Person Specification

The role of the specially trained Perinatal Support Volunteer offers one to one contact with a woman providing the opportunity to speak to someone who has also been through their own journey, offering support in attending appointments and providing a listening and empathetic ear. They will offer safe, effective and appropriate peer support to the woman that they’re supporting using their experiential skills and knowledge.
In addition, the volunteer will liaise with Peer Support Coordinators to ‘debrief’ after each encounter with any of our women in service.
You will be required to report to a Peer Support Coordinator after each contact with the woman that you are supporting for a debrief. The Peer Support Coordinator will also provide your training and be available for any general support that you require.

Perinatal Support Volunteers may be required:
• To talk to women and their families over the telephone or online.
• To meet women in their own homes or appropriate settings and support them to access relevant and appropriate activities either in a home setting or the community.
• To give one to one support to engage with Peer Support groups.
• Support groups run by other professionals on the perinatal team.

For this role Personal lived experience of perinatal mental health (1 year post experience) is required and applicants must be over the age of 18

An Enhanced DBS with Adult Barring is also required for this role

Vacancy Details

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust recognise and value the importance volunteer support is to us and our patients. We currently have a volunteer role available supporting us at North Barn in Lancaster. You must be 18 years and over to apply for this role. Please apply by downloading the attached application form.

Volunteering is a long term commitment (for example 9 – 12 months), bringing continuity and stability for patients and staff, and we ask volunteers to support by doing the same periods each week, which are discussed and agreed by the volunteer and volunteer supervisor.

An Enhanced DBS with Adult & Child Barring will be required for this role. This role will be supporting the Perinatal Community Mental Health team. Women and their families affected by Mental health during the perinatal period often express that it helps to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience.