Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Trustwide Lived Experience Practice & Peer Support Lead

The closing date is 21 July 2025

Job summary

Are you an experienced, dynamic and driven lived experience leader?

An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead CNWL's peer support & lived experience practitioner workforce.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will operationally manage the systematic growth, governance and retention of peer worker roles within CNWL. They will work in close partnership with the Head of Lived Experience Workforce to input into the strategic direction of related workstreams as well as leading on the implementation of the Peer Support and Lived Experience Practice strategy.

They will be responsible for working with services to progress the development of the peer workforce and engage with partners on the development of services that incorporate peer workers. The post holder will provide professional advice to the operational directorates on peer worker provision and lead on the development of peer worker recruitment and retention initiatives within the services in collaboration with recruiting line managers.

For this role we require an inspiring lived experience leader with a proven track record of working in a peer support worker role and then latterly in leading a large number of peer workers. You should be confident in developing, embedding and upholding policies and governance related to lived experience workers, and be able to support both peer working staff and wider colleagues by utilising a values-led approach to empowering and inspiring others.

About us

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond.We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts and wellbeing initiatives for staff.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year per annum HCAS inclusive (pro rata if P/T)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

333-C-HQ-0915

Job locations

Argo House

180 Kilburn Park Road

London

NW6 5FA


Job description

Job responsibilities

Person specification Experience Essential criteria

  • Lived Experience of recovery
  • Extensive experience working as a peer/lived experience worker
  • Experience of managing a large healthcare service
  • Experience of creating governance related to lived experience workers
  • Experience of managing high profile workstreams with a robust governance structure into a Trust board level forum (or equivalent)
  • Demonstrable skills in effective leadership
  • Experience of directing a multi-dimensional project across a complex organisation.
  • Enthusiasm for the Recovery agenda and peer working, an interest in a range of models of service delivery,
  • Appreciation of the interface between our personal and professional lives, high level of self awareness and knowledge and principles of self care
Desirable criteria
  • Professional experience of leading large number of peer workers
  • Proven track record of delivering on a number of improvement projects related to peer workers in an NHS context
Education Essential criteria
  • Completion of Peer Support Training
  • Postgraduate degree or able to demonstrate equivalent skills in research, writing or analysis
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable criteria
  • Mentorship or Supervision Training

Job description

Job responsibilities

Person specification Experience Essential criteria

  • Lived Experience of recovery
  • Extensive experience working as a peer/lived experience worker
  • Experience of managing a large healthcare service
  • Experience of creating governance related to lived experience workers
  • Experience of managing high profile workstreams with a robust governance structure into a Trust board level forum (or equivalent)
  • Demonstrable skills in effective leadership
  • Experience of directing a multi-dimensional project across a complex organisation.
  • Enthusiasm for the Recovery agenda and peer working, an interest in a range of models of service delivery,
  • Appreciation of the interface between our personal and professional lives, high level of self awareness and knowledge and principles of self care
Desirable criteria
  • Professional experience of leading large number of peer workers
  • Proven track record of delivering on a number of improvement projects related to peer workers in an NHS context
Education Essential criteria
  • Completion of Peer Support Training
  • Postgraduate degree or able to demonstrate equivalent skills in research, writing or analysis
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable criteria
  • Mentorship or Supervision Training

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

  • Completion of Peer Support Training
  • Postgraduate degree or able to demonstrate equivalent skills in research, writing or analysis
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

  • Mentorship or Supervision Training

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Lived experience of recovery from mental health issues
  • Extensive experience in the field of mental health, as a peer worker/ Lived Experience Practitioner or someone who is familiar with clinical practice
  • Experience of managing a large healthcare service
  • Experience of delivering mentoring and/or supervision/appraisal
  • Experience of working with a range of organisations to support service users
  • Significant years' experience of working directly with members of our local communities including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing experiences.
  • Significant experience of facilitating groupwork for individuals
  • Experience of relationship building and partnership working
  • Experience of public speaking, including at national and international forums
  • Experience of managing high profile workstreams with a robust governance structure into a Trust board level forum (or equivalent)
  • Experience of providing consultation to professional and non -professional groups
  • Project management experience and facilitating and managing change
  • Dealing with challenging and complex situations and take meaningful action and to develop others to do so
  • Extensive experience of relationship building and partnership working
  • Experience of supervising and managing others
  • Experience of financial management

Desirable

  • Involvement in service redesign and development
  • Experience of analysing complex data and using it to inform standards of care
  • Experience in managing a large number of peer workers
  • Teaching Experience
  • Experience of policy development
  • Experience of representing teams and services in local policy fora.
  • Experience of delivering Advanced or complex Peer work
Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

  • Completion of Peer Support Training
  • Postgraduate degree or able to demonstrate equivalent skills in research, writing or analysis
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

  • Mentorship or Supervision Training

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Lived experience of recovery from mental health issues
  • Extensive experience in the field of mental health, as a peer worker/ Lived Experience Practitioner or someone who is familiar with clinical practice
  • Experience of managing a large healthcare service
  • Experience of delivering mentoring and/or supervision/appraisal
  • Experience of working with a range of organisations to support service users
  • Significant years' experience of working directly with members of our local communities including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing experiences.
  • Significant experience of facilitating groupwork for individuals
  • Experience of relationship building and partnership working
  • Experience of public speaking, including at national and international forums
  • Experience of managing high profile workstreams with a robust governance structure into a Trust board level forum (or equivalent)
  • Experience of providing consultation to professional and non -professional groups
  • Project management experience and facilitating and managing change
  • Dealing with challenging and complex situations and take meaningful action and to develop others to do so
  • Extensive experience of relationship building and partnership working
  • Experience of supervising and managing others
  • Experience of financial management

Desirable

  • Involvement in service redesign and development
  • Experience of analysing complex data and using it to inform standards of care
  • Experience in managing a large number of peer workers
  • Teaching Experience
  • Experience of policy development
  • Experience of representing teams and services in local policy fora.
  • Experience of delivering Advanced or complex Peer work

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

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Argo House

180 Kilburn Park Road

London

NW6 5FA


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Argo House

180 Kilburn Park Road

London

NW6 5FA


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Lived Experience Practice & Peer Support Lead

Fran Lepori

francesca.lepori@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year per annum HCAS inclusive (pro rata if P/T)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

333-C-HQ-0915

Job locations

Argo House

180 Kilburn Park Road

London

NW6 5FA


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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