Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Lived Experience Support Worker

The closing date is 30 July 2025

Job summary

This post is for a Lived Experience Support Worker (also referred to as a Peer Support Worker or an Expert by Experience Support Worker) who will be embedded with the Primary Mental Health Requirement Treatment Team within the wider Liaison and Diversion Service.

Our team provides psychoeducation based interventions over twelves weeks for service users who have had a Community Order for primary care mental health treatment. We do this work one-to-one in person, by video, or by telephone and we offer a skills-based group virtually to all service users.Your role will be to work with us to provide additional lived experience support to service users going through the criminal justice system to help them to overcome challenges in their journey to recovery and wellbeing. You will do this holistically, being flexible in the way you work in order to provide tailored support to our service users.You may provide support by meeting service users for a coffee, joining them on their journey into their sessions, providing additional out of session support for their interventions, or developing different activities that suit their needs and your skills. You will work independently with service users, jointly with an AP, or as part of a drop-in clinic.This is a dynamic, changing role--you will be foundational in shaping the post to help it become as useful and meaningful as possible.

Please apply promptly as the vacancy will close early if high number of applicants.

Please be aware that this role is NOT eligible for Sponsorship

If you already work for HPFT on a health and care visa, you will NOT be able to transfer your visa to this role as this role is NOT eligible for Sponsorship.

Main duties of the job

Peer support is delivered through promoting empowerment and choice and giving the opportunity for the exploration of meaning and purpose.

You will have a caseload of service users who are benefiting from your contact; you will work with the treating AP to develop a treatment plan that works for their needs and their goals. You will also help to establish and run drop-in clinics at the different Probation sites where you and the APs will work jointly to offer skills and support on an ad hoc basis.You will join the rest of the team in giving presentations about our work, ensuring that the Lived Experience role is communicated effectively.You will gather feedback from service users you have worked with so that we are able to effectively evaluate the impact of your work.You will take up other tasks that interest you and benefit the service user, as well as develop your own projects of interest.

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£28,860 to £31,671 a year per ann, pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS - Min £1,258 max £2,122)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

367-LD&F-9539

Job locations

3 Bowlers Green

Harper Lane

Radlett

WD7 9HQ

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support people who are experiencing vulnerabilities which include: mental health, learning disabilities, substance misuse and other psychosocial vulnerabilities. and challenges:

To support individuals and groups using a peer-oriented approach
Establishing therapeutic relationships with individuals navigating the criminal justice system. Respect confidentiality whilst recognising that there are circumstances where information may need to be shared with other professionals, particularly if there's a risk to the service user or others, or if the service user discloses details of a crime.
To be a positive role model for other people overcoming vulnerabilities, other workers and members of the public
To use parts of your recovery story to inspire hope in others where appropriate

You will have the support of regular clinical supervision, peer supervision with your team, and external support from the Lived Experience lead and network.You will be given a range of mandatory and optional training to support you in your work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support people who are experiencing vulnerabilities which include: mental health, learning disabilities, substance misuse and other psychosocial vulnerabilities. and challenges:

To support individuals and groups using a peer-oriented approach
Establishing therapeutic relationships with individuals navigating the criminal justice system. Respect confidentiality whilst recognising that there are circumstances where information may need to be shared with other professionals, particularly if there's a risk to the service user or others, or if the service user discloses details of a crime.
To be a positive role model for other people overcoming vulnerabilities, other workers and members of the public
To use parts of your recovery story to inspire hope in others where appropriate

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

A recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical or life skills
Evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
Health care or relevant NVQ Level 3 or equivalent skills

Experience

Essential

Experience of working with people with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities in a paid or voluntary capacity
Experience working as part of a team
Experience of being supervised
Recent lived experience of mental health issues or another relevant vulnerability, and of being in the criminal justice system
Managing personal recovery
Knowledge of Peer Support, Recovery, and Wellbeing and an ability to apply this throughout your work

Desirable

Experience running groups/activities
Experience of training others in technical/leisure/creative skills

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

A recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical or life skills
Evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
Health care or relevant NVQ Level 3 or equivalent skills

Experience

Essential

Experience of working with people with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities in a paid or voluntary capacity
Experience working as part of a team
Experience of being supervised
Recent lived experience of mental health issues or another relevant vulnerability, and of being in the criminal justice system
Managing personal recovery
Knowledge of Peer Support, Recovery, and Wellbeing and an ability to apply this throughout your work

Desirable

Experience running groups/activities
Experience of training others in technical/leisure/creative skills

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

Certificate of Sponsorship

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

3 Bowlers Green

Harper Lane

Radlett

WD7 9HQ

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

3 Bowlers Green

Harper Lane

Radlett

WD7 9HQ

Employer's website

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