Peer Support in Action
Training in Peer Support
The Pennywell School Story
Staff from Pennywell School, Child and Family Psychiatry Service in Sunderland, Priority Healthcare Wearside, Milfield Health Centre, and some 25 pupils from Pennywell School descended for a week at Broomley Grange, a training and activity centre in Stockfield, Northumberland, to look at the role of 'peer supporter', and to develop the skills and qualities needed to be a peer supporter and develop a team.
Team building and empathy with others formed the key objectives. Through interactive workshops, participants acquired a stronger sense of self, combined with an interest in others. Role plays were observed by participants, who then identified the feelings of the characters, drawing on their experience from previous workshops. The word 'empathy' was beginning to be understood, and after highlighting specific listening skills, trust was investigated and explored through games. The idea of confidentiality was introduced through case studies, which developed into role play situations, acted out before the group. Observers were asked to respond to the situation by listening, empathising, sharing their views and opinions. Finally, attention was focused on how to translate these skills into communication.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate what they learned is to allow these young people to speak for themselves:
- Paul says: " I talked more and people listened to me ".
- Andrew made new friends and was able to talk more.
- Naomi learned to communicate better.
- Lisa found she had hidden skills and could learn from others of her age.
- Heather took a back seat, allowed others to grow, was a facilitator.
- Amanda says: " I'm more confident".
- Vicki feels she learned to respect people more and made friends with new people.
- Jesse remarked: " There is not just me, there's other people to think about".
- Emma learned to trust more people.
Together, they are part of the peer support initiative, and have already put their skills into practice, demonstrated by a variety of initiatives, ranging from sharing their training, disseminating information through leaflets, to further training and development.
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