About this role
Job summary
Have you personally used inpatient mental health services and been subject to restrictive practices during your care? Are you an experienced peer or lived experience practitioner who can use your professional and personal experience reflectively, safely and purposefully to improve staff learning, safety and culture?
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
Please see attached JD and Person Specification.
The postholder will be an integral member of the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team and will also contribute to CNWL's wider peer and lived experience workforce. You will:
Co-design and co-deliver trustwide RRP training, bringing a clear lived experience perspective to the prevention and therapeutic management of violence and aggression.
Teach, assess and actively participate in the specialist physical elements of RRP training, while promoting de-escalation, prevention, dignity, agency and the least restrictive approach.
Help create psychologically safer learning environments and respond appropriately when staff become distressed or affected by the subject matter, including signposting to further support.
Use experiential knowledge to help staff understand how distress, power, risk, identity, trauma and restrictive interventions may be experienced by the person receiving care.
Provide professional peer supervision, mentoring and development support to Senior Peer Tutors and Peer Tutors, with delegated management responsibilities where agreed.
Consult with inpatient teams and services, including in complex or highly sensitive situations, and contribute to learning, reflective debriefs and improvement following incidents.
Support link inpatient sites to develop, recruit and induct new peer and lived experience roles and to prepare teams to work effectively with those roles.
About us
This role sits at the intersection of patient safety, education and lived experience practice. You will join an established peer and lived experience workforce and will receive line management, professional peer supervision and access to learning and development. You will work with colleagues who are committed to co-production, equality, recovery, human rights and improving the experience of people receiving inpatient care. Please use your supporting statement to show clearly how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification.
The postholder will be required to demonstrate, assess and take part in highly specialised physical skills used in delivery of RRP training. The ability to undertake these essential duties safely is required, following OH assessment and completion of the relevant tutor training. CNWL will consider reasonable adjustments wherever these can enable the essential functions of the role to be carried out safely but please be aware that a level of physical fitness will be required.
Beaufort House, Uxbridge, is the regular operational base for this post. Applicants should expect to work in person from Beaufort House as part of their normal working pattern. The role also involves regular travel to inpatient services and other CNWL locations.The postholder will also work in person with the Central Lived Experience Team at Argo House on Thursdays for a minimum of two Thursdays per month.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification.
To promote the principles of recovery and lived experience perspectives and practice within the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team, the Quality, Nursing and Safety Directorate, Trust training and across CNWL inpatient services. To meet regularly with Senior and Peer Tutors locally for individual supervision (professional supervision as delegated by manager/supervisor). To co-facilitate bi-monthly Trustwide group supervision for CNWL peer workers. To contribute to or ensure representation of lived experience perspectives in the context of Reducing Restrictive Practices at inpatient Senior Management Team and service development meetings. Scope and support inpatient services across linked sites to explore the introduction of Peer Worker roles within their workforce skill mix and co-facilitate information sessions to promote these opportunities to external applicants. To contribute to shortlisting, interviews or assessment centres and eventual induction of new staff into the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team. To ensure team-based Senior and Peer Tutors have a clear, up to date and expert offering by the Reducing Restrictive Practices team and the staff that attend training delivered by the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team. To propose policy, training delivery or service changes to the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team and inpatient services that contributes to cultures across CNWL are therapeutic, productive, accessible, inclusive, flexible and responsive to service users needs. Promote positive understanding, awareness and attitudes towards mental and physical health as part of day-to-day duties. Participate in and actively contribute to lived experience supervision, mandatory training and team meetings, and organisational events as required. Ensure excellent communication and liaison with colleagues within the wider services of the Trust, being an agent for change and a champion of recovery in all interactions both within and outside the organisation. Be committed to professional development through independent learning, keeping up to date with latest research and building connections with local and national lived experience networks. Training delivery
1. To deliver TMVA training across Trust sites, assist/support in coordinating of the training and ensuring its continuous evaluation and development. The physical aspect of the training involves teaching, assessing and actively participating in highly specialised bespoke techniques to ensure safety of all persons involved.
2. To ensure a psychologically safe environment for the staff attending training, providing emotional support to staff who may express/exhibit emotional or psychological distress pre and post training as well during training.
3. Assist in signposting individual who may require immediate support outside of the training environment.
4. Consult and inform the Reducing Restrictive Practices Team Manager of any issues that may affect the efficient delivery of the training.
5. To identify and address additional learning support needs that learners may have to enable them to access and complete courses.
6. To ensure the content of courses reflect innovative and current practice, compromise a range of perspectives and is informative and culturally sensitive.
7. Liaise with other lived experience roles and services across the country to ensure that training courses reflect best practice.
Person Specification
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Paid/unpaid relevant to job Essential
Lived experience of recovery from mental and emotional distress, and experience of using secondary care mental health services Experience of delivering mentoring and/or supervision/appraisal Experience of working with a range of organisations to support service users to reach their personal goals Experience in using electronic patient records systems such as RiO, SystemOne or care notes Experience of teaching and training or facilitating groupwork Experience of relationship building and partnership working Experience of public speaking Liaising and working with colleagues from other disciplines. Experience as a peer worker
Desirable
Involvement in service redesign and development. Teaching Experience Experience of policy development
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES Essential
Ability to demonstrate first person experiential knowledge of recovery at an expert level Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the concept of personal recovery as it may apply to others Awareness of the service user/ survivor movement and the history of Intentional Peer Support Understanding of the issues and concerns of individuals struggling with addiction Knowledge and commitment to service users' rights, involvement and service-user led initiatives Understanding and practical knowledge of a variety of recovery and socially inclusive approaches Knowledge of Trauma Informed Practice Demonstrable skills in effective leadership Ability to take part in activities for improving quality Ability to manage own workload, prioritise and seek creative solutions Understanding of the importance of equality and diversity. Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) Excellent interpersonal skills Excellent presentation skills Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person. Ability to provide leadership and supervision to the team. Ability to deal with pressure, prioritisation and delegation and meeting deadlines Ability to work in accordance with Trust Policies and Procedures Good IT skills Ability to work autonomously, on own initiative and under pressure to meet deadlines and competing priorities; & to make and action decisions independently within agreed time frames. Ability to prioritise workload, delegate effectively and to support junior staff to do so. Ability to regularly identify and undertake appropriate learning and development opportunities as part of ongoing CPD. Ability to identify and effectively manage performance of self and others. Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance. Ability to recognise and articulate own values and principles, understanding how these may different from those of others Ability to Chair/facilitate a meeting Ability to develop positive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders during times of organisational change
Desirable
Awareness of community resources and service user groups Working knowledge of current legislation which underpins Health and Social Care and a working knowledge of the Equalities Act 2010 and Human Rights Act
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS Essential
Completion of Peer Support Training Undergraduate degree or able to demonstrate equivalent skills in research, writing or analysis Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
Full UK Driving licence and access to a vehicle Mentorship or clinical supervision training
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address HQ
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3AX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)