Senior Peer Support Worker

South West Community Chaplaincy; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

SEL Mind is seeking a Senior Peer Support Worker to join the In-Reach team in Lewisham, bringing lived experience to support patients on hospital wards and after discharge, helping them move toward independent community living.

The role includes line management of a Peer Support Worker, regular supervision, and facilitating access to community resources while promoting wellbeing and preventing readmission.

Qualifications

• Direct lived experience of mental health problems.
• Experience of line management/managerial responsibilities.
• Enhanced DBS clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Provide recovery-focused peer support to in-patients on hospital wards and after discharge to support independent community living.
• Line manage a Peer Support Worker, providing supervision and development opportunities.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop essential skills and coping strategies for service users.
• Support service users after discharge for up to 12 weeks to prevent re-admission and promote independence.

Job description

Senior Peer Support Workers and Peer Support Workers, who have direct lived experience of mental health issues, are working on in-patient wards in Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Wandsworth to provide recovery-focused peer support to people as they leave hospital and journey towards living independently in the community.

We are seeking a Senior Peer Support Worker to join the In-Reach team in Lewisham, using personal lived experience of mental health difficulties to provide person-centred, recovery-focused peer support to people on hospital wards and as they are discharged to journey towards being settled in the community. This role will also line manage a Peer Support Worker, providing regular supervision and support, annual appraisals and development opportunities.

The Senior Peer Support Worker will collaborate with the multidisciplinary team within the Unit, assisting in-patients in developing essential skills and coping mechanisms, while promoting overall wellness through strength based and non-directive conversations. They will provide both practical and emotional support, facilitate access to community resources to help individuals maintain their independence while ensuring their wellbeing.

Additionally, this role includes supporting service users after discharge in the community for up to 12 weeks, aiding them in fostering independence within their local community, connecting with various agencies, enhancing life skills, providing guidance related to employment or educational opportunities and improving their ability to manage challenges effectively to prevent re-admission.

This position requires building connections with service users through shared experiences of mental health challenges, making lived experience a crucial requirement for applicants. You will also need to have previous experience of line management/managerial responsibilities.

Successful applicants will be expected to undergo an Enhanced Level Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Closing date: Tuesday 27th October (11:59pm)

Likely interview date: Week beginning 9th November

We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.

About Us

SEL Mind supports people with mental health problems and dementia in the boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. We are proud of our diverse workforce and know that our organisation is made stronger by the variety of backgrounds, experience, and ideas within it. We promote a culture of inclusion and representation, and are working hard to build a workforce that even better reflects the communities we support.

SEL Mind is somewhere that you can be your authentic self without fear of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, neurodivergence, gender, age, lived experience of mental health problems or anything else that’s part of who you are.

Read more about staff benefits and why staff love working here on our website.