Mental health peer mentoring worker jobs in East of england
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Are you an experienced practitioner with a passion for empowering young people and making a difference?
At NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), we are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and adults at risk. We believe no child or young person should ever be alone or voiceless in the care system, in family court, or when decisions are being made about their future.
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join Project Unity England, working 28 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver intensive, trauma-informed support to care-experienced young mothers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, helping families stay together and supporting young mothers to build positive futures.
About Project Unity England
Project Unity England is an innovative national initiative focused on improving outcomes for care-experienced young mothers and their children through collaborative, multi-agency working. The project aims to keep families together, strengthen service delivery, promote innovation and ensure that local needs are addressed effectively across England.
At the heart of Project Unity is a collaborative approach that brings together local authorities, health partners and community organisations to provide coordinated, community-focused support. By working closely with partner agencies, Project Unity helps ensure young mothers receive the right support at the right time, enabling them to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves and their children.
About the role
As a Senior Practitioner, you will manage a complex caseload, providing independent, rights-based advocacy and one-to-one support to care-experienced young mothers. Working autonomously while supported by the Project Coordinator, you will empower young mothers to understand their rights, navigate statutory processes and make informed decisions that help keep families safely together.
You will build trust, complete assessments, develop support plans and advocate on their behalf within multi-agency settings. You will work alongside social workers, midwives, health visitors and other professionals to ensure each young mother's voice is heard and represented.
Alongside direct casework, you will contribute to peer support groups, workshops and community-based activities that reduce isolation, build confidence and strengthen parenting skills. You will also play an important role in safeguarding, quality assurance and service development by maintaining high-quality records, producing case studies and identifying opportunities to improve local services.
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference to the lives of care-experienced young mothers while working within an innovative, rights-based national programme.
About you
We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable young people and families. You will be confident working independently while building strong partnerships with professionals across health, social care and the voluntary sector.
You will have experience supporting families or parents with complex social care involvement and a sound understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant legislation. You will be an effective advocate with excellent communication skills, able to build trusting relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.
You will be organised, resilient and confident managing a demanding caseload, with strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound professional judgements in complex situations.
Above all, you will demonstrate NYAS's values of Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment, sharing our commitment to ensuring children, young people and adults at risk have their voices heard.
How to Apply
Please apply via the the NYAS website. In your application, evidence using specific examples how your skills and experience meet the criteria in the person specification within the attached job description, including:
- Experience with vulnerable young people or families in a social care, advocacy or support setting
- Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to advocacy, safeguarding and children’s social care
- Excellent communication, organisational and report-writing skills, with sound professional judgement
Employee Benefits
We offer the following employee benefits:
- 26 days, increasing to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
- Occupational sick pay (subject to completion of qualifying period)
- Enhanced pay for family friendly leave
- Free parking at some of our offices
- Employee assistance programme
- Group stakeholder pension scheme
- Access to BHSF health cash plan
- Cycle to work scheme
- Support and supervision from your line manager
- Learning and Development opportunities
Safeguarding and Compliance
NYAS operates robust safeguarding procedures, and internal candidates will be subject to references in line with our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. In accordance with UK immigration law, proof of eligibility to work in the United Kingdom will be required as part of the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.
About NYAS
NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is an established rights-based charity ensuring that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are respected, represented and supported in expressing their views. We work with care-experienced people who are often reliant on statutory services, and our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure their voices are heard.
We are an equal opportunities employer and a Disability Confident Employer, guaranteeing an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.
At NYAS, we listen to what children, young people and vulnerable adults want. We empower them to have their voices heard.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis?
Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?
If you can embody our values of Hope, Courage, Togetherness, and Responsiveness, and want to help others build resilience and manage their wellbeing, we’d love to hear from you.
Peer Support Worker
Reference: 354
Responsible to: Peer Support Team Lead
Working hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £25,233 per annum
Based: Waltham Cross + Herts Countywide travel required, depending on client need and waiting lists, with a focus on Waltham Cross and East Herts.
Another exciting role has become available within our Peer Support Service.
About the Peer Support Services
Our Peer Support Service started 14 years ago, Since then, we have seen our service grow and we now offer Peer Support across the whole of Hertfordshire. Peer Support is the key service most requested by people and we now offer this in all of our 7 Wellbeing Centres across Hertfordshire. HMN’s values of Hope, Courage, Togetherness and Responsive form the basis of all the work we do.
