Peer Support Worker

PENNINE CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Greater Manchester is looking for a full-time Peer Support Worker to empower individuals with complex emotional needs. The role involves using lived experience to support service users in their recovery journey, offering empathy and practical assistance. You will work with the Structured Clinical Management team for high-quality mental health services across multiple boroughs. Flexible working arrangements may be available.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Continued Professional Development access

Health and Wellbeing activities

Staff discounts across retail and leisure

Qualifications

• Experience in providing emotional support to others.
• Ability to empathize and connect with service users.
• Skills in self-management techniques and sharing them with others.

Responsibilities

• Support service users to identify and achieve personal goals.
• Provide emotional and practical support using lived experience.
• Inspire belief in recovery and act as a role model.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Active listening

Emotional resilience

Education

Lived experience of mental health difficulties

Job description

Peer Support Worker

As a Peer Support Worker, you will work with individuals facing complex emotional and relational needs, drawing on your own recovery journey to offer hope, understanding, and practical support. You will empower service users to take greater control and responsibility over their own wellbeing and to successfully achieve their personal goals.

Our clinical leads recommend taking a period of approximately 12 months after completing a CERN intervention (e.g. SCM) to consolidate gains made, prior to applying for this Peer Support Worker role. This is a recommendation, and all applications will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Part time and flexible working could be considered for this role.

Responsibilities

• Support Recovery: Use your lived experience to provide emotional and practical support, helping service users identify and work towards their personal goals.
• Build Connections: Offer empathy and companionship, working one-on-one and in groups to empower individuals and reduce feelings of isolation.
• Share Self-Management Tools: Draw on the techniques you've used to manage your own wellbeing and share these with others in a hopeful, strengths-based way.
• Be a Role Model: Inspire belief in recovery by modelling wellbeing and acting as an ambassador for service users within our team.

Sponsorship Information

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Application Process

After You Apply: Once your application is submitted, you'll receive updates via email. Shortlisting is based on how well you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and invitations will be sent by email.

If You're Offered the Role: If successful, the hiring manager will contact you directly with a verbal offer. They will then notify the Recruitment Team and submit the necessary paperwork. You'll receive a formal conditional offer via email.

Pre-Employment Checks

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years of employment. This information will be used to validate employment history and references.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

On Completion of Checks

The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You'll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.

Additional Information

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve. If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.

Please note:

• We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.
• We may close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, please apply as soon as possible.

About the Role

If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople. Do you have lived experience of mental health difficulties? Would you like to use this experience to support others?

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Full Time Band 3 Peer Support Worker to join our Structured Clinical Management (SCM) Team in Oldham. The SCM Team supports individuals with complex emotional and relational needs. We offer an evidence-based treatment over 12-18 months, including one-to-one sessions and skills groups. If you're motivated, empathetic, and have personal experience with mental health difficulties—including using mental health services—we'd love for you to bring your unique perspective to our team.

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester – Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, and Tameside and Glossop. Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

Benefits and Opportunities

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance.
• Access to Continued Professional Development.
• Involvement in improvement and research activities.
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service.
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel.