Peer support worker
Peer support workers are people who use their lived experience of mental health problems to support others.
You’ll use your own experience and empathy to help people with mental health problems and their families. Peer support workers join a patient’s care team to help provide support and inspiration for recovery.
Life as a peer support worker
You’ll work with a range of people living with mental health problems, either in hospital or in the community. They will all be different, but what will connect you with them is your own experience of living with mental health problems.
Your exact role will depend on the type of service you’re based in, but could include:
- working one to one with service users or patients
- helping people with mental health problems to develop goals and recovery plans
- supporting people in care planning
- helping people engage with activities
- supporting group work
The training programme focuses on providing peer support in formal settings that deliver NHS-funded care, such as NHS trusts or independent providers. This could include community, crisis, inpatient, criminal justice and recovery services.
You will be provided with ongoing supervision to help you engage in self-reflection, seek and respond to feedback, and develop your professional knowledge and skills.
Kelli Rush
Community lived experience practitioner
The best part of my day is working with the people who use our services and their family, friends and loved ones. I really understand the difficulties they’re dealing with on a daily basis.
How much can I earn?
There are nine pay bands and as a peer support worker you’ll usually be paid at band 3 or 4 with opportunities to progress with experience. Terms and conditions can vary if you are employed outside the NHS.
It is also possible to be a voluntary peer support worker.
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- use your own experience to do something positive for others
- work flexible and part-time hours
If you’re employed by the NHS, you’ll also have good holiday entitlement and access to:
- an excellent pension scheme
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Must-have skills
- an understanding of your personal recovery journey and being able to use your lived experience in a positive and appropriate way to help others
- a keen awareness of people and their behaviour
- the ability to empathise with others and build positive relationships
- excellent communication skills and the ability to relate to a wide range of people
- the ability to work on your own as well as in consultation with others
- a responsible, professional approach, respecting the confidentiality of patients
- emotional resilience and maturity
- self-awareness
- an openness to addressing issues of prejudice and oppression
Entry requirements
- having relevant lived experience for the service you wish to work in
- wanting to support others going through similar experiences
- being willing and able to receive training on how to work with people to do this
How to become a peer support worker
Look for vacancies on the NHS Jobs website [5]. Some peer support worker apprenticeships are available and you can see some current vacancies below.