Job Description

Location: Macclesfield and Crewe

Contract: Part Time 30 Hours - Fixed Term till June 2027

Salary: £ 20,608

DBS Check: Enhanced with Adults DBS

Make a difference through your lived experience

At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe that people who have experienced mental illness are uniquely placed to help others on their recovery journey. We're looking for a compassionate and motivated Lived Experience Recovery Worker to join our Involvement, Recovery & Wellness Service, delivered in partnership with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

This is a rewarding opportunity to use your personal experience of recovery to inspire hope, support wellbeing, and empower people to achieve their goals.

About the role

You'll provide one-to-one and group-based peer support to people living with mental illness, helping them build confidence, develop self-management strategies, and access opportunities within their local communities. You'll work alongside healthcare professionals, community organisations, volunteers, and service users to promote recovery-focused support that recognises each person's strengths and aspirations.

Your role will include:

• Providing individual peer support and key worker interventions.
• Facilitating peer-led recovery and wellbeing groups.
• Supporting people to identify and achieve personal goals.
• Encouraging access to community resources, services and opportunities.
• Promoting positive mental and physical wellbeing.
• Maintaining accurate records and supporting service monitoring activities.
• Building positive relationships with service users, colleagues and partner organisations.
• Representing the service at local community events and forums.

What we're looking for

Essential

• Personal lived experience of recovery from mental illness.
• Ability to use your experiences appropriately to support and encourage others.
• Excellent listening and communication skills.
• A compassionate, patient and non-judgemental approach.
• A commitment to recovery-focused and person-centred support.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Alignment with Rethink Mental Illness values and behaviours.

Desirable

• Experience supporting people with mental health needs in a paid or voluntary role.
• Understanding of recovery principles and mental health support approaches.
• Experience developing support plans or assessing individual needs.
• Relevant health, social care or mental health qualification.

Ready to apply?

If you've experienced your own recovery journey and want to use that experience to help others find hope, build resilience and move forward in their lives, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help transform lives through lived experience.

Why join Rethink Mental Illness?

We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, valued and able to be themselves. You'll benefit from:

• An inclusive culture, with colleague-led staff networks for Disability & Neurodiversity, Race & Ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, Gender Equality and Menopause.
• Flexible working and 25 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays and your birthday off), with the option to buy or sell leave.
• Wellbeing support including our Wellbeing Hub, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions and Unmind.
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Financial and family benefits including a contributory pension, enhanced family leave and travel schemes.
• Recognition and rewards including discounts, cashback offers and a Blue Light Card.
• Referral bonus where you can earn up to £300 for introducing someone to our team.

Our commitment to inclusion

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. We're also committed to becoming a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider supported by a multi-year equity, diversity and inclusion programme of work. For more information please view https://www.rethink.org/media/hdtjjy5b/revised-edi-plan-rethink.pdf

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and want everyone to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and experience. If you need reasonable adjustments during recruitment or when in your role, please let us know and we will work with you to understand what support you need.