Mental health peer mentoring worker jobs

About Us

The Comedy School draws on the power of comedy to improve wellbeing across community, health, education and criminal justice settings. Since 1998, we have co-designed and delivered workshops, courses and training projects that build confidence, resilience and life skills for socially isolated and vulnerable people. We have worked with individuals with mental health conditions in collaboration with South London and Maudsley Recovery College for 15 years, and in 2023 expanded this work to veterans in partnership with London’s NHS Veterans Mental Health Services. Our Comedy for Veterans programme delivers evidence-based interventions that improve confidence, connections, wellbeing and sense of purpose.

Purpose of Role: The Veterans’ Worker will lead on outreach and peer support within the Comedy for Veterans Project, with a specific focus on engaging veterans from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and other communities underrepresented in traditional support pathways. The role aims to ensure inclusive participation, support mental wellbeing, and sustain long-term engagement with the project.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead outreach and engagement efforts to promote the Comedy for Veterans Project, focusing on building trust and participation among veterans from Black, ethnic minority, and underserved communities.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with veteran organisations, community groups, and stakeholders to enhance referrals, collaboration, and community presence.
• Provide peer support and mentoring to veterans enrolled in the project, encouraging sustained participation, confidence-building, and shared learning.
• Identify and address participation barriers, including logistical, emotional, or wellbeing challenges, and signpost to appropriate services when needed.
• Support the delivery of workshops and events, working closely with facilitators to ensure activities are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to participants’ needs.
• Collaborate with staff and partners to monitor progress, share relevant participant insights (within confidentiality boundaries), and contribute to a safe, trauma-informed environment.
• Document attendance, feedback, and outcomes for evaluation purposes, and report on engagement levels and project impact.

Essential Criteria: 

• Proven experience in outreach, peer support, mentoring, or community engagement—ideally with veterans or marginalised groups.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport across diverse social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Understanding of mental health and wellbeing, including challenges commonly faced by veterans, and the confidence to respond supportively.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures, confidentiality protocols, and maintaining professional boundaries when working with vulnerable adults.
• Ability to work independently and manage time, alongside a flexible approach to group dynamics, changing needs, and varying energy levels.
• Commitment to inclusion and accessibility, with sensitivity to the social, cultural, and structural barriers some veterans may face.

Desirable: 

• Background in social work, community organising, mental health support, or creative arts facilitation.
• Certification in Mental Health First Aid or equivalent.
• Understanding of trauma-informed approaches in community and learning settings.

Security Checks: Enhanced DBS clearance required and project specific security checks maybe required.

This post is funded by the Veterans’ Foundation

Role: Dads’/Partners’ Peer Support Worker
Location: Birmingham wide / Hybrid working
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday (with some occasional evening and weekend work)
Salary: £25,363 – £26,419 per annum, subject to experience
Contract: Fixed-term for 12 months
Benefits: Flexible working, 36 days leave (including bank/public holidays), 5% matched pension contribution, ongoing support and supervision sessions

Reports to: Operations Director

Please note: To allow Acacia to provide specialist, relatable peer support, there is a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) for this role to be filled by a male, who is a dad or partner and has relevant lived experience of perinatal mental health and/or other mental health difficulties.

What will the role involve?

The Dads’/Partners’ Peer Support Worker will play an important role in helping us reach and support more fathers and partners across Birmingham. The role will be community-based and will involve regular travel across the city, working closely with Family Hubs, community organisations and other local partners.

A key part of the role will be establishing and facilitating dads’ stay-and-play groups across Birmingham’s Family Hub areas. These groups will provide opportunities for dads to spend quality time with their children, meet other fathers, build supportive relationships and access support in a welcoming and informal environment.

The postholder will also provide one-to-one peer support, drawing appropriately on their own lived experience to build trust, offer encouragement and help fathers and partners feel less alone. They will support individuals to access relevant mental health, wellbeing, family and community services where needed.

The role will also help to raise awareness of fathers’ and partners’ perinatal mental health through community events, online resources and social media. Working alongside Family Hubs and other local services, the postholder will help dads and partners develop coping strategies, strengthen their support networks and feel more confident about moving forward.

