Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Hillingdon Young Adult Pathway Peer Support Worker
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Job Overview
To apply for this role, you must have personal lived experience of mental health challenges during adolescence or young adulthood, and have made progress in your own recovery journey.
We are excited to offer a Young Adult Peer Support Worker (YA PSW) role in Hillingdon for people who have personal lived experience of mental health challenges during their adolescent, or early adulthood years. This role is also open to individuals who have been in local authority care.
Please note: This vacancy does not meet the criteria for Skilled Worker sponsorship, unless you meet the criteria by temporary exemption from current changes to immigration rules put in force on 22/07/2025. “Separate provisions are applied to workers who have been sponsored and held continuously Skilled Worker visa since prior to 04/04/2024."
As such, if you don’t meet the Transitional Provision (above) we are unable to consider your application unless you can provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the United Kingdom. If you believe you are eligible for sponsorship or already hold a valid right to work in the UK, please ensure you provide full details of your immigration status in the Pre-Screening Immigration section of your application form.
Please note role eligibility also depends on whether the role meets the salary threshold for the relevant occupational code (SOC CODE).
For further info please visit: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK
Main duties of the job
As a YA Peer Support Worker, you’ll use your own journey of recovery to:
- Inspire hope in young people (aged 16–25) who are receiving support through CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or transitioning to Adult Mental Health Services.
- Work 1:1 and in groups with young adults to support them in their recovery and personal goals.
- Share experiences in a way that respects their uniqueness, and helps them feel understood and empowered.
- Help young adults build healthy connections with the community offer in Harrow or Hillingdon
You’ll be part of a supportive multi-disciplinary team, working alongside other peer support workers, including those with parent or carer experience. young adult pathway leads and transformation leads.
The successful candidates will work in Hillingdon, and contribute to the trust wide young adult pathway. Occasionally there might be a couple weekend end groups to support the young adult ambassador programme.
Part of the young adult pathway is the new CNWL Discovery college offer (Discover Together). The young adult peer support workers will have dedicated time put aside each week to support the delivery and development of the discovery college.
Working for our organisation
Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) provides NHS services throughout a person’s life, in physical and mental health and everything in between, at GPs and hospitals to the community and in their own home.
Partnerships are central to what we do here – with patients and their families, with staff and with other organisations.
We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference.
We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Wherever you wish to work and whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
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To find out more about working in CAMHS please CLICK HERE for one of our CAMHS video.
Values
Central and North West London NHS Trust expects the Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner to act in a way that shows an understanding of our core values and is active in putting them into practice with service users, their friends, family, carers and also other staff members.
COMPASSION
- Contribution to a caring and kind environment and recognition that what you do and say can help to improve the lives of others.
RESPECT
- Acknowledge, respect and value diversity of each individual, recognition of uniqueness.
EMPOWERMENT
- Commitment to providing information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs. The Trust endeavours to support all staff to enable them to develop and grow.
PARTNERSHIP
- Work closely with others and behave in a way that demonstrates understanding that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and fund our work.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities – Young Adult Peer Support Worker
As a Young Adult Peer Support Worker, you will use your own experiences of mental health and recovery to support other young adults. Your role is to offer hope, guidance, and practical help as they access CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or move into adult mental health services.
Working with the Team and Young Adults
- Work alongside the mental health team to support young adults in CAMHS transitioning to adult services.
- Help young adults create and follow their own recovery plans, either one-to-one or in group settings.
- Support young adults to discover their strengths, interests, and goals for the future.
- Encourage young adults to take the lead in their recovery, while also working with their families/carers and the wider care team.
- Help young adults feel confident as they move through or leave CAMHS.
- Use your own experience of moving from CAMHS to adult services to support others during this transition and ensure they are fully informed along the way.
Discovery college
- Support the delivery of the CNWL discovery college (Discovery together)
- Co-produce recovery focused workshops designed for young adults’ 16-25
- Co-deliver workshops to young adults within CNWL local communities
- Work as a member of the peer support team to ensure we included young adults’ voice in the development of the discovery college.
Providing Peer Support and Hope
- Support young adults in understanding their mental and emotional health and what recovery means for them personally.
- Share your own recovery journey in a respectful and helpful way, showing that recovery is possible.
- Be a positive role model, demonstrating coping skills and offering hope through your lived experience.
Involvement in Care Planning
- Take part in creating, reviewing, and updating care plans with the young adult and the care team.
- Help young adults and their carers actively participate in planning their support and setting goals.
- Support young adults with everyday challenges like looking after themselves, attending education or training, or joining in leisure activities.
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Encouraging Community and Social Connections
- Help young adults stay connected to their communities, education, and hobbies by knowing what’s available and supporting them to get involved. This may require travelling throughout Hillingdon borough and making connections with groups and services.
- Support the running of group sessions or peer-led activities that promote learning, recovery, and connection.
- Accompany young adults to appointments or social activities when needed.
- Help them reconnect with family, friends, or others who matter to them, and support them in building healthy relationships.
- Encourage young adults to stay connected to life outside mental health services.
Respect and Inclusion
- Always respect each young adult’s unique identity, beliefs, and values.
- Support the development and delivery of a Discovery College – a space where young adults can learn about mental health and recovery in a peer-led, supportive environment.
General Responsibilities
- Be committed to professional development through independent learning, keeping up to date with the latest research, and building connections with local and national peer networks.
- Promote development of best practices in peer support and lived experience practice across the service through active participation in internal and external training and development programmes.
- Attend 1:1 lived experience supervision/ management and clinical supervision
- Attend peer support group supervision ensuring to meet the lived experience KPI for the year.
- Work flexibly, being prepared to perform other duties commensurate with the role which may include new areas of operation following consultation.
- Work alongside and ensure active service user and carer participation (through coproduction and keeping to fidelity around coproduction principles from the foundation of projects) in all aspects of work including design, implementation and monitoring of activities.
Learning and development
- To participate in Trust mandatory training & development opportunities considered appropriate to the Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner role and as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).
- To undertake and complete Level 4 Developing Expertise in Peer Support training.
- To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual development review/ Appraisal.
- To receive regular line management supervision in addition to discipline specific supervision.
Person specification
Other
Essential criteria
- Willingness to work flexible hours (some evenings/weekends)
- Able to travel between locations in Hillingdon and Trust sites using public transport
Desirable criteria
- Full driving licence
Numeracy & Literacy
Essential criteria
- Acceptable written literacy and numeracy
- Basic IT skills (e.g. Word & Email)
Education And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Commitment to undertake mandatory training and work-based learning
- Willingness to undertake or already completed Level 4 LSBU-accredited course: “Developing Expertise in Peer Support”
Desirable criteria
- Certificate in Life Coaching
- Accredited Peer Support Worker training
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE (Paid/unpaid Relevant) To The Job)
Essential criteria
- Personal lived experience of recovery from mental health challenges as a young person
- Personal experience with mental health/
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