About this role
Job summary
7.5 hours per week.
We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Perinatal Peer Support Worker to join our Perinatal Mental Health Team at Livewell Southwest. This rewarding role offers the opportunity to use your own lived experience of mental health challenges to provide hope, encouragement and practical support to women accessing specialist perinatal mental health services.
As a valued member of a supportive multidisciplinary team, you will work alongside clinicians, partner agencies and community organisations to help women feel understood, connected and empowered throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. You will support individuals to build confidence, develop recovery goals and access services and activities that promote wellbeing and independence.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of women and families while developing your own skills within a recovery-focused service. You will receive training, supervision and ongoing support, including access to peer support development opportunities.
If you are passionate about recovery, understand the importance of lived experience, and want to help shape compassionate perinatal mental health support, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
In this rewarding role, you will provide compassionate peer support to women accessing the Perinatal Mental Health Team, helping them feel listened to, understood and supported during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Using your lived experience appropriately and positively, you will encourage hope, promote recovery and help individuals build confidence and resilience.
You will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and partner organisations to support women in accessing services, community resources and recovery-focused activities that improve wellbeing and reduce isolation. The role includes group-based support with some one to one work possible, with opportunities to contribute ideas and help shape the ongoing development of peer support within the service.
This position is ideal for someone who is passionate about mental health recovery, values the importance of lived experience, and enjoys supporting others in a caring and empowering way. You will receive regular supervision, training and support as part of a welcoming and recovery-focused team.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Job description Job responsibilities
The full job description and person specification are attached to this advert and provide further details about the responsibilities, requirements and expectations of the Perinatal Peer Support Worker role, including information about the service.
Person Specification
Skills and Ability Essential
Ability to manage time and plan work. To complete clinical records To take leadership and direction from qualified staff To participate in unsupervised tasks and provide accurate feedback to relevant parties. Ability to work in a team effectively
Desirable
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Skills and Ability Essential
Ability to manage time and plan work. To complete clinical records To take leadership and direction from qualified staff To participate in unsupervised tasks and provide accurate feedback to relevant parties. Ability to work in a team effectively
Qualifications Essential
Basic education To complete the NCFE Level 2 in understanding and supporting people with mental health needs and complete care certificate within the first 6 months of joining unless already obtained.
Desirable
Nvq level 3, qcf level 3 in health and social care or equivalent qualification. Other evidence of training or development relevant to working within mental health settings.
Experience Essential
Lived experience of using mental health services
Desirable
Previous experience working in a multidisciplinary team. Experience of actively supporting individuals to identify and work towards achieving personal goals in a related social care or health setting (paid or unpaid).
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of perinatal mental health Awareness of safeguarding principles Basic IT skills Good communication and listening skills Organisational skills Problem solving skills An awareness to maintain professional Boundaries Awareness of own limits and boundaries in relation to own job role Good written communication Willingness to positively share your own life experiences, personal experiences of your own ill health with service users and carers. Ability to problem solve and create innovative solutions to help empower service users. Sensitive understanding of diversity issues and ability to promote anti-discriminatory practice/ equal opportunities Resilience
Desirable
A basic understanding of mental health presentation
Additional Criteria Essential
Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
Desirable
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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 Livewell Southwest
Address Livewell Southwest
Plympton Clinic
Station Road
Plymouth
Devon
PL7 2AU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)