If you have experience of both mental ill-health and personal recovery, then East London NHS Foundation Trust wants to hear from you.

The Trust is looking to recruit a new group of Peer Support Workers to provide one-to-one emotional and practical support to service users both on in-patient mental health wards and in the community.

They will provide support, social contact and encouragement from someone who truly understands the challenges faced by users of mental health services.

A Peer Support Worker is like a buddy who can help someone to explore what’s going on in their local area or give them an extra boost of confidence by accompanying them to appointments or supporting them as they try new activities. Just meeting for a coffee and a catch-up may be the thing that helps the peer move forward in their recovery.

Potential Peer Support Workers must have direct lived experience of both mental ill-health and personal recovery. The role calls for excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a willingness to safely share lived experience, as well as an ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Successful recruits will undertake City & Guilds accredited peer support training which will equip them with the skills required to effectively carry out the role.

Peer Support Workers are trained to work with service users to problem solve. They are not there to tell the service user what to do or to make decisions for them. Instead there is an emphasis on talking through problems and encouraging the service user to explore his or her options for change.

If you are interested, contact Susan Henry at 0208 510 8630 or email susan.henry@eastlondon.nhs.uk