What is Peer Support?
Peer Support is a free service for adults based in West Essex (Uttlesford, Epping Forest and Harlow). Every service user that joins the service will work with a dedicated Peer Support Worker who can draw on their own lived experience of mental health challenges which may be similar to what you are experiencing.
This could include a lack of motivation, low mood, depression, stress, anxiety, excessive worry, trauma or other emotional challenges. We use a personalised approach to focus on your own individual needs, what is important to you and what you would like support with. Peer Support can also mean having someone there alongside you to sometimes simply say ‘I am here’, ‘I understand’ or ‘ this is something that I have tried in the past that may also help you’.
Through drawing on their own lived experience, our peer support workers can support you with:
- Inspiring hope and showing that recovery is possible
- Actively listening and sitting alongside you.
- Providing a safe and non-judgemental space for you to share your thoughts , feelings and experiences with someone who may have been through something similar.
- Supporting you in improving your daily routine, activities, motivation, self-belief and general well being.
- Helping to empower you to gain a sense of control over your own recovery journey, identify your own coping strategies, recognise your personal strengths and set goals to help you move forwards.
- Helping you to connect and get involved with other groups, organisations or activities in your local community.
- Supporting you in accessing practical and financial support.
Peer support is non-clinical and we are not a crisis service. Peer Support is a goal focused service that aims to provide support for those that are experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges.
I feel like this was the most helpful experience I’ve received in my 7 years of being in the mental health services
It’s an excellent and effective service that has been extremely helpful. I felt like I was never judged and always understood.
A few months ago I wouldn’t have thought any of this was possible, but I’m so grateful that it is.I have some hope back in my heart and I’m looking forward to taking further steps back into my life.
Amazing service, so helpful and personalised to what I need at each stage. I would highly recommend this service to anyone who is struggling
How does peer support work?
Upon acceptance of a referral, you will be allocated a peer support worker who will then conduct a triage call to obtain some further details and see whether the service is right for you. If we are not suitable for you, we’ll help you to find the right level of support elsewhere and make sure that you feel supported in this process. If we feel we are the right service for you then you will then be offered up to nine, one-to-one support sessions with a dedicated peer support worker. Sessions will mainly be carried out in one of our hubs or in the community at a location decided between the service users and Peer Support Worker such as a community space or library, if this is in line with their goals.
There is also an option for the delivery of telephone support sessions upon request. It is a requirement of the service that you are willing to engage on an appointment basis.
To learn more about how peer support is different from other kinds of help, you can read an article by The Tad Project https://thetadproject.
Groups
Our community groups are aimed at providing a safe space where you can share your feelings and experiences. The groups are run by a volunteers with lived experience of mental health challenges themselves.
Please see the link to our groups where you can sign up to attend. The group is also entirely free.
Community activity groups:
Find out more about out community activity groups by clicking the link here.
