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Job summary

Main area
Adult Eating Disorder Service
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Job share
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (9-5 Monday to Friday - Working days to be confirmed (Minimum 2.5 days per week))
Job ref
270-TG688-MH-A
Employer
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Newland House
Town
Northampton
Salary
£25,760 - £27,476 pa pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/04/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Peer Support Worker - Eating Disorders Service

Band 3

Job overview

Do you have personal experience of living with mental health challenges relating to eating disorders? Maybe you have experienced Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder or OSFED either yourself or you have looked after a family member or close friend with an eating disorder.

Are you doing well in your recovery or successfully supporting the person you care for. Do you want to use this experience to help others who are still struggling?

We are looking for someone like you to become a Peer Support Worker or a Carer Peer Support Worker in our Community Adult Eating Disorder Service. (To find out more about what a peer support worker is please look at the peer support website below)

 https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/peer-support

You do not need to have prior peer support experience or training to apply for this role but should have good empathy skills and the ability to support others. 

Main duties of the job

The aim of the role is to support other individuals experiencing distress associated with eating disorders using your own experiences. The role is to inspire hope and empower people to reach their own individual recovery goals and make sense of their personal recovery journey.

Working for our organisation

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning to improve the care and safety of our patients and staff, which focuses on people who enable our Trust to be ‘outstanding’ by supporting opportunity, innovation, development and growth.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please ensure you read the job description attached carefully. In the supporting information note down the relevant skills and experience you have that are related to the essential and desirable criteria, as your application will be shortlisted against these criteria. Please note, applicants who do not indicate their own experience of mental health challenges relating to eating disorders in their application will not be considered for the role. 

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

  • Lived experience of eating disorder difficulties (yourself or caring for a family member or close friend).
  • Experience of managing your personal wellbeing and recovery well.
  • Experience of working independently and managing your own workload, with guidance.
  • Experience of working as part of a team.
  • The ability to apply the principles of peer support and recovery in your work.
  • Completion of a recognised Peer Support Training course such as ImROC or to be prepared to complete the Peer Support Training.

We welcome applications from people seeking a part-time role (minimum 2.5 days per week).

You must be able to independently travel to other locations across the county.

Person specification

Personal Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of caring for someone (family member/close friend) with an eating disorder
  • Own experience of an eating disorder
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of sharing personal experiences of mental health challenges/ Eating Disorders to help others

Education and training

Essential criteria
  • Good standard of literacy and education post GCSE level
  • Evidence of previous job-related training
Desirable criteria
  • Peer support worker training already undertaken (
  • Experience of presentations/training others/running groups

Experience and skills

Essential criteria
  • Demonstration of experience of managing their personal wellbeing / recovery well.
  • Evidence of understanding the principles of peer support/recovery
  • Evidence of being compassionate and empathetic
  • Experience of working independently and managing their own workload, with guidance. (5)
  • Experience of working as part of a team
Desirable criteria
  • Previous mental health care services experience (NHS/3rd Sector etc)
  • Counselling skills
  • Worked in a Peer Support Worker role

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyWorkplace Wellbeing Charter LogoArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardDisability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStep into health

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Alison Longwill
Job title
Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Service Lead
Email address
[email protected]
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