Peer Support Worker

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Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Peer Support Worker

The closing date is 02 November 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

Have you ever been arrested, appeared in court on a criminal charge and/or been to prison?

Have you ever struggled with your mental health and/or have overcome difficulties with substance or alcohol use?

Could you use your experiences to support others?

Could you show the people we support in court, custody, and prison that change is possible?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join our award-winning Liaison and Diversion team and further develop your skills, experience and career. This is a fixed-term contract for 18 months.

Our tailored 18-month development programme will grow your skills and confidence and give you access to a range of accredited training to support your future career in healthcare.

We operate across the Thames Valley, but this post is predominately based in Buckinghamshire, working for Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust. You will be expected to provide one-to-one practical and emotional support to our clients and encourage them to access services which improve their health and wellbeing.

If you are stable in your recovery journey and can show us how you achieved this this could be the perfect opportunity to start a new career in care.

Please note: This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship under current UK immigration rules. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.

Main duties of the job

By using your own experience of going through the Criminal Justice System, treatment and recovery you will be supporting service users with vulnerabilities going through the Criminal Justice System

You will be a positive role model helping to understand, inspire, motivate, guide and support our service users to engage with services and work on their recovery. You will evidence and show visible recovery; showing that change is possible.

You will offer emotional and practical support to our service-users by using your own lived experience of the criminal justice system and the challenges and fears this can create which will enable them to achieve a positive future

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Details

Date posted

26 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£25,760 to £27,476 a year

per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-MHS1192-A

Job locations

Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley

Aylesbury

HP21 7RL

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

Must have lived experience of the criminal justice system

Must have direct lived experience and being stable in recovery from an addiction, mental ill health or other vulnerabilities

please make explicit reference to both of these within your personal statement in order to be shortlisted for this role

Must have an awareness of modelling appropriate behaviours, having the capacity to cope when unsupervised; setting clear boundaries and seeking support and guidance to support and protect own recovery, health and wellbeing

Must have good listening skills and effective communication skills; to be able to engage appropriately with service users, carers, and colleagues, and partnership agencies.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, its important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 07584 556 882 or email: [email protected] wholl be delighted to help.Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role:

Must have lived experience of the criminal justice system

Must have direct lived experience and being stable in recovery from an addiction, mental ill health or other vulnerabilities

please make explicit reference to both of these within your personal statement in order to be shortlisted for this role

Must have an awareness of modelling appropriate behaviours, having the capacity to cope when unsupervised; setting clear boundaries and seeking support and guidance to support and protect own recovery, health and wellbeing

Must have good listening skills and effective communication skills; to be able to engage appropriately with service users, carers, and colleagues, and partnership agencies.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, its important that examples and responses given in your supporting statement genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey.

In addition to explaining how you meet the person specification, you must complete your employment history for at least the last five years. Any experience, skills or responsibilities referenced in your supporting statement should be evidenced within your employment history. Applications that do not include sufficient employment history to support the experience claimed may not be shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Stonewall Proud Employer, Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Lucy Bashir on 07584 556 882 or email: [email protected] wholl be delighted to help.Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Willingness to undertake Care Certificate training.

Previous Experience

Essential

• Lived experience of the criminal justice system a minimum of being arrested and taken into police custody and demonstratable recovery of a minimum of 1 year of no longer being in-contact with criminal justice system.
• Required to demonstrate a recovery capital and period of desistance 1-3yrs from using substance (inc alcohol) and a minimum of one year completing any licence conditions/requirements

Desirable

• Having direct lived experience of recovery from substance misuse, mental health or other vulnerabilities.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

• Willingness to share personal experiences in an appropriate way and maintain clear boundaries
• Empathy, patience, and sensitivity to be able to support people whilst maintaining boundaries.
• Willingness to seek support and guidance.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• To be a UK citizen or have the right to remain status.
• Flexibility to travel to all sites.

Person Specification

Continuous Professional Development

Essential

• Willingness to undertake Care Certificate training.

Previous Experience

Essential

• Lived experience of the criminal justice system a minimum of being arrested and taken into police custody and demonstratable recovery of a minimum of 1 year of no longer being in-contact with criminal justice system.
• Required to demonstrate a recovery capital and period of desistance 1-3yrs from using substance (inc alcohol) and a minimum of one year completing any licence conditions/requirements

Desirable

• Having direct lived experience of recovery from substance misuse, mental health or other vulnerabilities.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

• Willingness to share personal experiences in an appropriate way and maintain clear boundaries
• Empathy, patience, and sensitivity to be able to support people whilst maintaining boundaries.
• Willingness to seek support and guidance.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• To be a UK citizen or have the right to remain status.
• Flexibility to travel to all sites.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley

Aylesbury

HP21 7RL

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley

Aylesbury

HP21 7RL

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service User Engagement Manager

Lucy Bashir

[email protected]

07584556882

Details

Date posted

26 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£25,760 to £27,476 a year

per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

371-MHS1192-A

Job locations

Liaison and Diversion - Thames Valley

Aylesbury

HP21 7RL

United Kingdom

Supporting documents

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