Travel expenses incurred as part of the role will be reimbursed in line with Acacia’s Expenses Policy.Due to the post requiring regular travel across Birmingham, the applicant should ideally have access to a car for work purposes.

Please note the role will be subject to criminal record, right to work and reference checks.

Interested in applying?

If you are interested in being considered for the role, please read the attached job pack and complete the attached application form, explaining how you meet the points in the person specification. Your application should outline your relevant skills and experience, along with the qualities you feel you would bring to the role.

Please return completed application forms by Sunday 06 September 2026.

If you have any specific questions or would like to talk through any aspect of the role, please contact the recruiting manager for further information. 

As a Service Manager, you will lead the day-to-day delivery and ongoing development of the Newham Together Cafe, ensuring the service provides safe, high-quality, recovery-focused support to people experiencing or approaching a mental health crisis.

What you'll do 

• Lead the operational delivery and development of the service, ensuring it meets contractual requirements, quality standards and the needs of the local community
• Provide effective leadership, line management, supervision and support to staff and volunteers, promoting a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture
• Monitor service performance, outcomes, capacity, safeguarding and risk, using data and feedback to drive continuous improvement and ensure effective service delivery
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with NHS services, commissioners, local authorities and community organisations, representing the service at partnership meetings and multi-agency forums.

Please see the job pack for more information. 

The arts for mental health – peer support delivered creatively

Sound Minds is a user-led charity transforming lives through music, film and art. We are a thriving community bound together by creativity and a shared belief in mutual learning and peer support.

Main purposes of the job:

Sound Minds is recruiting a Head of Operations to join our team in Wandsworth.

The Head of Operations is a member of the senior leadership team at Sound Minds and leads the management and day-to-day operations of a vibrant community premises.

Sound Minds is in a period of review and consolidation, following growth of its programmes and having secured Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation status. The Head of Operations will further develop and implement robust systems to support this growth and the charity’s future aims.

The role leads on all operational, health and safety, premises, IT, systems, human resources, evaluation, and reporting activity. The Head of Operations manages the delivery of Sound Minds’ Peer Support service and will act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. They deputise for the CEO as required.

They will assist the CEO on maintaining key relationships with external stakeholders and external communications.

Sound Minds is a creative place, and the Head of Operations will need a passion for organisation and administration.

Salary: £42,833 per annum(pro rata) & 3% contribution to pension

Hours: 28 hours per week

This fixed term contract ends on 16th June 2030 and is renewable depending on funding.

Strong IT skills are essential for this role. You will be required to have a DBS (criminal records check) and satisfactory written references before starting.

The full job description and application pack are available from Sound Minds’ website.

Closing date: 10:00am, Monday 7th September 2026

First interviews: Friday 18th September 2026

Spectra is looking for a Research and Community Development Coordinator to join our growing Sex Worker Support Service.

Spectra is a health and wellbeing not-for-profit with a strong LGBTQ+ heritage. We design and deliver programmes for people from marginalised communities, including LGBTQ+ communities, particularly trans and gender diverse communities, sex worker communities, young people, and people living with and affected by HIV. Our work includes sexual health programmes, HIV and STI testing and outreach, counselling, advocacy, peer support and mentoring. 

Our Sex Worker Support Service has grown significantly since it was formed in 2023, and we are now looking for someone who can support the next stage of its development through community engagement, partnership work, participatory research and shared learning.

About the role

This role will support the ongoing development of Spectra’s Sex Worker Support Service by working closely with the Head of Sex Worker Support Services and the wider team. The postholder will help develop collaborative working with community and grassroots organisations, experts by experience, statutory agencies and other stakeholders.

You will lead on developing projects that support cross-community development in the sex worker support sector across London. This will include building external partnerships, helping to develop training, and supporting Spectra to play a positive and useful role in the wider sector. 

The role will also involve recruiting for and facilitating community participatory research projects and focus groups, contributing to data analysis and report writing, and sharing learning with colleagues and external stakeholders. The postholder will also occasionally contribute to outreach sessions and community support training, to build a direct understanding of the needs of the sex workers we work with.

