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.

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.

Knowing someone else has been where you are and has come out of it the other side is amazing to hear.

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. Following this, you will then be offered up to nine, one-to-one support sessions with a dedicated peer support worker. These sessions will be carried out in the community at a location decided between you and the Peer Support Worker. 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.org/explore/articles/peer-vs-clinical-support.

Groups

These groups are aimed at providing a safe space to share your feelings and experiences, run by facilitators with lived experience of mental health challenges themselves. We also look at different topics based on needs identified by the group such as; signposting to local organisations and support, how to improve sleep, coping strategies, self-care routines and more.

You do not need to pre-book, you can just turn up on the day. The group is also entirely free.

Peer support group:

• Sessions every Thursday 12.30-2pm at the Mind in West Essex Wellbeing Centre (10-11 Corner House, Bushfair, Harlow, CM18 6NZ)
• This group is held fortnightly (starting from 25th June) on a Wednesday from 1-2.30pm at the 3Food4U Community Centre, 47 Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, EN91BD.

How to refer?

If you want to refer yourself or someone else to our Peer Support Service, please email us at peersupport@mindinwestessex.org.uk or use the following form:

Peer Support Referral Form

Please use the following form to request support from our peer support service. This service delivers low level support and is not suitable for those that are experiencing active suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis and require immediate support, please call 111 for mental health services.

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Data Protection and Confidentiality

Mind in West Essex adheres to the Data Protection Act 2018’s principles of good information handling and the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

This means that your information will be:

- Fairly and lawfully processed
- Processed for limited purposes
- Adequate, relevant and not excessive
- Accurate and up-to-date, not kept for longer than necessary, and secure.

Please indicate below if you consent to Mind in West Essex collecting, recording and processing your personal data for the purpose of providing you with support and to ensure your health, safety and wellbeing.

Mind in West Essex will use your information appropriately and in line with our Privacy Policy which you can see here: https://www.mindinwestessex.org.uk/about-us/privacy-policy/.

Your details will not be shared with anyone else without your consent. If you have any concerns or questions about how your personal data is collected and used, please ring our office on 01371 876641 or email: admin@mindinwestessex.org.uk

Your data is held electronically on a secure database and will be retained with any associated paperwork for a period of 7 years.  If you wish to see the records we hold about you this can be arranged by request to the Chief Executive Officer of Mind in West Essex.

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