Job Description

Do you have prior lived experience of mental health challenges or have cared for someone with mental health challenges?



We are recruiting for a Peer Support Worker within the Buckinghamshire Adult Mental Health Service.



Peer Support Workers are people who have their own lived experience of mental health challenges . They use empathy informed by their own experiences to support service users/families who are accessing mental health services.



Through this role you will demonstrate best practice in relation to the application of recovery principles within their practice and model the recovery principles together with personal responsibility, self-awareness and self-care whilst undertaking the duties of the role.



Aylesbury Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), is a vital component of the Urgent Care Pathway, addressing the objectives of the Ten-Year Plan to deliver Crisis Response and Home Treatment Services across Buckinghamshire. Service users can access our services through various channels, including referrals from their GP, emergency department visits, and interactions with the police and our street triage teams. The goal of the Urgent Care Pathway is to unify these access points under one team, ensuring a seamless journey through the pathway.



Some part-time working options may be considered for this role. Working hours could involve shifts covering 7 days a week, or we can discuss working hours between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, to suit your preferences.



Provide emotional and practical support to service users by drawing on lived experience of mental health challenges to promote recovery and independence

Facilitate group and one-to-one sessions to inspire hope, offer empathy, and empower service users, helping them build their own support networks

Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care, ensuring service users engage effectively with the services offered

Maintain accurate patient records and ensure confidentiality and security of information, contributing to learning from service users' feedback and incidents

Promote independent living and reduce stigma by role-modelling recovery journeys and challenging discrimination with compassion.



The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role.



Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.



Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible



Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are:

"Caring, safe and excellent"



At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:



Excellent opportunities for career progression



Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development



27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service



NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers



Competitive pension scheme



Lease car scheme



Cycle to work scheme



Employee Assistance Programme



Mental Health First Aiders



Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)



Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team



We're looking for people who are compassionate, can work well in a team, highly motivated and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. You will be trained for the role and given the opportunity to complete the national recognised care certificate.



Aylesbury Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), is a vital component of the Urgent Care Pathway, addressing the objectives of the Ten-Year Plan to deliver Crisis Response and Home Treatment Services across Buckinghamshire. Our team is dedicated to supporting our most vulnerable patients and their families in the least restrictive setting possible, providing a range of highly intensive interventions at home. In addition to crisis response and home treatment, we conduct all urgent and emergency assessments, managing a caseload of around 40 service users at any given time. We are in the process of transforming into a fully functioning Crisis and Home Treatment team based on the Crisis Fidelity Model and working towards HTAS accreditation.



The role sees the introduction of lived experience into everyday practice. Depending on service need, PSW's may offer a variation of group and one to one work and will work within the multi-disciplinary team to support a service users recovery journey. The post holder will facilitate formal and informal learning, working with staff in clinical practice and supporting clinical teams to develop recovery-based practice.



Oxford Health offer Peer Support Training as part of the role to all new Peer Support Workers, and we additionally offer a nationally recognised accredited Level 3 Apprenticeship (fully funded by Oxford Health), for those eligible.



The Peer Worker Apprenticeship is completed over a period of 15-19 months depending on whether a Peer Support Worker works part time or full time (22.5-37.5 hours).



Eligibility criteria to enrol on the Apprenticeship includes having GCSE/Level 2 Maths and English qualifications. You will be expected to provide evidence of these qualifications. If you do not have these qualifications, we would still welcome your application for consideration, but you would need to complete The Trust's functional skills courses on Maths and/or English whilst in the role before enrolling on the Apprenticeship. All new Apprentices will receive support from a tutor and supervisor within their working hours.

Lived experience:

Drawing on lived experience of mental health to provide emotional and practical support to an allocated group of service users to promote their recovery. This may include avoidance of admission and/or promoting recovery for inpatient's by helping them to identify and build their own support network



To support service users to engage effectively with care being offered and access appropriate services



Drawing upon lived experience & using active listening to inspire hope, offer empathy, empowerment, confidence building & validate a service users' feelings



To build relationships that are founded on the value of mutuality which will facilitate the provision of regular and practical support, both one to one and via group facilitation, to service users in developing and managing independence and maintaining dignity and self-respect



To positively promote independent living of service users through role-modelling individual recovery journeys



To have the individual service user's needs always at the forefront of the PSW's practice and to use the skills incorporated in the Peer Support Training to underpin their practice



To build rapport with service users, whilst maintaining professional boundaries, drawing on both experience and knowledge of the service user perspective and an evidence-based approach.



Is this right for me?



If you are thinking of applying, The Trust strongly recommends reading the attached document entitled 'Things to consider before you apply' . This document will help you understand more about your readiness for the role so you can make an informed decision if the job is right for you.



Please note, applications for this role close on midnight Sunday 15th June 2025. Interview dates will take place on either Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July 2025. Please indicate in your personal statement if there is a date that you definitely couldn't attend.