Hertfordshire Mind Network provide a range of training opportunities, including our Peer Support Academy. Working in co-production with clients, staff, volunteers and stakeholders, we were able to create our own Peer Support Charter Values and these values form the ethos we work within our peer support team and the 2 academy courses we run which are: The Foundations of Peer Support and Supporting Others in a Peer Way.
About the Role
The Peer Support service provide tailored, personalised support for someone’s individual needs. This includes using different tools and techniques to help an individual improve areas of their life they may be struggling with. This approach includes; Hope, Courage, Togetherness and Responsive. Peer Support is based on the recognition that there is no better person to support the path towards recovery, than someone who has walked a similar path as that person.
As a Peer Support Worker you will:
- Offer 1-1 peer support in Letchworth and within other HMN Wellbeing Centres across the County depending on client need and waiting lists
- You will help co-facilitate our online Peer Support Group
- Meet client need and work within this personalised approach
- Work with clients in the community, within their home, as well as in one of our Wellbeing Centres
- Support clients in a peer support way
- Play an integral role in instilling HMN’s values through our 1-1 and group support
- Play a key part in the development and delivery of our groups
- Always ensure the delivery of quality services
We offer:
- Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising in increments to a max. of 28 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays)
- An additional day of leave each year for your birthday following completion of probation period.
- Ongoing training relevant to your role.
- An Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health cover (after 6 months employment) – compensation payment for Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments.
Being able to drive and having access to your own vehicle (or equivalent) is essential for this role.
Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 31 July 2026.
Interview dates will be confirmed
Please note: Due to high numbers of expected applicants, we may close this advert early.
N.B. Please quote reference number 354 when completing your application for this role.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.
Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.
No agencies please.
Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.
Title: Blended Team Service Manager
Post no: 659
Working base: Dunstable CMHT (Community Mental Health Teams) LU5
Area covered: Bedfordshire
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday
Salary: £29,355.00 per annum
About the Service and the Role
This role is an exciting opportunity to work with the Operational Services Manager (Blended Teams) to manage the daily operations of our Blended Teams functions.
This includes managing a core team of workers in a diverse range of projects and services often in partnership with the NHS and other VCSE and community groups. The role will involve multi-agency working and ensuring the continuous development of our services to ensure that they meet the needs of the community and blended team outcomes.
Ideally, you will be required to have knowledge of managing remote teams who may be imbedded in NHS services and the ideal candidate would have the skills to support staff with the complex challenges that come with blended working as well as maintaining and building relationships with key stakeholders. You will also be required to hold your own caseload, supporting the teams with more complex service users and cover gaps in services.
Key Responsibilities and Service Delivery
- Operate a service and ensure outcomes which support individuals with mental health and wellbeing needs in line with Mind BLMK’s and blended team model and contract requirements.
- Work with the Operational Services Manager (Blended Teams) and senior managers to ensure the management of an effective workforce including recruitment and performance management challenges
- Ensure that services with complex partnerships and remote teams are effectively managed and maintained, through effective relationship building and multi-agency working.
- Ensure regular involvement of service users, volunteer and staff on local service delivery, organisational matters and wider mental health strategies.
- Assess suitability for community connection support as part of a blended team approach and support individuals to access the service by utilising in depth knowledge of local voluntary and community services and networks.
- To work with individuals to coproduce a plan to address their mental health and wellbeing goals. Enable people to achieve these goals through facilitating access and connecting with appropriate resources.
- Enable people to access community resources which may include accompanying them.
- Offer support, guidance and help where possible to people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance.
- Take a holistic approach, based on the individuals’ priorities and wider determinants of health that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
- To work as part of an integrated team to ensure the best outcomes for each person accessing the service.
- Maintain an effective workforce for the service in line with Mind BLMK’s HR policies, procedures and guidance (recruitment, line management, workload planning, support and development of crisis workers, peer support workers and volunteers).
- Hold responsibility for health and safety, data collection and cash handling in line with Mind BLMK’s policies, procedures and guidance.
The successful candidate will have experience of managing diverse staff resources, multi-agency working, 2 years’ experience working with people with mental health and managing remote teams. Level 3 Social Care (or equivalent) and Management and Leadership qualifications are desirable.
Entitlements/benefits:
- 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
- Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
- Health Plan with a wide variety of benefits
- Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
- In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
- Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)
If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.
Closedown: 5pm on Thursday 23rd July 2026
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP
Other roles you may have experience of could include: Mental Health Service Manager, Community Services Manager, Service Coordinator, Mental Health Team Leader, Service Delivery Manager, Community Support Manager, Operations Manager, Wellbeing Centre Manager or Mental Health Project Manager.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.
Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
No agencies please.