Peer support practitioners
The role of a peer support practitioner
Peer Support Practitioners are an important part of our workforce.
Drawing upon lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery, they use their insight to support others on their wellbeing journey. Their role is founded on the principles of hope, empathy, empowerment, and human connection.
Peer Support Practitioners help create services where people feel understood, valued, and included. They demonstrate that recovery is possible and that individuals are more than their diagnosis.
By working in partnership with people who use our services, Peer Support Practitioners help build confidence, promote self-determination, and encourage meaningful involvement in recovery. They build trusting and reciprocal relationships coming alongside service users during a difficult time in their lives. They have a unique approach which offers social, emotional and practical support, helping service users on their recovery journey having a clear understanding of the anxieties and pressures one can face on a day to day basis in the services.
Our peer service regularly contributes to the national progression of peer support and is very well linked with other services, agencies, trusts and charities that offer peer support services.
Where do peer support practitioners work?
• Peer support practitioners can be found across the care pathways working in the multi-disciplinary teams bringing a lived experience perspective to; colleagues, service users, carers and students.
• Acute, Community and Rehabilitation Care Pathways and specialist Care Pathways including the Forensic and Mother and Infant Mental Health Services.
How do Peer Support Practitioners support people?
Peer Support Practitioners:
- work one-to-one with people who use our services
- co-facilitate group work with clinical staff, bringing a lived experience perspective to traditional understandings of mental health
- share relevant personal experiences and strategies for managing mental health day to day
- bring valuable lived experience expertise to multidisciplinary teams.
Becoming a Peer Support Practitioner
Lived experience of mental ill health is essential for this role.
If you are interested in becoming a Peer Support Practitioner, there are several ways you can prepare and gain useful experience.
Recovery College
Recovery College provides free health-related courses to anyone aged over 18. The courses can help you make sense of your own experiences and learn how to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Experts by Experience
The Experts by Experience (EbyE) Research Group is an established group of service users who are regularly involved in many aspects of trust activity, as well as in their own communities.
Find out more about Experts by Experience
Volunteering
Volunteering can provide valuable experience. Opportunities may be available through organisations and services such as Rethink, MEGAN, Live Well, SUN, Take Off and Mind.
Reflect on your personal journey
It takes time to process and come to terms with experiences of mental ill health, and explaining your journey to another person can sometimes be difficult.
You may find it helpful to write your story down and reflect on the experiences you would feel comfortable sharing with others. Having a clear understanding of your own journey can help you decide how and when to draw upon your experiences when supporting service users.
Understand our values
Take some time to understand our organisation, our values and what we are trying to achieve.
Find out more about our trust values
Look for peer support practitioner vacancies
Create a profile on the NHS Jobs website and set up notifications for ‘Peer Support’ roles so you can hear when new vacancies become available.
Contact the Peer Support team
The peer leadership team is:
- Natalie Phillips, Peer Lead: natalie.phillips21@nhs.net
- Caroline Smith, Deputy Peer Lead: caroline.smith50@nhs.net
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about peer support. If you would like further information, please contact the team.
Peer support resources
Watch the video below to see our peer support lead, Natalie Phillips, explain the peer support practitioners role at our trust.
