In 2021 NELFT embarked on it’s journey to introduce Peer Support Workers into it’s workforce. In collobartion with voulantary and community sector organisation; MIND, lived experienced Peer Support Workers were intergated into Adult Community Mental Health Services; Mental Health & Wellness Teams across NELFT’s 4 London boroughs.  

The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) regocinises that Peer Support is highlighted as a distinctive occupation. Nationally the workforce is growing year on year and there is a strong call for greater development opportunies and career progression routes by peers and employees. Developing the Peer Support wokforce in NELFT was prioritised within the Mental Health Transformation Programme and the work began to develop a Peer Support Structure. 

During the summer of 2023, the service was introduced into NELFT and additional lived experience Peer Support Workers were employed to join Older Adult Services and Community Learning Disabilty Teams. Follwed by Faith Amasowomwan , Professional Lead for Peer Support Workers and Judy Ekeh, Peer Support and Lived Experinece Lead. 

Faith and Judy provide leadership to Peer Support Workers, champion the Peer Support service and work with services to conitnually develop and improve the Peer Support offer. 

Please continue reading the segments below to find out more about Peer Support Workers, how they can positively impact NELFT service users, staff and services. 

If you have any questions or would like to contact the service, please email the Peer Support Team at  PeerSupport@nelft.nhs.uk .

There are several ways in which peer support can happen, meaning it can be tailored to people’s needs in the right place, at the right time.

Online and telephone support

Sometimes people find it best to connect online or on the telephone; one conversation might be all it takes to help a person start to feel better.

One-to-one support

One-to-one support can be online or in person. It can also be alongside one another such as activities like going for a walk together.

Informal group support

Groups with shared common interests often come together to offer each other peer support, for example, gardening or crafting clubs.

Formal group support

Formal, commissioned support groups offer more structured support, for example, perinatal mental health, or addiction support groups.

Peer support does not replace the need for effective clinical advice, support, and information. It provides people with a supportive community that enables them to play a more active role in the ongoing management of their health and wellbeing.

Peer support develops people’s knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling them to take steps to live as well as possible with their condition(s). In turn it can help to reduce pressure on the health and care system – people who lack the confidence to self-manage their health and wellbeing are 10 times higher utilisers of services.

By enabling access to peer support and using the skills and expertise of people with lived experience, the health and care system has an opportunity to empower people to make more informed and conscious choices in self-managing their long-term or acute condition(s). 

There is a strong evidence base for supported self-management and studies into the specific impact of peer support indicate:

• It improves quality of life, provides experiential knowledge, develops supportive, trusting, and therapeutic relationships, provides emotional support and information.
• It can support people with long-term conditions and contributes to wellbeing and improved clinical outcomes, resulting in cost savings to health and social care. For example a peer support scheme for people with mental health issues in Nottingham contributed to a 14% reduction in inpatient stays, with savings estimated at £260,000 for a cohort of 247 people.
• The financial benefits of employing peer support workers exceed the costs, in some cases by a substantial margin.

Peer support can take place in a group, one to one, face to face or virtually and is championed by passionate people who want to share their experiences to help others.

Whatever the delivery models, the key principles for effective peer support remain the same. The following principles have been developed by NHS England, drawing on examples of good practice in peer support:

1. Shared experience is at the heart of peer support. People with lived experience are involved in coproducing peer support and defining its purpose and values.
2. It is accessible and inclusive, enabling a diverse range of people to feel accepted and understood.
3. Everyone is different and the strengths, values, needs and feelings of others are recognised.
4. People feel they have a safe space to be authentic and to share experiences/expertise, including health and care staff who may attend.
5. It is reciprocal – everyone can contribute to and benefit from the relationship(s) they build through peer support.
6. People are supported to use their strengths and skills, find solutions, manage challenges, and meet their personal goals.
7. It is flexible and adaptive to respond the evolving needs and goals of those accessing peer support.
8. People are encouraged to access clinical advice and support when they have an unmet medical need, helping to ensure people get the right kind of support they need at the right time.