About this course
The course is delivered once a week over a 12 week period, with interactive online taught sessions and built in forums for feedback and study time and support. Each taught day runs from 9:30am – 4:30pm on Zoom. The online training includes presentations from trainers, group discussions, case studies, activities, videos and more.
The course is delivered by trainers with both lived and professional experience, who have worked as peer support workers and trainers in a range of healthcare contexts.
The training topics include self-management, recovery principles, physical health in mental health, communication skills, how to have sensitive conversations and support people with wellbeing planning, the boundaries of safe practice in sharing lived experience, trauma-informed approaches, working with difference, conflict resolution, and working as part of a team.
To achieve the Level 4 accreditation, there are two assignments to complete outside of the classroom: a presentation on the peer worker role and a reflective essay on a case study about an instance of providing peer support (whether individually or in a group). Comprehensive assignment support is offered throughout the course to complete these.
The course can be undertaken without the assignments to a completed level (rather than an accredited level). All students need to attend a minimum of 80% of the taught sessions to complete the course.
Please note for peer workers employed by or working within the NHS in England, an alternative training in peer support may be available to you at no cost. Please check with your local peer or recovery lead before enrolling on our course.
Skills You will Learn
- Understand the role, values and principles of an effective peer worker.
- Be able to describe the qualities, attributes and skills of an effective peer worker.
- Be able to describe the dilemmas and potential challenges associated with the peer worker role.
- Consider creative and effective ways of problem solving these challenges.
- Discuss how an individual’s recovery can be promoted or hindered.
- Be able to offer a personalised, recovery-oriented perspective.
- Understand how to support and promote recovery for individuals and within services/teams.
- Understand how to work with difference.
- Be able to use active listening and communication skills in a peer relationship.
- Understand how to develop and maintain a mutual and reciprocal peer relationship.
- Be able to draw on and share lived experience safely.
- Understand recovery-focused approaches.
- Understand trauma-informed care and how it relates to the role of a peer worker.
- Understand professional, legal and ethical frameworks in relation to the role of a peer worker.
Structure of the Day
Week 1, 9:30-16:30
AM: Welcome to the module
PM: What is a peer worker?
Week 2, 9:30-16:30
AM: Looking after your own wellbeing
PM: Recovery core principles
Week 3, 9:30-16:30
AM: What hinders recovery?
PM: Communication skills and recovery focused language
Week 4, 9:30-16:30
AM: Physical health in mental health
PM: Sensitive conversations
Week 5, 1 hour
Midpoint feedback review
Week 6, 9:30-16:30
AM: Safe practice boundaries
PM: Sharing recovery stories
Week 7, 9:30-16:30
AM: Suicide and self-harm
PM: Supporting people with health & wellbeing plans
Week 8, 9:30-16:30
All day: Trauma-informed care
Week 9, 30 minutes
Presentation: What makes an effective peer worker?
Week 10, 9:30-16:30
All day: Working with difference
Week 11, 9:30-16:30
AM: Team work and safety and risk
PM: Conflict resolution
Week 12, 1 hour
Optional feedback session
All taught days include a morning break, lunch break, and afternoon break.
Schedule
Tuesdays
- 5th January 2027
- 12th January 2027
- 19th January 2027
- 26th January 2027
- 2nd February2027
- 9th February2027
- 16th February2027
- 23rd February 2027
- 2nd March 2027
- 9th March 2027
- 16th March 2027
- 23rd March 2027
Wednesdays
- 6th January 2027
- 13th January 2027
- 20th January 2027
- 27th January 2027
- 3rd February2027
- 10th February2027
- 17th February2027
- 24th February 2027
- 3rd March 2027
- 10th March 2027
- 17th March 2027
- 24th March 2027
Fridays
- 8th January 2027
- 15th January 2027
- 22nd January 2027
- 29th January 2027
- 5th February2027
- 12th February2027
- 19th February2027
- 26th February 2027
- 5th March 2027
- 12th March 2027
- 19th March 2027
- 26th March 2027
Target Audience
Students in a peer worker role (whether paid or voluntary) who are providing support to individuals or groups and drawing on their own lived experience to do so.
Students do not need any prior academic qualifications or experience to undertake the course and support is offered for those with learning needs and disabilities.
The course may not be ideally suited to those who are unable to engage with full days of learning online – we encourage anyone who would find undertaking the course across half days over two cohorts to get in touch as this can be accommodated by individual arrangement.
CPD Accreditation
The course is accredited to a Level 4 and is worth 30 credits, and is a bespoke qualification accredited by OCN London - https://ocnlondon.org.uk/
Dates
- 5 January 2027
- 6 January 2027
- 8 January 2027
Time
09:30 am - 04:30 pmDuration
Setting
Cost
The trainer
Katy Hawkins
Trustwide Peer & Lived Experience Training and Development Lead.
Team Lead for the Peer & Lived Experience Training Team.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust.