Overview

We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Peer Support Worker to join Ward 1, our Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Springfield Hospital. This role is for someone with their own personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of accessing inpatient mental health services, who is ready to use that experience to walk alongside others in their recovery journey. We welcome applicants who may also have experience of caring for or supporting someone in mental distress. Please note that professional experience alone will not meet the essential lived experience criteria. Ward 1 is a dynamic environment providing intensive care for people experiencing significant mental health challenges. As a Peer Support Worker, you will bring hope, understanding, and empathy aiming to help people feel heard, valued, and respected during what can be a difficult time. You will work closely with our multidisciplinary team, drawing on your lived experience and peer support principles to build trusting relationships, promote recovery, and support people to regain a sense of control and connection. You will also contribute to developing a positive, inclusive anti-racist ward culture that actively challenges stigma. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of our growing Lived Experience Workforce, supported by training, supervision, and opportunities for progression. In this role, you will draw on your own lived experience to offer hope, mutual understanding, and a sense that recovery is possible, walking alongside people staying on Ward 1 as a partner in their journey. You will provide both one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside the ward team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused environment. While you will not be expected to take part directly in any act of force, you will support these situations in real time by helping to reassure and orientate other patients, maintaining calm, and assisting in managing the ward environment while clinical staff are engaged. You will also have an important role in supporting the process afterwards through debriefs, reflection, and helping to maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone. Your role will involve listening without judgment, sharing experiences in a way that promotes connection and mutual learning, supporting people to identify and work towards goals that matter to them. To thrive in this role, you will need to be at a stage in your own personal recovery where you feel secure, confident, and able to speak up, even in difficult moments. We will support you to have robust wellbeing plans in place and to maintain your own resilience, motivation, and morale, so you can bring your best self to the role while continuing to look after your own recovery.Responsibilities

Use your personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of using inpatient mental health services to inspire hope, build trust, and promote recovery.Provide one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside patients as an equal partner in their recovery journey.Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused ward environment.Support people to identify and work towards their own goals, maintain important personal connections, and prepare for transition or discharge.Promote involvement and co-production, encouraging people to have a voice in how the ward operates and the care they receive.Support staff to increase compassion, understanding, and empathy as part of wider cultural change towards more humanised, recovery-oriented care.Provide real-time support during challenging situations, including reassuring and orientating other patients and helping to maintain calm while staff are engaged.Take part in debriefs and reflective discussions after incidents, contributing to learning and maintaining a respectful ward culture.Act as a visible advocate for the values and principles of peer support, challenging stigma and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.Maintain your own wellbeing and resilience through robust personal wellness planning, regular supervision, and active self-care, supported by the Trust.

#J-18808-Ljbffr