Peer Support Worker

NHS; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Chelmsford is seeking a Peer Support Worker to assist women facing perinatal mental health challenges. The ideal candidate will have personal lived experience with these issues and will work closely with service users to support their recovery and engagement with services. Essential qualifications include training in mental health and a strong ability to build relationships. This role offers opportunities for personal growth and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Season Ticket Loans

NHS discounts for staff

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Must have personal lived experience regarding Perinatal Mental Health.
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development.

Responsibilities

• Support service users one-to-one and develop their goals.
• Engage individuals with activities and hold regular meetings.
• Coordinate with local community groups and provide guidance.

Skills

Personal lived experience

Support for individuals

Advocacy skills

Ability to build relationships

Education

Further training in mental health

Job description

Go back Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Peer Support Worker

The closing date is 26 November 2025

Please note you must have right to work in the UK to apply for this position.

Due to current Home Office Guidelines, we are unable to sponsor this job role.

The Rainbow Mother and Baby Unit is a specialist 6 bedded unit. The unit provides mental health care and treatment for women during the late stages of pregnancy and up to one year after the birth of their baby.

The Rainbow Unit aims to:

• Deliver the highest quality of care to mothers and theirbabies in a safe, friendly and supportive environment.
• Maintain the safety of all mothers and their babies whilst treating the mother's mental illness.
• Offer support to the families and carers involved in the mother's and or baby's care.
• Help sustain the developing relationship between mother, baby and other family members

Through the understanding of the Peer Support Worker (PSW) in relation to lived experiences within inpatient settings, the hope and reflection of recovery can be promoted within perinatal services

An essential criteria of this role, is the right candidate must have personal lived experience as someone who has been challenged by Perinatal Mental Health concerns previously at inpatient status or been supported within community perinatal mental health services.

Main duties of the job

Using your own lived experiences, the role of the Peer Support Worker (PSW) is to support and understand the impact of accessing services when experiencing mental health challenges.

As a PSW, you will work collaboratively with service users and the wider MDT to support the implementing of care and promoting recovery.

You will provide support and understanding to care givers and family members whilst underpinning recovery principles and socially inclusive practice

PSW's can support in building therapeutic relationships with service users to promote choice, offer advocacy support and understanding of position through lived experiences of being admitted to a Mother and Baby Unit.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Job responsibilities

As a Peer support worker, you will have a wide range of responsibilities.

• working one to one and supporting service users or patients
• helping to support individuals to develop goals
• helping people engage with activities
• regular 1-1 meetings including review with supervisor to discuss any challenges and talk through sessions
• meeting regularly with a small group of volunteers to discuss general topics, daily guidelines, and handovers.
• participating in activities such as tutoring, mentoring, or creating and running a workshop for a class as volunteers or one-on-one meetings.
• providing guidance, tutoring, and social support to volunteers, fellow students, or others interested in learning more about PSW.
• coordinating volunteer opportunities with local non-profit organizations or community groups.
• organizing support groups or peer-led clubs focused on PSW.

An essential criteria of this role, is the right candidate must have personal lived experience as someone who has been challenged by Perinatal Mental Health concerns previously at inpatient status or been supported within community perinatal mental health services.

Person Specification

Education

• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
• Completed further training within mental health sector

Experience

• Ability to demonstrate personal knowledge of recovery from perinatal mental health challenges with lived experience
• Experience of working with people with mental health challenges and supporting them to access opportunities beyond mental health services
• Must have personal lived experience as someone who has been challenged by Perinatal Mental Health concerns previously at inpatient status or been supported within community perinatal mental health services.
• Experience of positively sharing own life experiences, and personal recovery journey with service users, carers and others

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.

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust