Lived Experience Leading The WayPeer Support in Mental Health

www.together-uk.org

‘Peer Support sees the person first, understandstheir distress and can offer true solutions thatthe Supporting Peer has used themselves.’ Peer Support Worker, Peer2Peer member

We believe that one of themost powerful ways to help isthrough Peer Support. It’sabout people with livedexperience supporting eachother in their wellbeing journeythrough similar experiencesand insight. Such a system ofmutually giving and receivinghelp is founded on respect andshared responsibility.

Peer Support can be on a formal orvoluntary basis, as an initiative or project,and led by peers or professionals. Itdevelops and delivers meaningful,effective services for people in manyways. For example, within an NHS Trust,crisis centre, day centre or as a 24-hourservice.

Together works directly with people whosupport peers, run Peer Supportprogrammes and works in partnership

with user led organisations and other keystakeholders. Our Peer2Peer initiativeprovides a forum for supporting anddeveloping successful Peer Supportmodels.

How Peer Support helpsReceiving Peer Support leads to increasedself esteem and self confidence, a senseof belonging, and motivation to learn newskills. For many, being part of a user groupprovides a safety net. Some have evenused peer support to overcome problemsthat traditional services have not helpedwith.

‘Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with apsychologist had previously failed even toget me to walk down my road alone. However with the motivation and supportfrom [my peers] other CAPITAL members,gradually my confidence grew so that Icould make increasingly complicatedjourneys alone. Within two or three years,travelling had ceased to be a problem forme.’ Ockwell (2010)

Providing Peer Support leads to workersbecoming involved in meaningful workand acquiring a sense of purpose. Theycan become accepted as people insteadof just a diagnosis.

Principals of Peer Support:• Mutuality• Solidarity• Synergy • Sharing with safety

and trust• Companionship• Hopefulness • Focus on strengths

and potential• Equality and

empowerment• Being yourself• Independence• Reduction of stigma• Respect and

inclusiveness

Together is a national charity working alongsidepeople with mental health issues so that they can leadfulfilling, independent lives. Together is trusted for itsexpertise in service user involvement, empowermentand leadership that promote wellbeing.

We have joined forces with the University of Nottingham and National SurvivorUser Network (NSUN) to research into Peer Support, its many advantages andReturn on Investment (ROI) potential. This leaflet summarises the full report Lived Experience Leading the Way - Peer Support in Mental Health.

Support through shared experience

‘Peer Support has a long and honourable history inmental health. Fellow patients and service usershave always provided invaluable support to eachother, both informally and through self-help andactivist groups.’ Jackson (2010)

Looking to the future‘Studies have shown that peer support can lead toincreased community integration for people with livedexperience as well as increased quality of life in relation todaily living activities, social relations and a significantlygreater involvement in work or participation in education’.Nelson et al 2007, Forchuk et al 2005

Peer Support can play a crucial role in supporting mental wellbeing, fulfillingcore policy objectives and developing quality and cost-efficient services thatdeliver positive outcomes and enable people to direct their own care.

But for Peer Support to become more widespread, there are challenges toovercome. For people with lived experience and peer run groups, theseinclude being seen as credible and having respected opinions, avoiding redtape and maintaining independence. For peer support workers working withinmental health services, there’s the need to strengthen their position throughincreased awareness, better engagement and support by staff, improvedtraining, and increased supervision.

It‘s also important to explore the Return On Investment (ROI) compared to current services and promote the importance of service user knowledge/ expertise and service user-led organisations.

PositiveoutcomesThe success of Peer Support hasbeen proven by many organisations,such as the AA (AlcoholicsAnonymous).

Mental health problems costEngland over £77 billion p.a.through care, economic losses andpremature death. Improvedwellbeing through Peer Supportleads to a reduced use of treatmentservices and medication - withconsiderable savings. A Peer Supportservice in Australia, providinghospital avoidance and earlydischarge support, saved 300 beddays in the first three months alone.A USA outpatient programmereduced re-hospitalisations by 50%compared with traditional care.

An estimated £26.1 billion is lostin the UK as many peoplediagnosed with a mental healthproblem are unable to work. PeerSupport can facilitate involvement ineducation and progression toemployment.

Peer Support services are alsoproven to be extremely cost-efficient. For example, the LeedsSurvivor-Led Crisis Servicesuccessfully supports people at£180 per day per person while astay at an acute hospital as aninpatient is £259 per day,providing a saving of £28,000each year.

Together supports people on their ownjourney towards mental wellbeing –helping them with aspects of life such asgetting a place to live, finding work,making friends, building self esteem andplaying an active role in their community.

The University of Nottingham, with user-led Making Waves, developed and runs anaccredited training programme for peersupport workers. In working with the localNHS Trust, they are part of a UK-widenetwork of NHS Trusts employing peersupport workers in mental health services.

NSUN is committed to promoting anddeveloping Peer Support across Englandat a local, regional and national level. Itaims to facilitate links between usergroups and individuals, broker access toservice users by policy-makers, andprovide training in leadership,organisational skills and campaigning.

Together, 12 Old Street, London EC1V 9BETel: 020 7780 7300 Web: www.together-uk.orgRegistered Charity No. 211091. Registered Company No. 463505

Together we’re betterPeer Support works best when there’s a spirit of truecollaboration and partnership. Through cooperation betweenservice user groups, voluntary organisations, other statutoryservice providers and commissioners, we aim to turn a sharedvision into concrete, effective practice.

If you are interested in working with us, or would like moreinformation about our Peer Support services, please visitwww.together-uk.org. Or contact:

Elina Stamou, Peer Support Development ManagerPhone: 0207 780 7358Email: elina-stamou@together-uk.org

The partnership behind the reportThis leaflet is a summary of key messages from the Peer Support – LivedExperience Leading the Way report, which you can read at www.together-uk.org.

‘Together have made an enormously valuable contribution in the mental healtharena. This is an important document that should be essential reading both forthose of us with mental health problems who are rebuilding our lives and all whoaspire to be our allies and support us in our journey.’Rachel E. Perkins OBE, Mind Champion of the Year 2010