Volunteer Hearing Voices Peer Co-Facilitator (Bromley)

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A community health service provider in the United Kingdom seeks a peer volunteer to facilitate weekly sessions for a Hearing Voices Group focused on individuals experiencing long-term mental health conditions. Key responsibilities include organizing meetings, maintaining a supportive atmosphere, and engaging with participants. The ideal candidate will have lived experience of hearing voices, have skills in facilitation and communication, and be comfortable with diverse groups. This volunteer role offers a chance to contribute to mental health support in a community setting.

Qualifications

• Must have lived experience of hearing voices.
• Must have previously helped with or facilitated groups independently.
• Comfortable conversing with a variety of individuals.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate a group of voice hearers attending weekly sessions.
• Organize the group room and communicate with members.
• Support the setup, welcome new members, and perform end-of-session tasks.
• Maintain a welcoming, non-judgmental atmosphere.
• Encourage shared ownership of discussions and expectations.

Skills

Lived experience of hearing voices

Facilitation skills

Communication skills

Job description

The Hearing Voices Group Bromley is a peer led and run self-help group for people with lived experience of long-term mental health conditions. Attendees have experience of hearing voices and in some instances visions. With consultation from a clinical psychologist from the ICMP team, the peer volunteer will be supported in running the group's meetings effectively through the provision of reflection time and signposting to relevant information sources.

The group has an attendance of about 8 - 10 individuals, however can go up to a maximum of 15. Members are local people who may also be users of primary or secondary care mental health services. There are no formal referrals as such but recommendations may come from Ward staff/ Psychologists and other professionals within Oxleas, primary care, the third sector or from the London Hearing Voices Group Network. Individuals can also self-refer.

Main duties of the job

To facilitate a group of voice hearers attending the group on a weekly basis.

Organise the group room, contacting the members via various methods of communication

Support room setup, welcoming new members, and end-of-session tasks.

Maintain a welcoming, non-judgemental atmosphere where lived experience is valued.

Support the group to set shared expectations (confidentiality, respect, turn-taking).

Encourage shared ownership of the group direction and discussion.

Facilitate equitable participation and model compassionate communication.

Monitor group tone and check in sensitively with distressed members.

Recognise when issues exceed the remit of the group and follow escalation pathways.

Maintain boundaries: avoid offering therapy or clinical advice.

Engage in consultation with the designated clinician as needed (not supervision).

Share feedback about attendance, themes, or barriers to participation.

Use lived experience appropriately within group discussions.

Escalate safeguarding concerns through agreed pathways.

There are opportunities for consulting with other peer led and staff led activities of a similar nature across the Trust

Attend consultation meetings and meetings with volunteer placement co-ordinator as required.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

The Hearing Voices Group Bromley is a peer led and run self-help group for people with lived experience of long-term mental health conditions. Attendees have experience of hearing voices and in some instances visions. With consultation from a clinical psychologist from the ICMP team, the peer volunteer will be supported in running the groups meetings effectively through the provision of reflection time and signposting to relevant information sources.

The group has an attendance of about 8 - 10 individuals, however can go up to a maximum of 15. Members are local people who may also be users of primary or secondary care mental health services. There are no formal referrals as such but recommendations may come from Ward staff/ Psychologists and other professionals within Oxleas, primary care, the third sector or from the London Hearing Voices Group Network. Individuals can also self-refer.

To facilitate a group of voice hearers attending the group on a weekly basis.

Organise the group room, contacting the members via various methods of communication

Support room setup, welcoming new members, and end-of-session tasks.

Maintain a welcoming, non-judgemental atmosphere where lived experience is valued.

Support the group to set shared expectations (confidentiality, respect, turn-taking).

Encourage shared ownership of the group direction and discussion.

Facilitate equitable participation and model compassionate communication.

Monitor group tone and check in sensitively with distressed members.

Recognise when issues exceed the remit of the group and follow escalation pathways.

Maintain boundaries: avoid offering therapy or clinical advice.

Engage in consultation with the designated clinician as needed (not supervision).

Share feedback about attendance, themes, or barriers to participation.

Use lived experience appropriately within group discussions.

Escalate safeguarding concerns through agreed pathways.

There are opportunities for consulting with other peer led and staff led activities of a similar nature across the Trust

Attend consultation meetings and meetings with volunteer placement co-ordinator as required.

Person Specification

Experience

• Applicant must have lived experience of hearing voices

Knowledge

• Applicant must have previously helped with or facilitated groups on their own

Skills

• Applicant must be able and comfortable conversing with a variety of different people

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.