Peer Support Worker | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; Lewisham, Croydon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent mental health service provider in the UK is looking for a Peer Support Worker to join their OAS Risk Mental State for Psychosis Service. The role involves using personal lived experience of mental health challenges to support service users, promote social inclusion, and offer emotional support. The ideal candidate will have completed an accredited Peer Worker training course and will be offered professional development opportunities, supervision and mentoring as part of a multidisciplinary team. The advert closes on January 6, 2026.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Supervision and mentoring

Access to training programs

Qualifications

• Lived experience of mental health problems and recovery.
• Compassionate and self-motivated individual.
• Ability to share lived experience safely and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Use lived experience to inspire hope for service users.
• Support service users to communicate with mental health professionals.
• Promote service user involvement in their care.

Skills

Empathy

Communication skills

Knowledge of mental health recovery

Ability to inspire hope

Education

Accredited Peer Worker training course

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Peer Support Worker (PSW) within OAS Risk Mental State for Psychosis Service).

Peer Workers use their lived experience of mental health challenges and using services to inspire hope that change is possible. Peer Workers offer emotional support, promote social inclusion, share coping mechanisms, and support service users to navigate mental health services.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, compassionate, positive thinking and self-motivated individual with lived experience of mental health problems and recovery.

The successful candidate will have completed an accredited Peer Worker training course or be willing to complete training shortly after starting their role. They will be a member of a multidisciplinary team, working alongside a variety of mental health professionals.

Peer Support Workers are fully supported in their role through regular 1 to 1 supervision within the team line management structure. They will also have access to training opportunities to support their professional development. In addition, there will be access to monthly peer mentoring and weekly online group supervision.

The postholder will use their own lived experience of mental health difficulties and recovery to support OASIS service users and carers. They will contribute to service promotion projects, facilitate a peer support group, and may offer 1:1 support to service users and carers depending on experience. The postholder will work alongside a multidisciplinary mental health team.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Key Responsibilities:

• To use lived experience to inspire hope that change is possible.
• To share your own lived experience safely and effectively.
• To share your own and other examples of lived experience of recovery.
• To work in a way that acknowledges the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths of the person.
• To use evidence-based recovery tools to support the service user.
• To support the service user to understand the role of statutory mental health services and how they can support their recovery alongside other community resources.
• To support the service user to communicate with involved mental health professionals and wider support network.
• To record information in a clear and accessible way.
• To promote service user involvement in all aspects of their work.
• To ensure confidentiality and safe keeping of client records.
• To be able to signpost to community and/or online resources and access appropriate mainstream and specialist resources.
• To be aware of, teach others and challenge issues in relation to stigma, low expectations and anti‑discriminatory practice as appropriate.
• To attend team meetings as appropriate.
• To promote the role of peer support both within SLAM and externally, through co‑delivery of presentations, workshops, and information sharing. In addition, to participate in Trust‑wide peer related projects and audits.
• To take part in regular one‑to‑one supervision with senior staff.
• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual appraisal.
• To complete mandatory training.
• To take part in group supervision and mentoring for peer workers.
• To work flexibly and travel between OASIS team bases and community venues as required.

Depending on experience, responsibilities may include:

• To facilitate a peer support group for OASIS service users.
• To work directly with an identified caseload of individuals via video/telephone call, text and in person face‑to‑face sessions.
• To support service improvement by collecting feedback from service users and carers via PEDIC and relevant outcome measures.
• To co‑design and co‑facilitate presentations and workshops alongside OASIS colleagues which promote the OASIS service and raise awareness of At‑Risk Mental States.

This advert closes on Tuesday 6 Jan 2026