We are recruiting 21 Peer Support Workers across our workforce in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and our Forensic services.

The Peer Support Worker programme focuses on people’s recovery – providing inspirational career opportunities for people with lived experience of mental health, or their carers.

Peer support is an innovative workforce for mental health services, making a difference to patients and their loved ones. Peer Support Workers offer their lived experience to help others, enabling patients to feel truly listened to and safe sharing their own experiences and feelings, allowing them to be open and honest whilst maintaining their dignity and developing very trusting relationships.

Since the Peer Support Worker programme started in 2018, we have trained and recruited 120 Peer Support Workers into a wide variety of mental health services throughout Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, from inpatient wards to community services.

Recovery and Social Inclusion Lead Vicky Naidoo said:

“We are very excited to be advertising for our next cohort of Peer Support Workers this year. We are also very happy to be offering this as a level 3 apprenticeship, so people will receive training on the job as well as gain a qualification.”

We are now looking for people who are compassionate and highly motivated team players with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Lived experience of mental health challenges or having cared for someone with mental ill-health is essential for the role, as well as having Level 2/GCSE Maths and English.

All new Peer Support Workers will be provided with training for the role and given the opportunity to complete a nationally recognised Level 3 Peer Worker Apprenticeship qualification (fully funded by Oxford Health, conditions apply). In their roles, Peer Support Workers will work between 22.5 hours (3 days) per week, to full-time 37.5 hours (5 days).

Is this right for you?

If you are thinking of applying, the Trust strongly recommends attendance at one of the Peer Support Worker information sessions to help you understand more about the role so you can make an informed decision if the job is right for you.

There are three dates to choose from:

• Monday 11th December at Unipart House, Oxford, 2-3.30pm
• Wednesday 13th December on Microsoft Teams, 6.30-8pm
• Monday 18th December at The Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury, 1-2.30pm

Booking is essential. Please email: peersupport@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk and state which session you would like to attend. Please note if you do not register your attendance in advance, you will not be able to attend.

The Trust regularly recruits Peer Support Workers into a wide range of services across the Trust. Find out more about current opportunities Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Peer Support Worker programme.

Link to all vacancies – Job vacancies at Oxford Health NHS FTWork with us

Peer support worker Aideen-Niamh O’Neill explains more about the role at Oxford Health.