Your role
Do you have the right skills and experience for this role Read on to find out, and make your application.
Peer Group Facilitator & Support Worker
Location: South Gloucestershire-based with travel across Bristol and North Somerset (BNSSG)
Work Type: Field-Based
Hours: 35 per week
Salary Band: Senior Support
Contract: Permanent
About the Role
As a Peer Group Facilitator & Support Worker, you will draw upon your lived experience of recovery from Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) or personality disorder to support others. You'll facilitate peer group sessions, inspire hope, and provide person-centred, trauma-informed support.
You will work within a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team delivering holistic, community-based support through psychoeducational and therapeutic group sessions, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mentalisation-Based Therapy (MBT), in partnership with Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (AWP).
This field-based role involves working from home, community venues, and NHS locations across BNSSG. You will receive necessary IT equipment and travel expenses.
About Sequoia
Sequoia is a support service co-produced with experts by experience to help adults with CEN or personality disorder achieve improved mental health, build coping skills, and reconnect with their communities. Services include in-person and virtual sessions designed to provide accessible, high-quality support.
Key Responsibilities
* Facilitate peer support and group sessions across BNSSG.
* Share your recovery journey to inspire and guide others.
* Collaborate with professionals and peers to deliver person-centred support.
* Record activities accurately using digital tools (Hive/RiO).
* Participate in team meetings, reflective practice, and co-production activities.
* Ensure safeguarding, equality, and accessibility in all services provided.
What You'll Bring
* Lived experience of CEN or personality disorder recovery.
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
* Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches and best practices in mental health support.
* Ability to manage your workload effectively and prioritize tasks.
* Flexibility to travel across BNSSG.
Desirable Skills
* Experience in group facilitation and working with people in crisis.
* Understanding of safeguarding and health & safety practices.
* Knowledge of using digital tools for record-keeping.
Our Values
We're passionate, open, and committed to improving lives for those affected by mental illness. Our CARES framework underpins everything we do: Connect, Accountable, Respect, Evolve, Success.
Benefits
* Ongoing professional development and training.
* National peer support networks and buddy systems.
* Flexible working opportunities.
*Appointments will be at the minimum of the band.
We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
*Given the nature of this role, which involves frequent travel to various locations and timely meetings, a clean drivers licence is essential.
Please see further details on our website
You can also follow us on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram and LinkedIn to find out more about the work we do![SB1]
Caring for our people.
We offer a wide range of support. Some of our benefits include:
* PULSE: our recognition, rewards, wellbeing, and benefits platform. Providing access to thousands of discounts and benefits including cashback; reloadable cards; savings etc. As well as being able to thank colleagues and nominate them for awards.
* Wagestream: gives you instant access to up to 50% of your pay. Also provides a library of expert tools, tips and articles plus, helps you start building a rainy-day pot straight from your salary.
* Wellbeing support: our Wellbeing hub gives physical, emotional, and mental health support. We also have a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments.
* Taking time for you: we work flexibly -you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. We have generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off. We also offer the opportunity to buy and sell annual leave.
* Planning for the future: We have a contributory pension scheme.
* Structured Corporate Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way.
* £300 when you introduce a Friend: receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member.
Who are we?
We're Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: "A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness."
It is an exciting time to join our growing charity. We are on a transformation journey, one that supports the delivery of the organisation strategy - delivering Communities that Care. Supporting employees, managers and leaders through this change is a key priority for the People function. Just like its key that we attract diverse people to come and work for us.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we're working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer. We recognise and support staff networks for our Black, Asian and minority ethnic and our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter.
Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation
We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement. We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrate our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or questioning), Intersex and (asexual) (LGBTQIA+), people with a disability, and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact -
IND1
Our Charity
Our work to achieve this is guided by seven core values:
* Commitment
* Equity
* Expertise
* Hope
* Openness
* Passion
* Understanding
What do we value?
Passion
We are passionate about leading the way to a better quality of life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.
Commitment
We work tirelessly to provide support for everyone severely affected by mental illness.
Openness
We are open and transparent in all our work with beneficiaries, supporters, partners and the public to achieve change for people severely affected by mental illness.
Hope
We offer hope of a better quality of life for all those severely affected by mental illness.
Expertise
We constantly use our expertise to provide practical and personal support for people who are severely affected by mental illness.
Understanding
People who are severely affected by mental illness are at the heart of everything we do in our organisation - our membership, our governance and our workforce.
Equity
We believe that in a world where discrimination and disadvantage exist, treating people with equity is critical to ensure justice and fairness for all.
Openness
We are open and transparent in all our work with beneficiaries, supporters, partners and the public to achieve change for people severely affected by mental illness.
What will you receive?
You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your abilities with the opportunity to make a real difference every day. In addition, you will have excellent development opportunities including funded training, career development, and a range of e-learning courses. You will also receive:
Employer funded pension
Flexible
working
Life
assurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Eyecare vouchers
up to £55 towards the cost of new glasses or lenses
Training opportunities
e-learning courses & much more
Annual
leave
25 days rising to 30, plus bank holidays
Rethink
day
1 day's additional leave (pro rata) on your Birthday
PULSE
Reward, Benefits and Recognition Platform
Employee Assistance Programme
Rethink day
1 day's additional leave (pro rata) on your Birthday
For the full list, see our website here.
Our colleagues say
"From the very start I was made to feel welcome and respected in my new team. In the short time I have been working with Rethink Mental Illness as a service administrator I have been able to contribute ideas and make meaningful change, and I appreciate that Rethink allows me to direct my own role development and help me build on the skills I want to work on."
"Working for Rethink Mental Illness is the most rewarding job I could ask for. As a Peer and Volunteer Co-ordinator I get to work with a huge variety of people, with a range of skills and support them to incorporate those skills into their volunteering roles. I am always looking for gaps that need filling and creating new and exciting opportunities that will benefit our service, mental health in the community, but most importantly the people giving up their time to help."
"I've previously worked in a large corporate environment, in the criminal justice sector and other charities. Without a shadow of a doubt, Rethink Mental Illness has been the best employer I've ever had. They care about their staff. Its great working with like-minded people and knowing that you are making a real difference to people's lives."
"It feels very rewarding to be part of such a meaningful Organisation where everyone is valued and has the opportunity to make a difference".
Please be mindful that we may need to close adverts early if we receive a high volume of applications, we, therefore, encourage you to apply as soon as possible.