Band 4 Peer Support Worker (Complex Emotional Needs) - Bristol
At a glance
- Band
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time, Flexible working
- Posted
- 14/08/2026
- Closes
- 31/08/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
“This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application, as the organisation is unable to support sponsorship for this post.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role is for a Peer Support Worker within the Complex Emotional Needs Service, requiring personal lived experience of mental health challenges and accessing secondary mental health services. The successful candidate will use their lived experience to inspire hope and promote recovery, working with service users to foster independence and self-agency. Duties include 1:1 peer work, co-delivering therapeutic groups, and contributing to assessments and care planning. The post holder will be based at the Speedwell Centre in Bristol and must be empathetic, compassionate, and patient.
Essential criteria
- Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
- Health Education England Peer Support Worker training - willingness to undertake
- NVQ Level 3 completed in Health and Social Care, or able to demonstrate an equivalent and relevant level of knowledge and experience
- Any relevant training/qualifications completed in, and relevant to working in a mental health setting
Desirable criteria
- NHS Care Certificate
- Trained in an allied field such as counselling, mediation or advocacy
- Experience and knowlege
- Understanding of the impact of stigma and discrimination
- Lived experience of a diagnosis of and ongoing recovery from a personality disorder (complex emotional needs) and of being supported by mental health services, giving a deep and emphatic understanding of the condition.
- To have experience of recovering a meaningful life
- Relevant experience of working in any health, social care, or any related voluntary organisation setting.
- Able to demonstrate some awareness of theories underpinning health care
- Able to articulate a clear knowledge of policy and legislative frameworks within which mental health services are delivered including a persons rights under the MHA, CPA Mental Capacity Act
- Demonstrates a good understanding of recovery principles and the role of secondary and specialised mental health services in the delivery of care
- The ability to form and sustain a working relationship with service users and carers, demonstrating an understanding of when a different approach might be needed
- Demonstrate an ability to deliver a range of specific therapeutic interventions with agreed outcomes within a prescribed framework
- Is able to describe how supervision supports safe working practices
- Demonstrates ability to use initiative appropriately, making decisions within the guidelines set
- Able to demonstrate a general understanding of mental health issues with a positive, non-judgemental approach towards people requiring mental health services and an understanding of the principles of recovery
- Able to demonstrate a broad understanding of the concept of confidentiality
- Willingness to take part in activities which support team working
- Able to demonstrate an appreciation of equal opportunities/diversity issues
- Ability to share personal stories of recovery in a positive and safe way
- Ability to assist people to develop recovery plans
- Ability and willingness to reflect on work practice and be open to constructive feedback
- Ability to work in an enabling and creative way
- Willingness to support people with a range of needs to meet their recovery goals
- Understanding and practical knowledge of recovery
- Understanding of the issues and concerns of mental health service users
- Knowledge and commitment to service users rights
- Experience/knowledge of service user involvement
- Experience of secondary mental health services, as a user, carer, volunteer or worker
- Experience of teaching/training individuals or groups
- Experience of working in a customer care environment, e.g. an Advice Centre, telephone [contact details removed] or Advocacy Service
- Skills and abilities
- Able to travel freely and flexibly across the local area in order to work effectively with service users
- Demonstrate well-developed listening skills and effective verbal communication skills, such as being able to engage appropriately with service users, carers, colleagues, statutory and voluntary agencies, both face to face and by telephone
- Demonstrate well developed written communication skills, with the ability to produce letters, written reports, maintain accurate records and record required statistical information
- Demonstrates a willingness to embrace new technology and processes
- Well developed IT skills including competent use of Microsoft Office, and the use of electronic record keeping systems
- Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- To communicate effectively with a range of service users, carers, professionals and agencies
- Receiving highly complex and sensitive information
- Ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary teams
- Willingness to use the Trust IT systems
- Professional in appearance and behaviour
- Able to manage conflict and to help others to do so
- Good team-working skills
- High level of self-awareness - ability to criti
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 4 at £26,530 – £29,114 a year, across England.
This advert: £28,392 – £31,157 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 16d ago · Closes in 2d
Applications close soon — apply now if this is a fit.
Full advert · preview
Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Band 4 Peer Support Worker (Complex Emotional Needs) - Bristol
The closing date is 31 August 2026
Job summary
We have a part time vacancy for a Peer Support Worker (PSW) within the Complex Emotional Needs Service (CEN) . This role is for people who have personal lived experience of mental health challenges that have been understood or diagnosed as a 'personality disorder' and of accessing secondary mental health services.
Through sharing wisdom and insight from their own experiences, PSWs will effectively and positively use their own lived experience to inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible in others.
Within a relationship of reciprocity and mutuality, the PSW will journey with service users to promote choice, self-determination and opportunities for the fulfilment of individually identified goals. The PSW will work with people towards gaining greater independence and self-agency in managing their own health and wellbeing and will help them to build a sense of belonging within their communities.
This post is suitable for someone who is empathetic, compassionate and patient with a calm and professional response to distress, disturbance and unpredictability.
The post holder will be based at the Speedwell Centr e, Central & East Bristol .
**Please only apply if you meet the essential criteria
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