Trust Peer Support Lead

Greater Manchester Mental Health; Manchester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in Manchester seeks a Peer Support Lead to develop and lead their Peer Support Workforce. The role requires lived experience of mental health challenges and expertise in peer-led services to improve collaborative care. You will work with a passionate team to optimize peer support services in alignment with the trust's strategic priorities. Ideal candidates will have a Master's level qualification and experience as a Peer Support Worker or Trainer, focusing on co-production and recovery principles.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Excellent pension

Cycle to work scheme

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form professional relationships.
• Effective active listening skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the peer support workforce.
• Ensure provision of peer support services in line with co-production principles.
• Contribute lived experience and expertise to service delivery.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Active listening

Organizational skills

Emotional intelligence

Facilitation skills

Education

Master's level education in relevant subject

Job description

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Trust Service User and Carer Experience and Engagement Team at GMMH and help us grow our Peer Support Workforce across the Trust in line with our Together Strategy priorities. The successful postholder will join a passionate, creative team who lead our priorities to improve collaborative care, learn from service user and carer experiences, co‑produce service improvements with people with lived experience, and co‑deliver our services through lived experience roles including peer support roles.

Band 7 / 8a - Subject to job evaluation

Main duties of the job

This specific postholder will develop and lead the peer support workforce within the Trust. The Peer Support Lead will contribute their ‘lived experience’, specialist knowledge and expertise in supporting the organisation to deliver peer‑led recovery‑focused services, optimising the contribution of the trust peer workforce. They will ensure the provision of peer support services offered across GMMH in line with the principles and ethos of co‑production, recovery, and social inclusion.

Working for our organisation

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community‑based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the North‑West of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached job description and person specification :

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• Excellent pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car scheme
• Wellbeing programme

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to Master's level in relevant subject, or equivalent experience.
• Training in Peer Support and Recovery.
• Involvement in research organisationally or wider.
• Training in Psychological Interventions

Desirable criteria

• Leadership training.
• Teacher training qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Lived experience of mental health challenges; and a willingness to positively share own life experiences
• Experience as a Peer Support Worker or Peer Support Trainer
• Significant post qualification experience working in mental health services (statutory or voluntary sector)
• Experience of leading change and working across organisational boundaries and with a wide range of professional groups at a senior level to achieve a shared goal
• Experience of analysing organisational or team issues and developing and implementing change strategies
• Experience of supervising and appraising staff (individual and group)
• Experience of teaching and facilitating groups

Desirable criteria

• Management of complex HR issues and workforce planning
• Experience in strategy development and delivery
• Experience in guidelines and policy development
• Experience of coaching

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Excellent understanding of theory and practice of peer support and the benefits of lived experience within the mental health workforce.
• Knowledge of how to build community links and networks.
• Understanding of issues affecting people from different backgrounds and cultures and the impact on their mental health
• Knowledge of different interventions to support recovery and good mental health
• Knowledge of the NHS long term plan and the contribution of peer support work
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, including information guidance

Desirable criteria

• Excellent knowledge of the local area and local services available including public services, community lead services and third sector / charitable services

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Evidence of good interpersonal skills and an ability to form professional relationships with service users, staff, friends and families / carers
• Effective active listening skills
• Ability to manage complex behaviours and trauma in a sensitive and safe way
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to engage with and motivate others to widen participation
• High level of emotional intelligence and the ability to manage competing priorities in a compassionate and professional way
• Creative with a solution focused approach
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Ability to write reports in a professional, informative and succinct way
• Self‑care techniques to keep self psychologically safe

Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• Ability to travel between locations across the Trust footprint
• Able to work flexibly lead by the service and workforce needs
• Demonstrates a commitment to personal development
• Ability to work independently and be self‑motivated
• Resilient and able to seek support when needed

The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under‑represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI‑generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.

Sponsorship

We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click.

If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.

The Home Office introduces new changes from 22 / 07 / 2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it.

Do you have experience outside the NHS?

We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.

We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.