Job overview
As a Peer Support Worker within OP COURAGE, you will use your own lived experience of the Armed Forces community and recovery journey to inspire hope, build trusting relationships, and support veterans to navigate services, strengthen resilience, and achieve their personal goals. You will play a vital role within a compassionate and dedicated multidisciplinary team that values the unique contribution of peer support in promoting recovery and wellbeing
We are looking for someone who understands the value of recovery and can use their own experiences to inspire and empower others. You will be committed to a person-centred, recovery-focused approach and passionate about helping veterans improve their wellbeing and quality of life. Excellent communication skills, empathy, and the ability to develop positive and supportive relationships are essential.
This role does not require a formal professional qualification. We welcome applications from individuals with relevant lived experience, a genuine desire to support others, and a commitment to promoting hope, resilience, and recovery within the veteran community.
If you believe your experiences can help make a positive difference to the lives of others and want to be part of a dedicated and supportive team, we would love to hear from you.’
Main duties of the job
The role includes supporting service users. Planning ongoing reviews of care to meet identified mental health needs. Build inspiring relationships, acknowledge the personal journey of individuals. Focus on strengths and personal recovery plans.
Contribute to high standards of care by working collaboratively with service users and their carers to understand their personal recovery plan.
Participate in the development of risk assessments and crisis plans, ensuring that when risks change this is reported appropriately. Recognising and reporting signs that may indicate risk of neglect, self harm or at risk from others.
Promote the rights of individuals by recognising differences, reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
Work collaboratively with individuals, to develop skills to manage their own health. Promoting independence, increase confidence by providing appropriate self-help information about resources/services.
Be responsible for maintaining own caseload, ensuring that time is prioritised.
Develop own knowledge and practice, making use of supervision and appraisal, accessing identified learning and training. Maintain accurate, confidential records, writing reports and letters, utilising electronic record and other systems. Report and record within agreed timeframes.
The post holder will have lived experience as a veteran and their focus will be on providing emphatic and compassionate emotional support service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To undertake the role of peer support worker for an allocated caseload of service users organising and participating in the ongoing assessment, planning, delivery and review of care to meet identified physical and mental health, social and well being needs.
This will include:- Explaining the role of peer support worker Organising and participating in defined assessment methods/activities Contributing to care plans identifying and organising other resources as appropriate. Completing relevant paper and electronic documentation in line with the peer support worker role
Developing, planning and undertaking defined interventions to enable the individual to meet and develop their ongoing daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans.
Planning and undertaking activities to enable the individual to meet and develop their daily living skills, to increase confidence and independence in line with agreed personal recovery plans. Emotional support to individual focusing on motivation and encouragement.
Effectively build hope inspiring relationships which acknowledge the personal journey of each person, and focus on strengths and aspirations to allow the creation of meaningful personal recovery plans.
Communicate effectively with a wide range of people in order to build and sustain effective, and positive relationships with individuals, and carers, team members and other agencies. This may include accessing translation and interpreting services.
To work collaboratively with service users and their carers to understand and manage their mental health needs in line with their personal recovery plan and relapse prevention strategies.
Participate in the development of risk assessments and crisis management plans, rapid access plans, within the appropriate framework, ensuring that when trigger points are reached these are reported appropriately to a registered practitioner, and that immediate or direct action is taken in line with these, or in the event of a crisis.
Respond to the needs of individual with sensitivity with regard to their age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, social class or disability, modifying behaviour to optimise the helping relationship.
Promote the rights of individual by recognising differences and acting in accordance with the relevant legislation, recognising and reporting discriminatory behaviour, and taking appropriate action.
Work collaboratively and sensitively with individuals, to develop skills to manage their own mental health, in accordance with their personal recovery plan, by actively promoting and using approaches which are affirming, build on strengths, identify past positive experience and success, and use small steps to move towards the persons goal.
To be responsible for maintaining own caseload on a day to day basis, ensuring that time is prioritised effectively.
Contribute to the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, by recognising and reporting any signs that may indicate an individual is at risk of neglecting or harming themselves, or at risk from others, and by participating in processes with other agencies to keep the individual safe.
Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.
Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, taking appropriate action where required.
Maintain accurate, confidential records of patient activity, writing reports and letters, utilising electronic record and other systems available within the organisation.
Report and record within agreed timeframes, all activity relating to information reporting and performance requirements.
To participate in local arrangements in order to ensure consistent care to service users across the local geography
Right to Work in the UK This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application, as the organisation is unable to support sponsorship for this post.
Please see Job Description for full duties
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Person specification
other requirements
Essential
- Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Well-developed IT skills including competent use of Microsoft Office, and the use of electronic record keeping systems. Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
- Demonstrate an ability and awareness to maintain personal boundaries
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Personal lived experience, serving in the armed forces and experiencing mental health challenges and recovery
- To have experience of recovering a meaningful life
- Relevant experience of working in any health, social care, or any related voluntary organisation setting.
- Able to articulate a clear knowledge of policy and legislative frameworks within which mental health services are delivered including a person’s rights under the MHA, CPA Mental Capacity Act.
- Demonstrates a good understanding of recovery principles and the role of secondary and specialised mental health services in the delivery of care.
- The ability to form and sustain a working relationship with service users and carers, demonstrating an understanding of when a different approach might be needed
- Demonstrate an ability to deliver a range of specific therapeutic interventions with agreed outcomes within a prescribed framework
- Demonstrate well-developed listening skills and effective verbal communication skills
- Demonstrate well developed written communication skills, with the ability to produce letters, written reports, maintain accurate records and record required statistical information.
- Ability to share personal stories of recovery in a positive and safe way. Ability to assist people to develop recovery plans.
Desirable
- Experience of mental health services, as a user, carer, volunteer or worker.
- Experience of teaching/training individuals or groups.
- Experience of working in a customer care environment, e.g. an Advice Centre, telephone Helpline or Advocacy Service.
Education and Qualification
Essential
- HEE PSW training – williness to undertake
- NVQ Level 3 completed in Health and Social Care, or able to demonstrate an equivalent and relevant level of knowledge and experience.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Band 4 Peer Support Worker - Salisbury with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust Partnership NHS Trust in Bath, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 4 Healthcare support worker role. The advertised salary is £28,392 - £31,157 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 17 Aug 2026.
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