Peer Support in Scotland - Network Event

Be part of growing a national peer community!
All Scotland based peer practitioners, managers and leaders are welcome.

Join the National Peer Network founders for a warm welcome at this open gathering for networking and sharing learning and support around peer-support.

This second event builds on our August 2023 launch and follows the work by the founding members on creating our guiding document, defining what we set out to do together (see below).

Event running order:

• Welcome and setting our purpose
• Founding members introductions
• Getting to know you - time to meet other members
  
• Breakout rooms will focus on exploring
  
  • how we can 'make things real' including how we make our guiding document realised.
  • what we need in our area
    
• What do you want to see at these events? e.g. speakers, activities, ideas clinic.
  
• What worked well, could be better, action taking forward
  

Technical access:

We will be making use of online tools such as Padlet and Miro as well as using Zoom functions. Please let us know in booking if you have any challenges with these to enable us to be prepared.

About the network:

Who we are

This network is a coming together of individuals, organisation's and services with a shared goal; the practice and promotion of peer support across all communities in Scotland. We all bring our unique experiences, identities and responsibilities, coming from diverse backgrounds and communities. Building on this experience, which will grow as this network grows, we will facilitate, share good practice, & support the supporters, ensuring that peer in Scotland can grow and develop.

Our aim
It is our aim to create a Scotland wide peer community to promote the power of peer working, with a voice in Scotland and beyond. Towards this aim, we want to bring together peer practitioners, leaders and volunteers and capture the interest and passion of anyone who wishes to create peer connections. In doing so we will model peer practice together: sharing ideas and resources and supporting each other through challenges and struggles.

Our shared values
As a network of peer practitioners and supporters, a number of common values are shared between us all. By embedding these values we aim to create CHIME between us. - Connection, Hope Identity, Meaning, Empowerment. We will use the peer values framework HEAR ME.

These are;

Hope

Experience

Authenticity

Responsibility

Mutuality

Empowerment

We will create hope by supporting each other, and amplifying local, community and regional voices, focusing on the positive and championing good practice. We recognise and create identity by ensuring everyone’s unique and individual voice is heard from all levels and across all communities, creating common approaches.

We will be connected across Scotland, using our local, regional and interpersonal networks to amplify the power of peer and the wealth of opportunities it can provide. We will meet in person at least once a year nationally, with our local & regional networks enjoying more frequent physical meetings to ensure our work and progress is continuous. We will maintain a continuous productive dialogue.

Meaningfulness will be demonstrated by setting and reaching objectives both nationally & locally. Working in partnership with the Scottish Recovery Network and other partners including statutory services and government, we will demonstrate to all our communities how meaningful peer support and peer relationships can be.

Every individual involved in this network, and those we support, will be empowered by the support we provide for each other, our communities and our networks, across all levels of experience.

As a network, we will share our work through lived examples of peer support, by sharing stories respectfully, and continuously campaigning for peer support at every level. We will provide opportunities for the participation of people touched by the power of peer. By supporting each other individually and our networks, our objectives will be achieved. By setting respectful boundaries, understanding each other’s experiences and being helpful, we will always develop and continually grow.

We will balance being innovative and developing as a network in ways that meets our specific needs, aims and context, with drawing from the wealth of experience within the network and wider peer communities and histories of peer organising (aka not reinventing the wheel).

We acknowledge that our members are already working hard in different ways to achieve all of this. By pooling our resources, and applying our shared knowledge & practice, we will succeed in our goals as a network!

What is peer-support?

Watch a short explainer video here - https://youtu.be/yNRMSn9Pc7w

Peer support is where a person with lived experience of, for example a health condition, offers support to another person with a similar condition. Some peer supporters are paid, while others do so on a formal volunteer basis, and others provide informal pro bono support.