Key areas of work

In this role, you will:

• Support the development of collaborations with agencies, grassroots organisations, collectives and experts by experience.
• Assist with the production of peer-led needs assessments and reliable, usable data and research. 
• Facilitate regular community participatory groups with service users and share learning with colleagues. 
• Create and distribute a monthly newsletter to stakeholders.
• Coordinate training opportunities and awareness-raising sessions with external organisations, delivering training alongside the Head of Service and/or other colleagues.
• Assist with funding proposals and applications. 
• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Help create, review and monitor resources for service users. 
• Work with Spectra colleagues and external partners to increase community engagement and develop resources for service users.

About you

We are looking for someone who is organised, thoughtful and community-minded, with good communication skills and a strong commitment to the rights and wellbeing of people from marginalised backgrounds.

You will have lived experience of sex work or transactional sex, or substantial experience working in trusted, peer-led sex worker support settings. Spectra delivers this service using a peer-led model, and lived experience is considered essential to this role because it supports trust-building, meaningful engagement, culturally competent service delivery, and the development of services that reflect the needs and experiences of sex workers and people engaged in transactional sex. 

You will also bring experience of developing good working relationships with stakeholders while maintaining professional boundaries, and experience of community research projects, data analysis and report writing.

We would particularly welcome applications from people who have experience of direct work within sex work community projects, online or in-person group facilitation, and/or knowledge of community participatory research methods.

About Spectra

Spectra’s values shape how we work, how we support one another, and how we work with the communities we serve. Our values are grounded in lived experience and reflect our commitment to equity, care and collaboration. We aim to be inclusive, supportive, emotionally aware, accessible, anti-oppressive, lived experience-centred and community-driven. 

We strive to provide a strong and supportive working environment for our staff team, many of whom have lived experience and are from the communities we serve.

How to apply

To apply, please complete the application form and return it by Thursday 3 September at 9am.

Interviews will take place in person on Monday 14 September.

START are recruiting for an Operations Manager.

Job Title: Operations Manager
Location: Salford
Employer: START
Hours: 4 Days per week (28 hours) worked across Monday to Friday, specific work pattern to be agreed, with flexibility required)
Salary Band: £33,860 - £40,000 FTE (£27,088 - £32,000 per annum actual for 28 hours per week)
Contract Type: Permanent
Pension: 5% employer contribution
Annual Leave: 30 days plus statutory holidays (pro rata for part-time staff)

About Us

START is a Salford based mental health charity, of over 30 years, that uses creativity, connection and recovery interventions to help improve people's lives.

Job Overview

We are looking for an experienced, proactive and highly organised Operations Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of START by ensuring the organisation operates safely, efficiently and in line with best practice.

Core Responsibilities

As Operations Manager, you will oversee the day-to-day operational management of the charity, leading on health and safety, facilities management, information governance, H.R, organisational policies and procedures, and the continuous improvement of our operational systems. You will also manage operational staff, lead key organisational projects and work collaboratively with colleagues, trustees, partners and external contractors to support the delivery of our strategic objectives.

This varied and rewarding role requires a confident leader with excellent organisational, communication and problem-solving skills, who can manage multiple priorities while maintaining high standards of compliance and service delivery. You will be passionate about creating efficient systems, fostering a positive working environment and ensuring the organisation remains compliant with relevant legislation and best practice.

Additional Information

If you are an experienced operational leader who thrives on driving improvement, building strong relationships and supporting an organisation that makes a real difference in people's lives, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing date for receiving applications will be Tuesday 25th August 2026 at 12 noon.

Interested?

If you believe you have the right skills and experience to join our exemplar charity, please apply in writing with an up to date CV and a supporting statement which outlines your suitability for the role in line with the attached person specification. It will be sent automatically to us. 

START are committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. With this in mind, we welcome applications irrespective of age, disability, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation

No agencies please.

Our mission as a charity is to create brighter todays and better tomorrow for the children and families of Noah’s Ark. The wellbeing team, comprising of the Programme Manager, Senior Ward Counsellor, Sparkle Co-ordinators and Music Therapist, work collaboratively to provide emotional and practical support to children, young people and families within the hospital. 

