Key messages for funders and commissioners
The diversity of peer support is its strength. But it can also make it challenging to fund and commission. Our research identified several important lessons to make sure peer support is commissioned effectively.
Peer support improves people’s sense of wellbeing, their ability to connect with others, increases their sense of hope and improves their ability to make decisions and take action. Continue to support the voluntary sector to deliver peer support projects for people with mental health problems across age, gender, sexuality and ethnic background, meeting a vast range of needs and experiences.
Peer support services should be integrated into or offered alongside all mental health services across England and Wales. Adequate resources are required to support these projects to continue being of high quality and sustainable long-term.
Our research has identified clear, evidence-based values underpinning successful community-based peer support. We recommend that organisers, service providers and commissioners use these values to develop and commission peer support. These values reinforce those found in previous research and work carried out by groups and organisations leading peer support. This toolkit provides more practical resources to show how they can be put into practice.
Despite evidence that peer support is cost-effective, it is not cost-free. Peer support can reduce healthcare costs. Individuals, groups and organisations can also benefit from coming together to share skills, experience and resources, offer mutual support, and collaborate. Financial resources are required to support this.
A range of peer support options should be provided, including projects for and by marginalised communities. Our research has shown that marginalised communities benefit from projects where there are people with similar experiences, including shared cultural background (for example, experience of migration and racism).
All peer support should offer a range of opportunities and support to give people choice about the type of support they do and don’t access. This helps to increase people’s sense of agency, and provides opportunities for people to develop, grow and gain confidence.
Peer support should be co-produced. It’s vital that people with lived experience of mental health problems lead or are fully involved in decision-making in all aspects of peer support project design and delivery. As well as developing projects that meet people’s needs more directly, it’s essential that people have opportunities to develop and grow.
