Professional lead for lived experience

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; West Midlands Combined Authority; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in the UK is seeking a professional leader to oversee the peer support teams in forensic mental health services. The role requires managing staff, implementing strategies, and advocating for the use of lived experience in service delivery. Candidates must have a Master’s degree and a strong background in mental health services. This position demands robust leadership and analytical skills.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree level education or equivalent experience is essential.
• Experience of working with mental health difficulties and managing peer support workers is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership to peer support teams in forensic services.
• Oversee the governance of lived experience workforce and support practices.
• Implement national and local strategies for peer support development.

Skills

Leadership skills

Experience in mental health services

Ability to manage peer support workers

Analytical skills

Education

Master’s Degree level study

Job description

Job Summary

Provide professional leadership to support the organisation, planning, and delivery of peer support across Forensic services at MPFT. Manage operational and strategic plans and policies to ensure the delivery of effective, efficient and high quality services for patients and their families / carers. Lead on the professional leadership of lived experience roles within forensics and drive key peer support project work.

About Us

Join our award-winning NHS Trust, committed to improving life for local communities. We employ around 9,000 staff across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin, offering wide-ranging services including forensic services and regional/national initiatives. We are dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where every voice is heard.

Job Description

Job responsibilities include leading lived experience peer support workers within forensic mental health services, working with the Trust Recovery Lead Partner and the Knowledge and Understanding Framework Trainer to promote peer and lived experience roles in service delivery. You will partner with operational forensic mental health teams to bring challenge, ideas and support to advance Lived Experience and peer support across the Trust. You will oversee the governance of the lived experience workforce and peer support practice, ensuring clinical and professional supervision and support for staff under your responsibility. You will lead service development related to lived experience and peer support, implementing national and local strategies and policies, and identify external drivers impacting clinical services to advise on policy implementation across forensic mental health services.

• To be responsible for the professional leadership of lived experience peer support workers within forensic mental health services, working with theTrust Recovery Lead Partner and Knowledge and Understanding Framework Trainer to promote the principles and practice of peer and lived experience roles.
• Work closely in partnership with operational forensic mental health teams to bring challenge, ideas and support for further Lived Experience and peer support across the Trust.
• Exercise responsibility for operational management and governance of the lived experience workforce and peer support practice, ensuring systems are in place for supervision and support of staff.
• Lead on service development related to Lived Experience and peer support, including implementation of national and local strategies and policies.
• Identify external drivers that may impact clinical services and advise on policy implementation relevant to peer support across forensic mental health services.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Master’s Degree level study or demonstrable equivalent experience
• Desirable: Coaching and/or mentoring training

Experience

• Essential: Personal lived experience of mental health difficulties and use of mental health services; experience of working with people with mental illness and/or other disabilities; experience of managing and developing peer support workers; experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams; experience of using lived experience perspectives in strategic leadership; involvement in service redesign or development; skills in evaluating or auditing activities; ability to develop policy guidance and protocol; ability to analyse and report complex data; experience with research methods or service evaluation techniques.
• Desirable: Experience of public speaking or presenting; experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team

Other Information

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check required. This post may require skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK. Guidance on overseas criminal records checks is available. This vacancy may close early if there is a high volume of applications.