The Power of Peers24th November 2015

About Cyrenians

• Supporting people excluded from family, home, work or community

• Helping around 4,500 people each year

• High prevalence of poor mental health amongst those we see

Key features of Cyrenians work

• Relating to people rather than intervening with people

• Interdependence rather than independence

• Bringing people together to enable social support to happen

Peers

• What do we mean?• Why do we do it?• Some examples: • Informal peer support – Community Gardens, Cyrenians Good Food Project • Formal peer support – Cyrenians Communities, Cyrenians Recovery Hub• Paid peer support – R:Ed Peer Support Project

Cyrenians Communities

• Cyrenians Farm Community and Cyrenians City Community• Residential projects for young people aged 16-30 • Community living • Peer mentoring an integral part of the model

Cyrenians Communities

• The benefit of peer support in the Communities

• People choosing to be there• The learning still happens when the staff go home• More akin to real life

Cyrenians Recovery Service

• Supporting people to overcome addiction• Recovery Hub central feature • Peer support an integral part of the model

Cyrenians Recovery Service • The benefit of peer support in the Recovery Service

• Opportunity to establish new social networks • Explicit mutual benefit from relationships• Strength in solidarity

NHS Community Gardens

• Sites at the Royal Edinburgh and Midlothian Hospital • Growing, cooking, green learning• Inpatient, outpatient and community resource • Informal peer support a key ingredient

NHS Community Gardens

• The benefit of Peer support in the Community Garden

• An equality amongst volunteers • A common interest not a common problem• No ‘worker – client’ dynamic, just experience guiding the novice

Conclusions

• We have a much bigger reach when we make space for people to be with others

• Where we have opportunities for peer support we see a decline in the length of time we provide formal support to people for

• It’s a virtuous circle

Contact details

• Amyhutton@cyrenians.scot