Op COURAGE Peer Support Worker

We can provide emotional and wellbeing support for anyone affected by the Lampard Inquiry. Find support

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

The Peer Support Worker will use their lived experience of the British Armed Forces and mental health recovery to provide hope, encouragement and practical guidance to veterans accessing Op COURAGE.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the post holder will support service users to understand and engage with the service, identify personal goals, build confidence and increase independence in their recovery journey. The role involves recognising barriers to engagement, including hesitancy or concerns about accessing treatment, and developing trusting, supportive relationships that encourage participation and positive outcomes.The post holder will work alongside clinical colleagues whilst maintaining the distinct values and principles of peer support. They will provide a recovery-focused, person-centred approach, drawing on their lived experience appropriately and safely to empower others and promote hope, self‑management and resilience.

The role requires a good understanding of Armed Forces culture and the unique challenges that veterans, reservists, service leavers and their families may experience during service life, transition and recovery.

Due to the geographical coverage of this service, the post holder will be required to complete a hybrid role. This includes travelling independently across the East of England to meet service users and support service delivery, whilst also remote working where appropriate.

**We are unable to offer Sponsorship for this role**

Main duties of the job

The Post holder will help to support Veterans under the care of Op COURAGE EoE.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the post holder will support service users to understand and engage with the service, identify personal goals, build confidence and increase independence in their recovery journey. The role involves recognising barriers to engagement, including hesitancy or concerns about accessing treatment, and developing trusting, supportive relationships that encourage participation and positive outcomes.

The post holder will work alongside clinical colleagues whilst maintaining the distinct values and principles of peer support. They will provide a recovery-focused, person-centred approach, drawing on their lived experience appropriately and safely to empower others and promote hope, self‑management and resilience.

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification fully to support with your application.

The post holder will;

• · Use their lived experience appropriately to develop positive, trusting relationships with service users and support them throughout their recovery journey.
• · Provide recovery-focused peer support, maintaining a defined caseload under supervision
• · Deliver agreed interventions both remotely and face‑to‑face in line with care plans and service objectives.
• · Promote hope, resilience, self‑management and independence, supporting individuals to identify their strengths, achieve personal goals and build confidence in managing their wellbeing.
• · Provide emotional, social and practical support, assisting service users to overcome barriers to recovery and access relevant health, social care, community and veteran-specific services.
• · Advocate for the needs of members of the Armed Forces community and promote understanding of the unique challenges associated with military service and transition to civilian life.
• · Encourage engagement with treatment, support plans and recovery‑focused activities, including supporting the delivery of peer support groups and workshops.
• · Work collaboratively with clinical colleagues and partner agencies, contributing to multidisciplinary discussions and sharing relevant information to support coordinated care.
• · Build and maintain effective working relationships with statutory, voluntary and community organisations to enhance support available to service users.
• · Recognise and appropriately escalat(e) concerns relating to risk, safeguarding, wellbeing or engagement to registered professionals in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.
• · Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records in line with Trust policy, professional standards and information governance requirements.
• · Work within the Trust’s Peer Support Worker framework, values and policies, seeking supervision and support where appropriate.

Person specification

Skills/Experience

• Personal or lived experience of involvement with The UK Armed Forces
• Personal or lived experience of living with/recovery from mental health conditions
• Experience of volunteering, peer support, mentoring, advocacy, community engagement or support work

Personal Qualities

• Ability to use lived experience appropriately and positively to inspire, support and empower others
• Positive attitude towards development and learning

Knowledge

• Knowledge around Military life/culture and the role this may play on the individual’s road to recovery.
• Prior experience of working either alongside Mental Health professionals or other support roles

As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre‑employment checks.

Please note –staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

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