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?

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,  20 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

Cohort 13

1.   Tuesday 3rd March 2026
2.   Tuesday 10th March 2026
3.   Tuesday 17th March 2026
4.   Tuesday 24th March 2026
5.   Tuesday 31st March 2026
6.   Tuesday 7th April 2026
7.   Tuesday 14th April 2026
8.   Tuesday 21st April 2026
9.   Tuesday 28th April 2026
10.   Tuesday 5th May 2026
11.   Tuesday 12th May 2026
12.   Tuesday 19th May 2026
     

Cohort 14

1.   Wednesday 4th March 2026
2.   Wednesday 11th March 2026
3.   Wednesday 18th March 2026
4.   Wednesday 25th March 2026
5.   Wednesday 1st April 2026
6.   Wednesday 8th April 2026
7.   Wednesday 15th April 2026
8.   Wednesday 22nd April 2026
9.   Wednesday 29th April 2026
10.   Wednesday 6th May 2026
11.   Wednesday 13th May 2026
12.   Wednesday 20th May 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/