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Job summary

Main area
Addictions
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
001-ACS090-0825
Employer
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Employer type
NHS
Site
Cardiff Royal Infirmary
Town
Cardiff
Salary
£27,898 - £30,615 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
21/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NHS

Buvidal Psychological Support Service Peer Support Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 4

WHO WE ARE:

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Board in the UK, employing over 16,000 staff and providing over 100 specialist services. Serving a population of around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst also working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone and to delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”. We have recently refreshed our strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, which sets out the Health Board’s Vision for improving the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve by 2035 through the delivery of our strategic objectives; Putting People First, Providing Outstanding Quality, Delivering in the Right Places, and Acting for the Future. We have challenging times ahead, but we are confident that by tackling these challenges together, we can support people to live healthier lives and reduce the unfair differences in the prevalence of illness and health outcomes we see in our communities today. We aspire to deliver outstanding care and treatment for people when they need it, where they need it; care that compares well with the best in the world, but to do so, we need to transform how we deliver services over the next decade and beyond.

We are a values-driven organisation and out goals will only be realised if our values are at the heart of everything we do. Created by colleagues, patients and their families and carers, our values are:

·         We are kind and caring

·         We are respectful

·         We have trust and integrity

·         We take personal responsibility

OUR REGION:

Wales has much to offer with miles of stunning coastline, UNESCO world heritage sites and beautiful countryside. Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, has something for everyone. It is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline, as well as charming towns including Penarth and Cowbridge. Those seeking more culture may find themselves drawn to the National Museum, St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life or the Millennium Centre, home of the Welsh National Opera. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.

The salary scale above has been agreed as part of the NHS Agenda for Change pay award for 2025/2026 and will be implemented in August 2025 with arrears backdated to 1st April 2025 where applicable. 


 

Job overview

Are you someone with lived experience of addiction and/or mental health challenges who is passionate about supporting others on their recovery journey? If so, we’d love to hear from you. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Buvidal Psychological Support Service (BPSS) as a Peer Support Worker. This innovative service provides trauma-focused psychological interventions to individuals receiving Buvidal as part of their opiate substitute treatment. Clients on Buvidal often report significant benefits from the monthly injection, but some also experience resurfacing trauma or mental health difficulties. Your role will be key in supporting clients to access psychological support at the right time. 

We are looking for someone who can draw on their own experiences to offer empathy, hope, and trauma-informed support to others. Your insight will be invaluable in helping people feel understood, reducing stigma, and building trust as they navigate their own recovery and engage in psychological therapy. 

As a BPSS Peer Support Worker, you will: 

  • Work alongside a multi-disciplinary team including Clinical Psychologists, Psychological Therapists, a Consultant Psychiatrist, and administrative staff. 

  • Collaborate with partners across the NHS, Local Authority, and voluntary sector. 

  • Engage service users, support assessments, and contribute to the co-production of care pathways. 

  • Help shape a service that values lived experience. 

Main duties of the job

The Peer Support Worker (PSW) is the first point of contact for people referred to the BPSS. Drawing on your lived experience of addiction and/or mental health challenges, you will build trust, promote engagement, and help clients feel understood and supported. 

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Engage service users compassionately and non-judgmentally, using personal insight to help them feel safe and motivated. 

  • Identify and address barriers to engagement, including stigma and fear. 

  • Complete initial assessment measures to inform psychological therapy, with support from a Clinical Psychologist. 

  • Support the collection, interpretation, and reporting of outcome data, contributing to a responsive service. 

  • Contribute to service development, using lived experience to inform and co-produce improvements. 

Collaboration: 

  • Work closely with a multi-disciplinary team and partner organisations 

  • The role requires empathy, resilience, and a strong commitment to recovery-focused, trauma-informed care. 

We are looking for someone who: 

  • Brings lived experience of addiction and/or mental health difficulties and is ready to support others. 

  • Understands the challenges faced by people with complex needs and can engage those who may be difficult to reach. 

  • Has strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. 

  • Is confident in completing assessments, including the use of validated outcome measures (e.g., TOPS, EQ-5D, CORE-10)

Working for our organisation

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services.   Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a co-produced service that actively values and integrates lived experience into its design and delivery. This new role reflects our commitment to inclusive, person-centred care and the belief that recovery is possible with the right support. 

We welcome applications from individuals with lived experience of addiction and/or mental health difficulties who are ready to use their experiences to make a difference. 

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification document for further details. This document is available in Welsh / Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg.

We welcome discussions about the role.

Person specification

Qualifications/experience

Essential criteria
  • NVQ Level 4, diploma or equivalent experience
  • ‘Lived experience’ of using secondary mental health or addiction services
  • Experience of engagement work
  • Experience of completing assessments (including using validated assessment measures)
  • Knowledge/experience of OST/Buvidal

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant experience plus additional training and /or experience in peer support

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident leaderhyderus o ran anableddAccredited Living Wage EmployerDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldArmed Forces CovenantDFN Project Search LogoStonewall Top 100 Employers in 2023Stonewall Top 100 Employers in 2023Core principles

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.

Welsh language skills are desirable

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lucie James
Job title
BPSS Service Lead/ Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07974083685
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