Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-AB-21084-1
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Community Mental Health Centre
- Town
- Brighton
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 27/08/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Carer Peer Support Specialist
NHS AfC: Band 4
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
Do you have expertise from your own experience of caring for someone with mental health problems? Are you looking for an opportunity to share what you have learnt with other Carers and to work with a community mental health team to improve Carer engagement and involvement?
We are looking for a new Carer Peer Support Specialist to be based at the East Brighton Community Mental Health Centre, working with the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service. The team works with older people who have mental health needs and/ or a dementia diagnosis. Many of the people we work with have friends or family who act as unpaid carers. The role of the Carer Peer Support Specialist is to provide information and support to these Carers; to help them understand the mental health system and to help them work collaboratively with our clinical team to achieve the best possible outcomes for their loved ones.
Main duties of the job
The Carer Peer Support Specialist works collaboratively and aims to assist in improving the wellbeing of family and friend carers of people who use the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service through:
· Supporting Carers directly.
· Providing useful information for Carers about mental health
· Building support networks for Carers.
· Working with the clinical team to build collaborative alliances with Carers who may be struggling.
· Contributing to service development by ensuring the 'Carer voice' is always represented.
Working for our organisation
In return for your skills and enthusiasm we can offer you interesting and rewarding work in a team which prides itself with providing support, learning opportunities and regular supervision.
The successful candidate must be able to travel, preferably being able to drive using their own transport.
We are a 9-5 Monday to Friday service, but the working pattern can be negotiated with the successful candidate.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. To share and discuss common experiences with family and friend carers in a variety of settings
2. To initiate, establish and maintain relationships with family and friend carers in a variety of settings, while developing trust and rapport
3. Act as a coach and mentor to family and friend carers by providing information about support and services available for them
4. Work collaboratively with community services to support the Carers' Clinics
5. Provide advice and signpost Carers to other support and relevant training
6. Actively seek to understand, communicate and support family and friend carers’ views and needs to internal and external stakeholders in a variety of settings
7. Develop links across other organisations that support carers
8. Receive and participate in clinical supervision
9. Participate in the evaluation, monitoring and audit of the Carer Peer Role with support from the People Participation Team
10. Participate in the evaluation and audit activities in the Specialist Older Adults Mental Health Service relevant to family and friend carers with support from professionals in the teams
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Health care or relevant NVQ Level 3 or equivalent skills acquired through experience
- A recognised Peer Support qualification, e.g. Level 3 Certificate in Peer Support Work, or an in-depth understanding of peer support approach
- Evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
Experience
Essential criteria
- Lived experience as a family member/carer for someone with severe mental illness
- Knowledge of the mental health system and carers support services
- Understanding of family issues, including in culturally diverse communities
- Experience of giving and receiving peer support and ability to describe the benefits
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nick De Luca
- Job title
- Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 304 0092
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