Overview
We are excited to be recruiting four Peer Support Workers on a 12-month fixed-term basis across the following teams: Longbridge Community Mental Health Team, and the Homeless Health Exchange (HeX).
The Peer Support Worker (PSW) role is designed for individuals with personal, lived experience of navigating mental health challenges and accessing mental health services. PSWs use this perspective to build meaningful, empathetic relationships with others facing similar experiences. By sharing recovery journeys, they offer hope, encouragement, and a reminder that change and growth are possible.
In each setting, PSWs work alongside clinical teams to support individuals in their recovery, promote self-advocacy, and help people feel heard and understood. Whether offering one-to-one peer support, co-facilitating groups, or helping someone navigate services, PSWs contribute to a more compassionate, person-centred approach to care. These roles provide an opportunity to make a real difference, bringing authenticity, connection, and hope to those who need it most.
Role context and settings
As a Peer Support Worker, you will use your lived experience of mental health challenges—and where relevant, homelessness—to build trusting, supportive relationships with individuals accessing our services. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team to promote recovery, empowerment, and engagement.
In the Community Mental Health Teams (Longbridge and Osbourne House): You will support individuals navigating secondary mental health services, helping them build confidence, develop independent living skills, and transition between services. You’ll offer emotional support, promote self-advocacy, and contribute to care planning, with a focus on identity, empowerment, and person-centred recovery.
In the Homeless Health Exchange (HeX): You will work alongside outreach nurses to engage individuals experiencing homelessness across settings such as HMOs, day centres, and street outreach. Your role involves building trust, reducing stigma, accompanying individuals to appointments, supporting access to healthcare, and helping people move toward stability and recovery.
Across all roles, you will contribute to a trauma-informed, inclusive culture, using your insight to shape more compassionate and effective care.
About the Trust
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4,000 clinical and support staff help us improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, with areas of deprivation that create increasing demand for our services. We strive to ensure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong and make a real difference, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Responsibilities
* Provide one-to-one peer support and, where appropriate, co-facilitate groups with clinical teams.
* Support individuals in their recovery journey, promoting self-advocacy and person-centred care.
* Assist service users in navigating mental health and related services.
* Build trusting, supportive relationships using lived experience to inform practice.
* Contribute to care planning and decision-making within a multidisciplinary team.
* Offer emotional support and help individuals build confidence and independent living skills.
* Engage with services across settings (including community teams and outreach contexts) to promote engagement and access to care.
Requirements / Qualifications
Role requires lived experience of mental health challenges, and where relevant, homelessness. Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team in a trauma-informed, inclusive culture. Commitment to recovery, empowerment, and engagement.
Additional Information
We highly recommend submitting your application as soon as possible; the post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
We are unable to support applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
Closing date: This advert closes on Sunday 31 Aug 2025.
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