Using peer support along the client journey
As peer support is a basic ingredient in life, it is not surprising that it can help all along the client pathway. People who have a healthy support network around them already will not need this support from the project, but those with a negative or weak social network will need help at many stages.
- Engaging prospective clients
- Developing supporting friendships and social links
- Showing the way forward
- Providing development opportunities for clients
- Mentoring, as needed, while job hunting and once in the workplace
Engaging prospective clients
Getting target clients to even consider a new service is always a challenge, especially for people with very low confidence, mental health problems or other problems, such as addictions, which they would prefer to hide. Outreach by staff makes services more accessible, but peers’ testimony and encouragement can give prospective clients faith in the service and courage to try to make a change in life.
- Knocking on doors – Community Renewal uses pairs of community animators with a similar background to their target audience to knock on doors. They then develop a relationship with the householders and help people with problems start thinking about moving forward. Animators are seen more as “one of us”, and their supportive, listening approach gives people comfort and courage to start moving forward.
- Drop in service for prospective participants – Aberdeen Foyer runs the Lifeshaper programme for people ready to move on from addictions and related homelessness. But for those not yet ready for the full programme, they have a drop-in where prospective clients can talk to graduates of Lifeshaper who have moved on to the advanced programme. These graduates talk about the impact the programme can have and start to provide mentoring support to the prospective clients.
Developing supporting friendships and social links
For people who feel misunderstood, finding supportive friendships can be difficult, but these friendships are key to their progress and wellbeing. This can work in different ways.
- The Orbit Approach runs a range of activities, many of which are led by service users who have a talent to share. Coming to the groups gives people a chance to meet people with similar experiences and to make friends. These friendships become a key part of participants’ self-development process. Friendly discussions on hill walks are also an important social resource for participants.
- Community Renewal’s animators provide friendship, but they also help people make friends with neighbours with similar interests. Community action groups and family fun days are two common sorts of activities that help people move from isolation to an active part of the community. These become lasting social links within the community that clients and others can tap into throughout their personal development and beyond.
- Within structured programmes, friendships can form between people keen to move in the same direction. Apex has found participants of its Think Again programme often stay talking after the staff have gone home and one group even planned a camping trip together at the end of their first week.
Role models to show the way forward
Mentors can act as role models and help people develop both within groups and one-to-one. They might be visitors, group leaders or playing a part in a group.
- Apex often invites guest speakers who had a history of offending and then turned their life around and are now successfully working. These success stories show group participants what is possible and give them a chance to ask for secrets of success.
- In Aberdeen Foyer’s Lifeshaper programme, several of the support workers are graduates of the programme who have gone on to do further training and development. The range of their different experiences in recovering from addictions and their mix of personalities helps to give participants a well-rounded and authentic perspective on how to move forward.
- At Next Steps, mentors take part in the 12 week group programme, providing a role model and extra support for the group. Their presence reminds participants of what is possible and gives them ready access to tips and advice, as well as personal encouragement.
- Next Steps also offers individual mentors to give more tailored one-on-one support. Participants may have a series of mentors along their journey, depending on their needs as they progress.
Providing development opportunities for clients
Once clients have come to the end of a training programme, they may look for additional activity and a way to help others. Mentoring others can give them a progression route towards work. Ongoing development as a peer mentor continually builds confidence, coping strategies and is a good reminder of the journey travelled so far. It also reduces risk of “taking it all for granted.”
- Next Steps and Aberdeen Foyer have found that at the end of their programmes, participants are often keen to find ways to help others and to gain a range of experience. Mentoring roles provide an opportunity to combine both of these, while also enriching the project’s work. At Next Steps, it is an option open to graduates. At Aberdeen Foyer, community involvement is an integrated part of the Advanced Lifeshaper programme.
- At the Orbit Approach, the mentoring is less formal, but still important. More established participants in hillwalking groups or other activities such as allotments can help others to take part in the activity in an effective and enjoyable way. This gives them value focused on a particular interest and opens them up to helping anyone comes along to the activity.
Mentoring, as needed, while job hunting and once in the workplace
Having a mentor to keep in touch with and go to for support can make the difference between sustaining work and giving up. Next Steps’ mentors can stay with clients all the way into a job and keep them feeling on track. We are aware of another project that placed young people into public sector work placements and mentors at the workplace also played a key role in helping people settle in and feel secure.
“Being there for each other is really important. If you know you can call someone in a similar situation, then you can pick up the phone [women] or meet up in the pub [men] for a chat.”
– Orbit client
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“When I’m done with the Lifeshaper programme, I would love to go on to Advanced Lifeshaper and become a mentor. I’ve got a lot of incentive and push that I needed. ”
– Aberdeen Foyer client