We're looking to recruit a Senior Peer Support Worker to join our team to support other Peer Support Workers, team members and service users.
This vacancy is open to existing Oxford Health Peer Support Workers and people with experience of working in a peer support role in another organisation.
Peer Support Workers (PSW's) are people who have their own lived experience of mental health challenges. They use empathy informed by their own experiences to support service users who are accessing mental health services and their families.
This vacancy is for a position within our new South Oxfordshire Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT). You will be based at the Wantage Keystone hub and covering the Didcot area.
PCMHTs are comprised of professionals from health and social care including mental health professionals from the NHS, the third-sector and people who have experienced mental health challenges themselves.
Each PCMHT has one or more Keystone Hubs - developed to provide more specialist care at local level via their GP surgery, and improved communication between GPs and mental health services and form a core of the strengthening of community mental health services in Oxfordshire.
Oxford Health offer the Peer Support Training programme as a nationally recognised accredited Level 3 Apprenticeship (fully funded by Oxford Health) this 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).
Main duties of the job
The Senior Peer Support Worker will be responsible for supporting the current PSWs to successfully embed the role within the clinical area, to support with their caseloads and to offer mentoring around using their lived experience to support others. This is in addition to, providing support with individual service users and leading or co-leading groups.
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.
* Experience in delivering peer support and have a clear understanding of the peer support model within the NHS
* To support service users to engage effectively with care being offered and access appropriate services
* 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 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.
* Ability to mentor less experienced peer staff, be a positive role model, sharing knowledge and co-reflecting in peer supervision
About us
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
Job details
Date posted: 07 October 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum | pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 267-OA7317784-3A
Job locations: Wantage Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub, 18 Kingfisher House Limborough Road, Wantage, OX12 9YN
Person Specification
Experience Essential:
* The ability to offer specialist support using their personal experience of recovery
* Demonstrate the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality, professional boundaries and actively promote positive role modelling
Desirable:
* Be able and willing to facilitate the peer led supervision sessions
Personal Qualities Essential:
* Able to challenge and be challenged appropriately and with compassion
* The ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary teams
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.
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