Peer Support Worker

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 12 May 2025

Job summary

**Previous applicant need not apply**

This is an exciting opportunity for a Peer Support Worker to join the Cambridge Adult Locality Team, who are a community based service for adults aged 17-65 with severe mental illness, taking on a specific role supporting service users and carers on entry into the service and some service evaluation at exit point. We are currently looking for full and part time Peer Support Workers to join our dynamic team.

As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the Peer Support Worker will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to peers and other service users in order for them to regain control over their lives and their own unique recovery process.

Through sharing the wisdom from own lived experience, the Peer Support Worker will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.

Main duties of the job

Within a relationship of mutuality, the Peer Support Worker (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.

The PSW will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within CALT , alongside other Trust Recovery Champions, and act as an ambassador of Recovery for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations.

The PSW will promote their role, through the provision of information and a range of learning opportunities for the multi-disciplinary team and others across the Trust.

The PSW will also have opportunity to co-work with other colleagues.

Reporting to the team manager, or other designated person, under the professional supervision of the Peer Support Worker Professional Lead, they will be responsible for the delivery of peer support interventions as agreed within the peer relationship.

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

Date posted

28 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

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

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

310-ASMH-7001068-A

Job locations

Union House

37 Union Lane,

CAMBRIDGE

CB4 1PR


Job description

Job responsibilities

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

1. Work in the community on a 1:1 basis to provide formalised peer support to adults with physical and/or mental health challenges. This is usually in the peers home or at a community venue but may occasionally be online/via phone depending on the peers needs.

2. Work towards recovery focussed goals within a time frame of up to 6-8 weeks. This may include supporting access to community groups and networks that enable peers to participate in community activities in order to maximise opportunities for living well.

3. Effectively manage your own diary and travel time to support seeing a minimum of 3 peers a day.

4. Contribute to the wider overall care of your peer by writing recovery focussed notes on NHS systems and seeking regular feedback via service set outcome measurements.

5. Assist peers in creating a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or similar life plan.

6. Support peers to overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenging negative self-talk and refocussing on the unique strengths your peer has.

7. Value, respect and promote the personal, social, cultural and spiritual uniqueness each peer has.

8. Contribute in a recovery focussed way to weekly meetings where you will feedback progress on your peers recovery goals to the wider team.

9. Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multi-disciplinary team members, peers and carers.

10. Raise awareness of recovery language with Trust staff by modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work.

11. Support other members of the multi-disciplinary team in promoting a recovery orientated environment and in identifying recovery focused activities imparting information/ education as required.

12. Abide by the PSW Code of Conduct, so that the central focus of your work to inspire recovery is not compromised at any time.

13. Attend regular operational and professional supervision (monthly) in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

1. Work in the community on a 1:1 basis to provide formalised peer support to adults with physical and/or mental health challenges. This is usually in the peers home or at a community venue but may occasionally be online/via phone depending on the peers needs.

2. Work towards recovery focussed goals within a time frame of up to 6-8 weeks. This may include supporting access to community groups and networks that enable peers to participate in community activities in order to maximise opportunities for living well.

3. Effectively manage your own diary and travel time to support seeing a minimum of 3 peers a day.

4. Contribute to the wider overall care of your peer by writing recovery focussed notes on NHS systems and seeking regular feedback via service set outcome measurements.

5. Assist peers in creating a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or similar life plan.

6. Support peers to overcome fears and within a relationship of empathy, trust and honesty, challenging negative self-talk and refocussing on the unique strengths your peer has.

7. Value, respect and promote the personal, social, cultural and spiritual uniqueness each peer has.

8. Contribute in a recovery focussed way to weekly meetings where you will feedback progress on your peers recovery goals to the wider team.

9. Act as a positive role model showing professional and caring attitudes and behaviour towards other multi-disciplinary team members, peers and carers.

10. Raise awareness of recovery language with Trust staff by modelling positive strengths based, non-discriminatory, non-jargon, non-medicalised language in all areas of work.

11. Support other members of the multi-disciplinary team in promoting a recovery orientated environment and in identifying recovery focused activities imparting information/ education as required.

12. Abide by the PSW Code of Conduct, so that the central focus of your work to inspire recovery is not compromised at any time.

13. Attend regular operational and professional supervision (monthly) in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

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

Desirable

  • Related Health or Social Care qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Lived experience of a long-term health condition
  • Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques
  • Experience of working in a team or a group environment

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
  • IT literacy using Microsoft Office
  • Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
  • Ability to maintain a healthy home/work life balance

Physical Requirements/Other

Essential

  • Respectful and compassionate
  • Patient and a non-judgmental approach
Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

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

Desirable

  • Related Health or Social Care qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Lived experience of a long-term health condition
  • Experience of using a range of self-management or recovery tools and techniques
  • Experience of working in a team or a group environment

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
  • IT literacy using Microsoft Office
  • Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
  • Ability to maintain a healthy home/work life balance

Physical Requirements/Other

Essential

  • Respectful and compassionate
  • Patient and a non-judgmental approach

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

Union House

37 Union Lane,

CAMBRIDGE

CB4 1PR


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Union House

37 Union Lane,

CAMBRIDGE

CB4 1PR


Employer's website

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


For questions about the job, contact:

Operational Lead

Irene Cockram

Irene.Cockram@cpft.nhs.uk

01223341500

Date posted

28 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

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

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

310-ASMH-7001068-A

Job locations

Union House

37 Union Lane,

CAMBRIDGE

CB4 1PR


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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