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled and compassionate professional to join us as a ward counsellor. Working closely with colleagues across the charity and NHS teams, the successful candidate will play a key role in delivering high-quality emotional support and will have the opportunity to see the direct impact of their work on the children and families we support. They will provide emotional and therapeutic support to children, young people and families during their time in hospital. This includes delivering counselling sessions, emotional first aid, wellbeing check-ins and Art for Wellbeing sessions on the oncology ward. The role focuses on supporting those experiencing the emotional impact of hospital admission, treatment and diagnosis, particularly children and families facing long or repeated admissions, medical trauma, complex care needs or significant emotional distress. Working closely with colleagues across the hospital and the charity the ward counsellor will help ensure children and families receive timeline, compassionate and coordinated wellbeing support throughout their hospital journey.

See the job description and person specifiation document for more details.

Job Title: Community Engagment Lead

Location: Lambeth, London
Salary: £25,107.11 per annum (Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement)
Contract type: Permanent, Part Time

Hours: 27 hours per week (days to be discussed)

The successful candidate will lead on mapping services in the Borough; forming partnerships with statutory and voluntary agencies based on identified needs of the service to enhance and extend multi-disciplinary knowledge available at and through the Gaia Centre.

The post holder will be responsible for managing relationships with partner agencies and coordinating co-locations within the Gaia service as well as negotiating for staff from the service to co-locate with partner agencies.

You will build capacity for a community response to meet the needs of survivors of VAWG by drawing on the expertise of other specialist and by-and-for service providers, such as those working with LGBTQ+ victim/survivors, disabled victim/survivors or victim/survivors of so-called ‘honor’-based violence in order to provide a wraparound support as part of a broader service offer.

The post holder will also support a team of the Peer Support Mentors and volunteers who will be leading on some practical aspects of individual and group support for survivors accessing the Gaia Centre.

The successful candidate will be skilled at working with a diverse range of audiences and will be adept at creating and developing new partnerships and pathways that contribute towards coordinated community response and improve the lives of survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

The post holder will also have experience of developing teams and supervising people.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am on 7 September 2026

Interview Date: 14 and 16 September 2026

Regional Youth and Community Director
OASIS UK – Youth and Community (OCP)

0.6 FTE, Permanent

Salary:£31,487 (FTE £52,479)

We’re excited to be recruiting for a key leadership position supporting Oasis’ youth and community work in the North West region (covering delivery in Greater Manchester and Bradford).With accountability to the Oasis Community Partnerships CEO the role of the Regional Youth and Community Director has three main functions:

1 Strategic management oversight of local Youth and Community teams

2 Regional development, working alongside other functions within the Oasis family

3 Being part of the national Youth and Community leadership team

The Youth and Community Director will have strategic management oversight of local Youth and Community teams in the region, providing accountability and support to the local leaders and charity boards. This responsibility area falls into two categories; those the Director is directly responsible for, and those they are responsible for ensuring are carried out by leaders within their region.

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

Oasis neighbourhoods are local places of activity that provide integrated, high quality and diverse services to benefit the whole person and the whole community. The Oasis ethos stems from our Christian roots and is an expression of our character - it is a declaration of who we are and therefore the lens through which we assess all we do. This is encapsulated by the following five statements:

a passion to include everyone

a desire to treat everyone equally, respecting differences

a commitment to healthy and open relationships

a deep sense of hope that things can change and be transformed

a sense of perseverance to keep going for the long haul

An Oasis neighbourhood is a community movement and the joining together of all the work Oasis does in any one place, which could include foodbanks, debt advice centres, family support and advice services, healthcare, youth work, children’s work, alongside other Oasis activities in that community, including formal education through Oasis Academies.

The Youth and Community function of Oasis is responsible for the wider community work that takes place within Oasis neighbourhoods, working closely with the wider Oasis family to outwork our vision. In relation to governance, Oasis Community Partnerships is the national charity, with each local team operating from their own local Oasis charity.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing national organisation, making a difference to communities on a local level, whilst also influencing the national landscape.  As part of the package, Oasis offers:

• A pension scheme, currently offering 7% employer contribution
• A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays)

Please contact us to arrange for an informal conversation with our CEO to find out more about the role. If you are interested in this position, please send your CV and a covering letter (ensuring you refer to the job description and person spec).

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and minority and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers to application, please let us know.

Completed applications should be returned by 9am on Tuesday 8th September.

Interviews will take place week beginning 21st September. (Shorter more informal calls may be arranged the previous week to assist with shortlisting)

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 08749179