Peer Support Worker (Ward 1) | South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust; Tooting; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health trust in Tooting is seeking a Peer Support Worker for their Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit. This role is designed for individuals with personal lived experience of mental distress who are passionate about supporting others in their recovery journey. Responsibilities include providing peer support in a collaborative environment, engaging in reflective practices, and promoting well-being for both patients and staff. The ideal candidate should be compassionate and resilient. Join us in making a positive impact in mental health care.

Benefits

Wellbeing support

Collaborative work environment

Opportunities for personal growth

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress.
• Experience of accessing inpatient mental health services.
• Ability to support others on their recovery journey.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with multidisciplinary team to promote recovery.
• Provide one-to-one and group-based peer support.
• Support staff in maintaining a safe ward environment.
• Engage in debriefs and promote peer support principles.

Skills

Compassion

Empathy

Resilience

Communication

Job description

Overview

We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Peer Support Worker to join Ward 1, our Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Springfield Hospital.

This role is for someone with their own personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of accessing inpatient mental health services, who is ready to use that experience to walk alongside others in their recovery journey. We welcome applicants who may also have experience of caring for or supporting someone in mental distress. Please note that professional experience alone will not meet the essential lived experience criteria.

Ward 1 is a dynamic environment providing intensive care for people experiencing significant mental health challenges. As a Peer Support Worker, you will bring hope, understanding, and empathy aiming to help people feel heard, valued, and respected during what can be a difficult time.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the multidisciplinary team, drawing on your lived experience and peer support principles to build trusting relationships, promote recovery, and support people to regain a sense of control and connection. You will also contribute to developing a positive, inclusive anti-racist ward culture that actively challenges stigma.
• Provide both one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside the ward team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused environment.
• Support situations in real time by helping to reassure and orientate other patients, maintaining calm, and assisting in managing the ward environment while clinical staff are engaged.
• Take part in debriefs and reflective discussions after incidents, contributing to learning and maintaining a respectful ward culture.
• Act as a visible advocate for the values and principles of peer support, challenging stigma and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Maintain your own wellbeing and resilience through robust personal wellness planning, regular supervision, and active self-care, supported by the Trust.
• Promote involvement and co-production, encouraging people to have a voice in how the ward operates and the care they receive.
• Support staff to increase compassion, understanding, and empathy as part of wider cultural change towards more humanised, recovery-oriented care.
• Support people to identify and work towards their own goals, maintain important personal connections, and prepare for transition or discharge.

Additional role details

In this role, you will draw on your own lived experience to offer hope, mutual understanding, and a sense that recovery is possible, walking alongside people staying on Ward 1 as a partner in their journey. You will provide both one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside the ward team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused environment.

While you will not be expected to take part directly in any act of force, you will support these situations in real time by helping to reassure and orientate other patients, maintaining calm, and assisting in managing the ward environment while clinical staff are engaged. You will also have an important role in supporting the process afterwards through debriefs, reflection, and helping to maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone.

Your role will involve listening without judgment, sharing experiences in a way that promotes connection and mutual learning, supporting people to identify and work towards goals that matter to them.

To thrive in this role, you will need to be at a stage in your own personal recovery where you feel secure, confident, and able to speak up, even in difficult moments. We will support you to have robust wellbeing plans in place and to maintain your own resilience, motivation, and morale, so you can bring your best self to the role while continuing to look after your own recovery.

About our organisation

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust. We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’. This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

Location

About our locations: Springfield University Hospital, Tooting. Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.

Role specifics

As a Peer Support Worker on Ward 1, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), you will:

• Use your personal lived experience of mental or emotional distress and of using inpatient mental health services to inspire hope, build trust, and promote recovery.
• Provide one-to-one and group-based peer support, working alongside patients as an equal partner in their recovery journey.
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to create a safe, respectful, and recovery-focused ward environment.
• Support people to identify and work towards their own goals, maintain important personal connections, and prepare for transition or discharge.
• Promote involvement and co-production, encouraging people to have a voice in how the ward operates and the care they receive.
• Support staff to increase compassion, understanding, and empathy as part of wider cultural change towards more humanised, recovery-oriented care.
• Provide real-time support during challenging situations, including reassuring and orientating other patients and helping to maintain calm while staff are engaged.
• Take part in debriefs and reflective discussions after incidents, contributing to learning and maintaining a respectful ward culture.
• Act as a visible advocate for the values and principles of peer support, challenging stigma and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Maintain your own wellbeing and resilience through robust personal wellness planning, regular supervision, and active self-care, supported by the Trust.

Closing

This advert closes on Tuesday 16 Sep 2025