The Big Scottish Peer Support Survey! An update
In the lead up to publishing the survey report in the New Year, here’s a taster of some of your feedback and an outline of our next steps.
The Big Scottish Peer Support Survey! received over 100 completions from a range of organisations and services providing peer support across the country. Interestingly, mental health and wellbeing peer support is happening in 28 of 32 Scottish Local Authority areas.
The survey has enabled us to get a fuller picture of what peer support looks like in Scotland. Thank you for your time and contributions. We’re currently analysing the findings and sense checking with responders but here’s a teaser of some of your feedback:
Peer support works
We have endless examples of the amazing work of peers, the impact it has not just on participants but of those providing it – it’s a win-win.
Survey responder
Peer support needs more recognition
Despite there being an enthusiastic workforce of over 1,390 Peer Workers, only 235 of them are paid.’
Peer support is an early intervention and prevention support mechanism that if funded appropriately could save £m’s on unnecessary escalation of support required from statutory bodies at higher and more acute levels.
Survey responder
Next Steps
We’ll be publishing the finding from the survey in a report at the end of February 2025. Sharing with Scottish Government, COSLA and our wider networks. Your feedback will form a basis for supporting the development of peer support work in Scotland. The insights you provide will be key to producing recommendations for the next Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan. Key to informing Scottish Recovery Network’s future Strategy and role over the next five to ten years. The findings are part of wider research and engagement work which also includes:
- A series of interviews with key partners and stakeholders. Focusing on how peer support can be developed and embedded in policy and practice.
- Roundtable discussions, Bringing together people involved in developing and delivering peer support with decision makers. To identify opportunities and explore enablers and barriers to change over the next five to ten years.
- Showing what’s possible– continuing to collect and share examples of Peer Support in Action from across Scotland and research on international approaches to developing peer support.
Working together we want to share your innovation, hard work and the realities around what is needed to drive peer support forward as a key part of Scotland’s mental health system.
Survey prize winners
Congratulations to our three survey prize winners! The winner of the £50 and one of the £25 vouchers have asked to remain anonymous. Claire from Our Greenspace was the winner of the second £25 voucher.
