Employment Specialist and Peer Support Worker is crucial to this role; ongoing communication is vital to ensure the needs of the individual you are working with are met.

Support peers to identify and overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenge negative self-talk.

Attend and participate in the team multi-disciplinary team meetings and IPS team meetings as agreed by the Employment Specialist and IPS Team Manager.

Discuss goals for employment with individuals who are referred to the IPS service; sharing your personal success stories around achieving goals and employment to inspire others.

Support individuals to attend work related appointments/ interviews.

Help people consider disclosing a disability (or other personal information) to employers, again offering personal experience.

Co-facilitate wellness recovery action planning sessions.

Support Senior ES/ tutors and participants with delivering courses and group sessions.

Support employment specialists to engage individuals who have missed appointments.

Support individuals in using public transport.

Person Specification

Education and Experience

Essential

  • Good level of secondary education to GCSE level
  • Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment
  • Lived experience of a long-term health condition Or Lived experience of drug or alcohol addiction
  • Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role

Desirable

  • Related Health or Social Care qualification
  • Experience of working in the public sector
  • Experience of accessing IPS services

Knowlege and Understanding

Essential

  • Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
  • Computer literate in software applications within the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook etc)
  • Ability to share personal story of recovery in a professional and appropriate manner
  • Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
  • Must be able to travel to a wide range of locations across the Trust

Desirable

  • Presentation skills
  • Appreciation of the community resources within the geographical location of the post and key partners

Physical Requirements

Essential

  • Emotional maturity/range of life experiences
  • Flexibility and reliability
  • Respectful and compassionate

Other

Essential

  • Must be able to travel to a wide range of locations across the Trust
  • Ability to transport/accompany peers to appointments
Person Specification

Education and Experience

Essential

  • Good level of secondary education to GCSE level
  • Completion of Peer Support Worker Training or commitment to complete within 3-6 months of employment
  • Lived experience of a long-term health condition Or Lived experience of drug or alcohol addiction
  • Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role

Desirable

  • Related Health or Social Care qualification
  • Experience of working in the public sector
  • Experience of accessing IPS services

Knowlege and Understanding

Essential

  • Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
  • Computer literate in software applications within the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook etc)
  • Ability to share personal story of recovery in a professional and appropriate manner
  • Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
  • Must be able to travel to a wide range of locations across the Trust

Desirable

  • Presentation skills
  • Appreciation of the community resources within the geographical location of the post and key partners

Physical Requirements

Essential

  • Emotional maturity/range of life experiences
  • Flexibility and reliability
  • Respectful and compassionate

Other

Essential

  • Must be able to travel to a wide range of locations across the Trust
  • Ability to transport/accompany peers to appointments

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

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CGL sites Peterborough / Cambridge / Huntingdon / Wisbech

102 - 104 Bridge Street

Peterborough

PE1 1DY


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

CGL sites Peterborough / Cambridge / Huntingdon / Wisbech

102 - 104 Bridge Street

Peterborough

PE1 1DY


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Leader / Senior Employment Specialist

Michael Spinks

michael.spinks@cpft.nhs.uk

07934602960

Details

Date posted

16 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

310-ASMH-7110971

Job locations

CGL sites Peterborough / Cambridge / Huntingdon / Wisbech

102 - 104 Bridge Street

Peterborough

PE1 1DY


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)