Peer Support Mentor

Lincolnshire pa.; Lincoln; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous pension

Registration fee reimbursement

Career progression

Generous annual leave

Hybrid/flexible working

Job summary

Lincolnshire County Council is recruiting three Peer Support Mentor roles to help autistic adults and those with mental health needs transition from hospital to home. You will use your lived experience to build trust, promote independence and empower people to set goals and access services.

Two roles are based in Lincoln and one in Spalding. The post offers hybrid working, mileage reimbursement and a generous benefits package to support compassionate, person-centred care.

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience of autism, mental health services, or caring for someone with these experiences.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A person-centred, strengths-based and recovery-focused approach.
• Ability to build trust with people who may be anxious or distressed.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting, strengths-based relationships with people during inpatient stay and transition into the community.
• Provide encouragement, guidance and practical support through sharing lived experiences.
• Help individuals prepare for discharge and navigate community services.
• Support people to identify goals, build confidence and develop independence.
• Collaborate with health professionals, social care teams, families and partner organisations.
• Promote recovery and wellbeing through peer-led approaches.
• Assist access to local opportunities and ongoing support.

Skills

Lived experience

Empathy

Communication

Relationship building

Job description

Job Introduction

Can your lived experience help someone take the next step from hospital to home? Lincolnshire County Council is recruiting for three exciting new Peer Support Mentor roles. The roles are known internally as Peer Support Mentor - Autism & Mental Health Inpatient Transitions roles - they offer a unique opportunity to use your lived experience to make a genuine difference to the lives of autistic adults and adults experiencing mental health challenges. Two will be based in Lincoln and one in Spalding. This is more than a support role. It is an opportunity to walk alongside people during some of the most important moments of their recovery journey, helping them navigate their transition from inpatient settings back into their local communities with confidence, hope and the right support around them. As a Peer Support Mentor, you will use your own experiences, insight and understanding to build trust, promote independence and empower people to identify their strengths, goals and aspirations. Working closely with individuals, families, health professionals and community organisations, you will help ensure that people feel heard, understood and supported throughout their transition. If you are passionate about recovery, believe in the power of lived experience and want to help others build meaningful lives beyond hospital, we'd love to hear from you.

About the role

This brand-new role forms part of Lincolnshire's commitment to improving outcomes for autistic adults and people with mental health needs as they move from inpatient care back into their communities. Working across Lincolnshire's integrated health and care system, you will provide practical, emotional and peer-led support that complements clinical and professional interventions.

• Build trusting, strengths-based relationships with people during their inpatient stay and transition into the community.


• Provide encouragement, guidance and practical support through the sharing of relevant lived experiences.


• Help individuals prepare for discharge and navigate community services and support networks.


• Support people to identify their goals, build confidence and develop greater independence.


• Work collaboratively with health professionals, social care teams, families and partner organisations.


• Promote recovery, self-management and wellbeing through peer-led approaches.


• Help people access local opportunities, community activities and sources of ongoing support.


• Contribute to the development of a positive and sustainable peer support culture across the Mental Health Service.

No two days will be the same. One day you may be supporting someone to prepare for discharge planning meetings within an inpatient setting, and the next helping them connect with community resources and opportunities that support their ongoing recovery and independence.

Additional information

• Core office hours: 08:45–17:15 (Monday–Thursday), 08:45–16:45 (Friday)


• Hybrid working: a combination of home and office-based working, with office attendance as required


• Travel is essential; mileage is reimbursed for journeys from the office to appointments


• Full-time and part-time opportunities available

About you

• Personal lived experience of autism, mental health services, or caring for someone with these experiences.


• The ability to use your lived experience safely, appropriately and constructively to support others.


• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.


• An understanding of the challenges people can face when transitioning from hospital back into community life.


• A person-centred, strengths-based and recovery-focused approach.


• The ability to build trust with people who may be experiencing anxiety, uncertainty or distress.


• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage your own workload effectively.


• A commitment to inclusion, equality and autism-affirming practice.


• The ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals, partners and community organisations.


• Most importantly, you will be someone who can offer hope.


• Someone who inspires confidence through empathy, understanding and genuine connection, helping others to see what is possible for their future.

About the team

Our Mental Health Service is committed to delivering strengths-based, person-centred support that improves wellbeing, independence and positive outcomes.

Our team includes Social Workers, Social Work Assistants and Community Care Officers working across three localities in Lincolnshire. Together, we bring a range of experience, skills, and perspectives, creating a supportive and collaborative environment where everyone’s contribution is valued.

You will be joining an ambitious service at an exciting time of development and transformation. Working closely with operational teams, strategic commissioners and partner organisations, you will play a key role in embedding co‑production and lived experience throughout our work.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape a role from the ground up, influence how services develop in the future and leave a lasting legacy for Mental Health services across Lincolnshire.

About the Offer

We celebrate our Team's achievements and share our experiences. It is important that Practitioners feel appreciated and supported – our staff are our most valued asset. We provide 1-1 meetings and monthly team meetings.

• Along with a competitive salary we offer


• A generous pension scheme


• Reimbursement for professional registration fees


• Career progression opportunities including the opportunity to progress to a Qualified Social Worker.


• A generous annual leave entitlement


• “Green book” Local Government terms and conditions


• Comprehensive benefits package including salary sacrifice for cars, cycles, plus excellent discount schemes


• 37 hour working week (as full time) including flexible and hybrid working


• A generous leave entitlement with a minimum of 25 days plus bank holidays and the option to buy more


• Free financial wellbeing advice

Closing date

25th October 2026.

Interviews

TBC.

Location

Two will be based in Lincoln and one in Spalding.

Roles Clarification

Hybrid working will be a feature of this role. You will be given a nominated contractual work base and you will be required to commute to this work base when necessary. Working arrangements regarding hybrid working will be discussed as part of the appointment process.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Fluency Duty In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values – collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible – guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.

About Lincolnshire County Council

At Lincolnshire County Council, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we offer a rewarding package designed to support your work–life balance, health and wellbeing, financial security, and career growth. Find out more about our offer to you in the attached brochure.