Peer Support Worker; Maple Ward

Peer Support Worker (Maple Ward)
The closing date is 01 February 2026

We are seeking dynamic and dedicated Peer Support Workers to join our Acute and Urgent Care wards, with roles available on our new Maple Ward and across established AUC wards. You will be joining an experienced and supportive peer workforce, with a Peer Lead and Advanced Peer Support Practitioner on hand to help you strengthen your peer practice, build confidence and ensure positive outcomes for the people we serve.

Roles range from two days per week to full-time, and include evenings and weekends following induction.

Maple Ward is an innovative short-stay mixed-gender psychiatric ward operating on a maximum 28-day admission model. The team makes use of robust gatekeeping, Red to Green discharge facilitation and close partnership with Home Treatment Teams to support admission prevention and earlier supported discharge.

As a Peer Support Worker, you will use your own lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery in a safe, intentional and boundied way. You will offer hope, build connection and empower people to take an active role in their care during a period that can feel overwhelming or uncertain.

Clear progression pathways include Senior Peer Support Worker (Band
4) and options to explore peer leadership or specialist roles aligned to your interests and the needs of our wards.

• Provide peer-led support that promotes personal recovery, resilience and self‑advocacy.
• Support individuals to develop crisis plans, recovery plans and advanced directives.
• Facilitate and co‑facilitate peer‑led groups and structured activities on the ward.
• Support engagement in ward rounds, community meetings and daily planning.
• Offer debriefs following restrictive interventions, contributing to trauma‑informed practice.
• Signpost individuals to community resources, peer support and wellbeing opportunities.
• Maintain accurate notes and comply with safeguarding, confidentiality and health and safety policies.
• Work collaboratively within the MDT and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Contribute to audits, service improvement work and peer support initiatives across the Trust.

• Use your lived experience to build authentic, trusting relationships that support recovery.
• Offer emotional and practical support during crisis, helping people navigate the ward environment.
• Model self‑management, resilience and hope.
• Support people to prepare for and participate in ward rounds and care planning.
• Facilitate peer‑led spaces that promote connection, shared learning and empowerment.
• Share lived experience insights within the MDT to enhance understanding and care planning.
• Contribute to compassionate debriefing and trauma informed approaches.
• Help strengthen patient involvement and the recovery culture of the ward.

• Lived experience.
• Experience of positively sharing your own life experiences, personal experience with people accessing the service and carers.
• Experience of building on own strengths and mitigating challenges faced when living with mental health issues.
• Experience of record keeping.
• Experience of training, coaching or supporting the development of others in the workplace.
• Experience of recruiting others to roles in either a paid or voluntary capacity.
• Understanding of the role of mental health services.

• Undertaken/willing to undertake peer support worker training.
• Commitment to obtain underpinning knowledge through work based learning and mandatory training.
• Undertaken Life Coaching training in line with Trust policy on coaching to include ability to demonstrate a reflective log of coaching practice.

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.

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

£12,218 to £12,882 a year per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAs