Peer Support Workers
Lanarkshire Links Peer Workers are not your typical support staff; they work in Lanarkshire’s Acute Mental Health Wards offering a non-clinical approach to supporting others with their own mental health recovery.
Real people. Real experience. Real support.
They’re people who have been there; they have lived through their own mental health ups and downs and come out the other side – That experience isn’t just valuable; it matters.
So, what do they do?
Peer Workers build strong, trusting relationships with people in the wards. They listen to people’s experiences, respond to concerns quickly, and help ensure that patients on the ward feel heard and valued. This trust often becomes a powerful starting point for positive change.
Our Peer Workers work closely alongside clinical staff and form collaborative relationships within the ward teams. What makes the role unique is that Peer Workers use their lived experience of mental health and recovery to connect with people in a meaningful way. Where appropriate, they may share parts of their own journey to offer hope and understanding.
Peer Workers may support or run activities on wards, but these are not the main focus of the role. Activities are used to create a relaxed, safe space where recovery-focused conversations can happen naturally.
The core of the Peer Workers role is connection, empathy and recovery. They help people feel understood and empowered, support them to make sense of their mental health journey, and explore what recovery means to them as individuals. Their role compliments clinical care by offering a different kind of support, which is based on shared understanding rather than clinical expertise.
Why it matters
Because mental health recovery isn’t just clinical, it’s personal. And knowing someone has walked a similar path can make a huge difference.