Peer support workers

Peer support workers (PSW) roles are based on lived experience of Trust services either personally or as a carer. PSW’s are on a good phase of personal recovery and knowledgeable about different Trust services from a personal perspective.

The peer role is explicitly a non-clinical one, which does not involve treatment, assessment or evaluation. The role gives added depth and personal perspective to what people are going through. They offer a different relationship, one of mutual understanding, which helps with the recovery and well as the involvement of people (and their carers or facilitators) in what is best for them; with experiences in common.  They can support different ways to express how people are feeling and how to deal with those thoughts and feelings in a more creative and supportive approach. PSW emphasis is on the person taking control of their own lives giving them a purpose and confidence to look after themselves in a more productive and personalised manner.

Peer support workers:

  • Can use their own lived experience to connect with people and help them by giving them a sense of hope and wellbeing
  • Help people engage with, build connections, and feel a sense of belonging to their local communities
  • Help people to gain a sense of control over their own lives
  • Enable people to gain satisfaction in different parts of their life

Services who have peer support workers:

Resources:

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