Do you have lived experience of mental distress which has been understood as Complex Emotional Needs or diagnosed as personality disorder and have previously worked in a range of settings as a peer support worker, lived experience worker or equivalent role?
If so, an opportunity has arisen for a Senior Peer Support Worker to work as part of the Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) pathway, which is part of the Brent Integrated Psychology & Psychotherapy Service (BIPPS) within the Brent Community Mental Health hubs. This is a unique opportunity for someone with their own lived experience to support the continued effort to embed the authentic values of coproduction within the CEN Pathway.
With support from the Trust-wide CEN Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner, the successful post-holder will work alongside members of BIPPS and the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team within the Brent Community Mental Health Hub to support the development and delivery of the Brent CEN Pathway.
The role is aimed at candidates whose distress can been understood as Complex Emotional Needs or diagnosed as personality disorder and have experiences of having used secondary care mental health services AND previously worked in a range of settings as a peer support worker, lived experience worker or equivalent role. Please make the above information clear in your application.
The post holder will take a lead role in embedding recovery values within the service settings in which they work alongside other Trust recovery champions. The post holder will act as an ambassador of recovery for the Trust alongside others through positively sharing and drawing upon aspects of own lived experience to inspire others, challenge stigma and discrimination, as well as promote recovery.
The successful post-holder will achieve these aims by working directly with service users, either one-to-one or in a group setting, as well as continually representing the people they’re working with in other meetings and settings, challenging the particular stigma that can be associated with complex emotional needs or a diagnosis of personality disorder. CNWL has one of the largest lived experience workforces in the country and there will be an expectation that the postholder will contribute to this wider team.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills who can work flexibility under supervision, to meeting the demands of this exciting and very varied position. Regular clinical and lived experience specific supervision will be provided.
BIPPS is comprised of colleagues who deliver individual, group and family therapies from a wide range of different theoretical models addressing the needs of service users with severe and complex psychological difficulties. We offer intensive, long-term care and whose needs cannot be adequately met within a brief treatment framework. We are proud of the breadth of our psychological interventions, in particular, within the CEN Pathway we offer full programmes of both DBT and MBT, as well as short-term and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, CAT-informed interventions, CBT and EMDR; we also work closely with our Art Psychotherapy colleagues who offer an Arts MBT programme. Our CEN psycho-education group and MBT programme co-delivered with our existing CEN Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner
We are 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. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. At CNWL we support our colleagues to access the many opportunities for professional development that exist.
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 continuously held a 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
1. To work alongside the CEN clinicians, CEN Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner and the CEN Pathway Lead in Brent to deliver support to individuals accessing the Complex Emotional Needs Pathway.
2. To provide advice, support and training opportunities to third sector organisations within the borough working with service users who may also be accessing the Hubs and could be understood as having complex emotional needs.
3. To promote the use of a ‘coaching’ role to support service users in developing personal recovery plans.
4. To meet, welcome, introduce and orientate the service user, their carer and families to the CEN Pathway upon arrival within the Community Mental Health Hubs.
5. To establish supportive and respectful relationships with people using the CEN Pathway.
6. To model/mentor a recovery process and demonstrate self-management skills and techniques, using own experience of recovery.
7. To act as a role model to service users to inspire hope, share life experiences and lessons learned as a person in recovery.
8. To skilfully use personal experience of recovery to help motivate patients.
9. To work with carers and supporters where appropriate.
10. To work with the MDT in supporting those service users who are struggling to engage with the CEN Pathway.
11. To support the team in promoting a recovery orientated environment by identifying recovery-focused activities and imparting information and education as required.
12. To assist service users to identify their strengths, personal interests and goals; providing opportunities for service users to direct their own recovery process.
