Peer Support Worker MMHS/SPS | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; Warrington; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health trust in the UK is seeking a Peer Support Worker for their Specialist Perinatal Service. This fixed-term role until November 2026 offers a unique opportunity for individuals with personal experience in maternity and mental health services to support others in their journeys. Responsibilities include helping service users set recovery goals, acting as a role model, and facilitating community engagement. Candidates must have lived experience relevant to maternity or perinatal journeys and a desire to promote positive mental well-being.

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience related to the maternity or perinatal journey.
• Experience in mental health services.
• Commitment to positive mental well-being.

Responsibilities

• Act as a role model to service users demonstrating Trust values.
• Help individuals set recovery goals using mutual resources.
• Accompany service users to appointments.

Skills

Personal lived experience of a maternity or perinatal journey

Experience of having received care in mental health services

Desire to act as a recovery champion

Ability to maintain professional boundaries

Job description

PEER SUPPORT WORKER - Specialist Perinatal Service and Maternal Mental Health Service

THIS POST IS FIXED TERM UNTIL NOVEMBER 2026

The role of Peer Support (PSW) has been developed specifically for people with lived experience of mental health services. By sharing wisdom from their own experience, the peer support worker inspires hope in others.

PLEASE ONLY APPLY IF YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE RELATES DIRECTLY TO YOUR MATERNITY/ PERINATAL JOURNEY

The Specialist Perinatal Service is a multi‑disciplinary team that supports women, birthing people and families across Cheshire and Merseyside in the perinatal period (pregnancy to 24 months postnatal). The Maternal Mental Health Service provides support to women and birthing people who have experienced loss and/or trauma within their maternity journey and delivers care under three pillars: Midwifery, Psychology and Peer Support.

This is an exciting opportunity to use your own experience to help support others during their journey. The support provided by our PSWs is unique and invaluable.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people. We offer specialist inpatient and community services covering physical and mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high‑secure mental health facilities.

We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families and carers to design and develop future services together. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Key responsibilities:

• Act as a positive role model to service users and staff members, demonstrating Trust values.
• Establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using mental health services.
• Help individuals identify their own achievable and meaningful recovery goals and set recovery objectives, drawing on mutual resources as peers and utilising a range of recovery tools, techniques and experience.
• Share and promote coping, self‑help and self‑management techniques within the peer relationship.
• Accompany service users to appointments/meetings of their choice and perform a range of practical tasks aligned to recovery goals.
• Facilitate access to community groups and networks that enable service users to participate in community activities, maximizing opportunities for socially valued roles and positive identity.
• Provide support to service users whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
• Support service users to identify and overcome fears and challenges within their recovery in a relationship of empathy and trust.
• ​Liaise with carers, other health professionals, statutory and voluntary agencies to enable the recovery needs of the service user group to be met.
• Work in collaboration with other key stakeholders and colleagues involved in the delivery of care.
• Work within Trust clinical supervision guidelines.
• Act within the limits of competence and authority, seeking advice and guidance when required.
• Contribute to a positive and safe working culture.
• Undertake appropriate administrative duties to assist the team (data inputting, filing, computer work, faxing, photocopying, updating patient records on RIO).
• Ensure patient health records are maintained in accordance with national and organisational policies and within the scope of the Peer Support Worker’s responsibility.
• Actively participate in regular line management and clinical supervision, including recovery‑focused group supervision and personal developmental planning.
• Attend service user forums to ensure the voice of the service user is heard and their views, opinions and needs are addressed.
• Participate in quality assurance measures, promoting uptake of friends and family tests, satisfaction questionnaires and other effectiveness measures; provide constructive feedback for improvement.
• Contribute to service development by attending ward, service and hospital level meetings to promote the service user perspective.
• Attend all statutory and mandatory training allocated.
• Attend RIO training.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures.
• Complete any other reasonable request.
• Travel as required by the role – this is essential.

Requirements:

• Personal lived experience of a maternity or perinatal journey.
• Experience of having received care in mental health services.
• Desire to act as a recovery champion and ambassador of positive mental well‑being in both clinical and non‑clinical environments.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and work within agreed limits of competence and authority.

Additional information:

• The peer support worker will be involved in the ongoing development of peer support worker roles, including training programmes and evaluations.
• The role is part of a fixed term contract until November 2026.

Advert closes on Wednesday 17 Dec 2025.