Placement and Volunteer

Solent Mind; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health support organization in Portsmouth is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to engage in peer support roles. This unique opportunity involves shadowing professionals, assisting service users with mental health challenges, and engaging in community activities. Ideal candidates will be studying or have completed degrees in health and social care. The role emphasizes strong communication skills and a passion for mental health support, offering training and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Full induction and training

Reflective practice and supervision

Development of practical skills in peer support

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in or completed a degree in relevant health and social care field.
• Experience with mental health challenges is a plus.
• Knowledge of professional boundaries to maintain safety.

Responsibilities

• Shadow and support triage processes and service users.
• Co-deliver structured courses like WRAP.
• Assist in creating wellness plans and monitoring support.
• Conduct administrative tasks including record writing.
• Support diverse community-focused groups.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to manage mental health

Knowledge of emotional regulation skills

Willingness to learn

Education

Professional health and social care course (undergraduate or postgraduate)

Job description

We are seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers currently studying or who have completed undergraduate or postgraduate courses in health and social care (including Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Nursing, General Nursing, or Paramedic Science). This role offers a unique opportunity to combine placement learning with continued volunteering activity beyond study, ensuring continuity of care for service users. Volunteers will play a vital role in delivering lived‑experience peer support within the community, supporting Solent Mind's community lived experience support service.

Main Responsibilities

Shadowing triage processes and progressing to active involvement once confident and competent, holding extended conversations with service users who are “waiting well,” including emotional regulation skills, DBT‑informed approaches, and creating Wellness Toolboxes.

Supporting and co‑delivering structured evidence based courses, such as WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and Decider Skills.

Assisting service users in developing WRAP and Crisis Plans “on the go” (for those trained in WRAP).

Utilising and delivering Active Monitoring support with service users over the telephone.

Supporting diverse focused groups, e.g. Neurodiversity, Trans, Anxiety & Depression, Horticulture Therapy, Forensic Projects.

Shadowing 1:1 lived‑experience peer support sessions in the community with a Peer Support Worker.

Administrative tasks: record writing, case notes, group planning, and evaluation.

Tracking assessments from triage through to exit and follow‑ups.

Contributing to group and service evaluations.

Assisting with promotional materials and outreach.

Ideally have lived and shared experience of recovering from mental health challenges and the ability to appropriately share helpful tools and strategies to support others in their recovery journey.

Be able to manage your own mental health well, have a good level of resilience, knowledge and implementation of professional boundaries to keep yourself and others safe, as well as an understanding of your own support needs, how to access support, tools and strategies if and when needed.

Currently enrolled on or completed a professional health and social care course (undergraduate or postgraduate) in Social Work, Psychology, Neuroscience, Mental Health Nursing, General Nursing, or Paramedic Science. Counselling/Psychotherapy courses accepted, but this would not count towards required placement hours.

Ability to commit to a placement block with continued volunteering activity for continuity of care, or a minimum of 6 months+ if volunteering.

Passion for supporting people with lived experience of mental health challenges.

Strong communication skills and willingness to learn in a supportive environment.

What’s in it for you?

• Full induction, training (with potential for Health Education England peer support training), and supervision.
• Reflective practice and clinical supervision to support your professional development.
• Opportunities to develop practical skills in peer support, group facilitation, and service evaluation.
• Experience working within a community mental health setting alongside professionals and peers.
• Opportunity to influence shaping and developing services with the Lived‑Experience Participation Group.