South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Peer Support Worker - Band 3

The closing date is 06 March 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Peer Support Worker to work within the Community Connector Team based at Barnsley Recovery & Wellbeing College. Our current Peer Support Workers come with a wealth of lived and living experience of their own mental health challenges and struggles. By utilising, and sharing their own experiences in a positive, supportive and meaningful way help to support individuals to manage and maintain their own physical and mental health wellbeing.

We are looking for an individual who is creative and confident in trying new ways of working to help people become empowered to live their best life. You will be expected to work with all disciplines in a variety of community settings across the borough of Barnsley. The role of the peer support worker is to deliver recovery focussed interventions such as graded exposure, psychoeducation, accessing the Recovery College and enabling individuals to connect with their local communities to manage their own health and well-being.

You must be well organised and self-motivated and have an innate ability to cope with personal stress and be able to manage your own health and wellbeing in a positive manner.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

Main duties of the job

A peer support worker is someone who has lived experience, and who uses that lived experience to help and support other people. You will work proactively with people to explore their health and social care needs and those who may be socially excluded or isolated, so it is essential you have the skills to motivate and engage with people to offer specific early interventions and that you have a personable and confident nature to liaise and work within a multidisciplinary approach. You will possess the skills to manage your own diary working confidently on a one-to-one basis with individuals in the community and their own homes and will hold a case load.

The ideal candidate will have compassion, honesty, and empathy and, by drawing on their own experiences, will help service users and learners to discover the benefit of how learning can help to address their health and wellbeing needs.

You will have a flexible approach to work in this ever-evolving service and have a positive attitude to working as part of a team.

Visa sponsorship under the Health and Care Worker visa route can only be considered if the prorated salary meets the minimum threshold of £25,000, as required by the UK Visas and Immigration. For Band 3 roles, only full-time positions at the top of the pay scale meet this threshold. Therefore, sponsorship may not be possible depending on salary increment placement and working hours.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Date posted

24 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,958 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9378-B2277

Job locations

33 Gawber Road

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S75 2AH

Job description

Job responsibilities

SERVICE PROVISION

To provide rehabilitation and recovery-based services that enable people to define, build and live a meaningful, independent and satisfying life

The role of the Peer Support Worker is to deliver specific components of prescribed care packages under the direct supervision of Care Coordinators and Clinical Leads. The post holder will provide formalised support and assistance to service users in order for them to take control over their own lives and engage actively in their unique recovery process.

We welcome applications from people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, and the service encourages the use of the wisdom and skills gained through personal lived experience, to inspire hope in others and the belief that recovery is possible for all. Within a relationship of mutuality, the peer support model can facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles with connection to local communities.

The post holder will be part of a clinical team and will work into the inpatient units and also within the community with service users that are within a mental health and require support. The post requires effective liaison with service users, carers, and other professionals and agencies as required. It will involve the provision of direct psychological based care, offering therapeutic time to a defined client group or on a case-by-case basis working at all times within the principles of recovery.

You will be supporting individuals with complex social and mental health histories; we will therefore provide a framework of supervision and trust wellbeing initiatives to enable you to support your own wellbeing and manage the boundaries of the role.

The service provision is from Monday to Sunday between the hours of 8am and 8pm with flexibility depending on and responding to the needs of the service users.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

WORKING PRACTICE

To promote social inclusion for clients by facilitating and supporting access to a variety of community-based opportunities including work, social groups, education, spiritual pursuits, leisure activities to ensure holistic well-being.

Help individuals identify their own achievable and meaningful recovery goals and collaboratively set recovery objectives in line with service care pathway and supervision of senior team members.

Involvement in the process of effective risk management including assessment, planning, intervention and on-going monitoring of risk factors.

Where personal experience allows drawing on mutual resources as peers and utilising a range of recovery tools, techniques and experience.

To actively support service users in line with their care plans and support their recovery, using approaches that promote hope and optimism.

To promote the physical health and wellbeing for clients by facilitating and supporting access to relevant screening and information around medication, diet, nutrition, exercise, sensible drinking and smoking cessation

To participate as requested, in multidisciplinary reviews and other clinical meetings to ensure effective communication and a comprehensive approach to service users care.

Work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of the individual.

To act at all times with courtesy towards service users, relatives and other visitors to the service and support them as appropriate or direct them to a suitably experienced team member.

To maintain accurate and up to date service user electronic records as required by trust policy and procedures and any local working instructions.

To contribute to clinical reports and feedback as requested.

To always consider possible high-risk situations and the need to communicate these to other workers.

To participate in decision making processes and carry out agreed plans of care.

EDUCATION

You must take personal responsibility in agreement with your line manager for your own development by ensuring that continuous professional development remains a priority.

You will undertake all mandatory training required for the role and participate in supervision/appraisal as necessary.

To be assertive in promoting new ideas for positive change within the team.

To participate in the induction and support of new staff and students from a variety of different professional backgrounds under the supervision of the Team Manager.

The post holder is to contribute to supporting volunteers that work within the service.

RESEARCH

Will actively participate in clinical audit processes such as data gathering, as requested by service leads and managers

PROFESSIONAL

Role model values-based behaviour within own team and beyond.

To at all times promote a positive image and the good reputation of the Trust.

Model personal responsibility, self-awareness, self-belief, self-advocacy and hopefulness via appropriate and timely relating of own recovery story to inspire and instil confidence in peers.

Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multidisciplinary team members, service users and carers.

Communicate in a positive manner towards individuals and other organisations that come in contact with the service.

You have a duty not to discriminate against service users, staff or visitors and to adhere to equal opportunities legislation.

Recognise, respect and support the equality and diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Observes personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in course of work.

To make effective use of all available resources under the guidance of the Team Manager and senior clinical lead.

Adhere to Trust financial instructions e.g. mileage and expenses claims, timely submission of attendance sheets and activity recording.

To follow policies and procedures relating to the management of service user finances.

To contribute to the maintenance of the physical resources and environment within the trust through effective resource management and reporting through defined channels.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.