About this course
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, 30 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
June 2026 - Tuesdays
- Tuesday 23rd June2026
- Tuesday 30th June 2026
- Tuesday 7th July 2026
- Tuesday 14th July 2026
- Tuesday 21st July 2026
- Tuesday 28th July 2026
- Tuesday 5th August 2026
- Tuesday 11th August 2026
- Tuesday 18th August 2026
- Tuesday 25th August 2026
- Tuesday 1st September 2026
- Tuesday 8th September 2026
June 2026 - Wednesdays
- Wednesday 24th June 2026
- Wednesday 1st July 2026
- Wednesday 8th July 2026
- Wednesday 15th July 2026
- Wednesday 22nd July 2026
- Wednesday 29th July 2026
- Wednesday 5th August 2026
- Wednesday 12th August 2026
- Wednesday 19th August 2026
- Wednesday 26th August 2026
- Wednesday 2nd September 2026
- Wednesday 9th September 2026
September 2026 - Wednesdays
- Wednesday 16th September 2026
- Wednesday 23rd September 2026
- Wednesday 30th September 2026
- Wednesday 7th October 2026
- Wednesday 14th October 2026
- Wednesday 21st October 2026
- Wednesday 28th October 2026
- Wednesday 4th November 2026
- Wednesday 11th November 2026
- Wednesday 18th November 2026
- Wednesday 25th November 2026
- Wednesday 2nd December 2026
September 2026 - Fridays
- Friday 18th September 2026
- Friday 25th September 2026
- Friday 2nd October 2026
- Friday 9th October 2026
- Friday 16th October 2026
- Friday 23rd October 2026
- Friday 30th October 2026
- Friday 6th November 2026
- Friday 13th November 2026
- Friday 20th November 2026
- Friday 27th November 2026
- Friday 4th December 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/
Dates
- 23 June 2026
- 24 June 2026
- 16 September 2026
Time
09:30 am - 04:30 pmDuration
Setting
Cost
The trainer
Katy Hawkins
Trustwide Peer & Lived Experience Training and Development Lead.
Team Lead for the Peer & Lived Experience Training Team.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust.