Developing Expertise in Peer Working (Accredited)

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 three assignments to complete outside of the classroom: a presentation on the peer worker role, an essay on a case study about an instance of providing peer support (whether individually or in a group), and a workbook with reflections on how students are working to the core competences of a peer worker in their day-to-day roles.

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?
Zoom

Week 2,  9:30-16:30
AM: Looking after your own wellbeing
PM: Recovery core principles
Zoom

Week 3,  9:30-16:30
AM: What hinders recovery?
PM: Physical health in mental health
Zoom

Week 4,  9:30-16:30
AM: Communication and recovery focused language
PM: Having sensitive conversations
Zoom

Week 5, 9:30-12pm
Individual study/ assignment work
- Assignment support session (9:30-10:30am)
- Midpoint feedback review (11am-12pm)
Teams

Week 6,  9:30-16:30
AM: Safe practice boundarie
PM: Sharing recovery stories
Teams

Week 7,  9:30-16:30
AM: Suicide and self-harm
PM: Supporting people with health & wellbeing plans
Zoom

Week 8,  9:30-16:30
All day: Trauma-informed care
Zoom

Week 9,  30 minutes
Assignment 1 Presentation: What makes an effective peer worker?
Teams

Week 10,  9:30-16:30
All day: Working with difference
Zoom

Week 11,  9:30-16:30
AM: Team work and conflict resolution
PM: Safety and risk
Zoom

Week 12, 10:00-12:30pm
Individual study/ assignment work
- Assignment support session (10-11am)
- Final feedback forum (11:30am-12:30pm)
Teams

All taught days include a morning break, lunch break, and afternoon break.

Schedule

1.   Tuesday 23 June 2026
2.   Tuesday 30 June 2026
3.   Tuesday 7 July 2026
4.   Tuesday 14 July 2026
5.   Tuesday 21 July 2026
6.   Tuesday 28 July 2026
7.   Tuesday 4 August 2026
8.   Tuesday 11 August 2026
9.   Tuesday 18 August 2026
10.   Tuesday 25 August2026
11.   Tuesday 1 September 2026
12.   Tuesday 8 September 2026

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/