Band 3 Peer Support Worker

Job summary

The role of a Peer Support Worker (PSW) has been developed specifically for people who have lived experience of mental health challenges, or experience of caring for a close friend or close family member experiencing mental health challenges. Through sharing wisdom from their own experiences, peer support workers will inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others. They make a positive contribution to the lives of others by using their lived experience.

Main duties of the job

The PSW will take a lead role in embedding peer support values within a designated clinical pathway, alongside other Trust recovery champions, and act as an ambassador of Peer Support for the Trust with external agencies and partner organisations. As an integral and highly valued member of the multi-disciplinary team, the Peer Support Worker (PSW) will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to service users based on their own unique mental health goals.

Through careful sharing of the wisdom from their own lived experience, the PSW will inspire hope and belief that these goals are possible, whilst recognising that each individual's recovery is a distinctive and deeply personal process. Within a relationship of mutuality, PSWs work with service users to help recognise their strengths, and identify aspects of life that give meaning, hope, value and purpose. They facilitate and support information sharing to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of socially valued roles and connection themselves and to local communities.

As a member of the multi-disciplinary team, the PSW will carry out duties aligned to our peer support core competencies framework and will work alongside service users on a 1:1 and/ or group basis. There will be opportunities for innovation and ongoing development as the post gets established.

About us

Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.