As she moves on to train as a Speech and Language Therapist, one of our Peer Supporters shares her reflections on how the job has changed her life:
The past two years as a Peer Supporter have been the best thing I have ever done, and have changed the path of my life. If you had told me four years ago that I would now be leaving a job I loved to study Speech and Language Therapy at university, I would have laughed.
After dropping out of university in 2019, my previous jobs included working in a lab, as a waitress, and in retail. The idea of staying in a job for longer than a year was foreign to me.
During and after my pregnancy with my daughter, I received support from the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Team at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).
When I was discharged, my Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) encouraged me to apply for a job in the team. The vacancy was for a Perinatal Peer Supporter.
I realised that this role would be a perfect fit for me. I could use my life experiences – which I now think of as my ‘qualifications’ – to offer hope to others going through similar situations.
At first, I was unsure what Peer Support was. But after some online research, I realised that this role would be a perfect fit for me. I could use my life experiences – which I now think of as my ‘qualifications’ – to offer hope to others going through similar situations. To my surprise, I was offered the job.
Peer Support is not like every other job I’ve had, where they claim to ‘support’ you and ‘care’ about your wellness and progression. The Peer Support Facilitators really welcomed me into CNTW and made sure I knew I could always reach out for help.
As someone who has always asked a lot of questions, my facilitator gave me a lot of reassurance. Never once did he roll his eyes or make me feel silly for asking anything! That is something I had never experienced before.
By my third week, I had made new connections with so many Peer Supporters across CNTW. This was thanks to the regular Peer Support huddles and reconnection days, which luckily fell within my first two weeks. These are amazing opportunities for our network of Peer Support Workers to connect. We share advice and experiences, and support each other.
In previous jobs, I felt like I was putting on a mask before starting every day and taking it off when I got home. In Peer Support, I haven’t needed to do this.
It was eye-opening to see people I had never met before being unapologetically themselves, supporting everyone. It gave me the courage to do the same. When people ask me to describe Peer Support, I always say that it is a community, and I have found my people.
I finally had a job that I loved. In previous jobs, I felt like I was putting on a mask before starting every day and taking it off when I got home. In Peer Support, I haven’t needed to do this, and it has been so refreshing. It’s been a pleasure I won’t ever forget to work with people from all walks of life, using my own life experiences to give them with hope.
I remember a one-to-one appointment with a young mum. After sharing some difficult thoughts she had been having, she looked at me in disbelief. She said, “No one has ever not reacted or pulled a face when I’ve shared that.” I explained that I was familiar with having those kinds of thoughts myself. She told me she would always be grateful for the reassurance and normality I brought to our appointments.
Working as a Peer Supporter also led me to understand that I have ADHD, and how that affects me. I started that journey after speaking to some colleagues helped me to recognise the symptoms in myself and seek an assessment.
I’d gone through all my education and jobs wondering, why was I struggling with tasks that everyone else found easy – despite all the hard work I put in to keep up? This created a negative cycle of guilt and self-doubt. When I was finally diagnosed with ADHD, it validated that I was trying my best and that I am capable of succeeding.
Connecting with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met has taught me many valuable lessons. Their resilience and experiences gave me the courage to reapply to university. I never would have considered it without their support, kindness, and willingness to share.
I never even believed I would be accepted. But to my surprise, I have received an unconditional offer to study Speech and Language Therapy. I start in September. I am still in disbelief!
I will forever appreciate the opportunities that Peer Support roles give people with different life experiences. Even though I am moving on, I will always be a Peer Supporter at heart.
For anyone thinking about applying for a role in Peer Support, I urge you to do it. Just be yourself. That is more than enough.