The national Peer Worker Apprenticeship Implementation group are thrilled to announce that following a competitive process led by employers and Salisbury Managed Procurement Services, training providers have been awarded to deliver the Level 3 Peer Worker apprenticeship. Over the course of the next few months employers and stakeholders will be working with the providers to collaboratively co-design the courses, aiming to start delivery in 2023.
Please note that training providers will need to register with RoATP (Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers).
The awarded training providers are committed to providing innovative and learner responsive apprenticeship programmes, that recognise the unique value of peer support. They have actively worked with providers specialising in peer support, so that subject matter expertise is embedded into their apprenticeship delivery, to ensure that peer voices and values are central, promoting the fundamental principles of working from a lived experience perspective.
All training providers will be accessible either regionally or nationally, and they are:
- Dynamic Training – National delivery
- Exeter College – South West delivery
- Paragon Education and Skills – National delivery
- West Nottinghamshire College – Midlands delivery
- Weston College – National delivery
To contract with any of these providers please contact Simon Dennis simon.dennis@nhs.net
If you are looking to implement the Peer Worker apprenticeship in your own organisation you can use the Peer Worker Employer Toolkit and Peer Worker Readiness Checklists to support you, alongside our Peer Worker Case Studies, which showcase how employers from across sectors have been preparing to use the apprenticeship.
There are now two End Point Assessment Organisations registered with RoEPAO (Register of End Point Assessment Organisations) to offer this apprenticeship, Open Awards and SFJ Awards which was added recently. Click here to access their details.
To find out more please see the Peer Worker FAQs or contact Marissa Lambert, Lead of the Peer Worker Implementation Group Marissa.Lambert@nottshc.nhs.uk
Marissa Lambert, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Lead of the Peer Worker Implementation Group said:
“It’s such an exciting time for peer support across the national landscape. It has been a privilege to lead this trailblazer and connect with so many inspiring peer supporters, wider stakeholders and ambitious development programmes. The launch of the Peer Worker Apprenticeship is an incredible achievement driven by collective passion, wisdom and generosity. We are delighted to now be in a position to go live and raise awareness of this new apprenticeship standard within our implementation plans. To support our commitment to the open and inclusive recruitment and retention of people with lived experience, we would like to engage with, and encourage all partner sectors to recognise the unique skillset and diversity of applications of lived experience roles; aligned with the opportunity to strive for clear progression routes, from entry level through to leadership. We look forward to the development of successful and sustainable collaborative working with employers, providers, and industry experts, which further progresses the field and shares best practice”
Hannah Kirkbride, CEO Career Matters and member of the Trailblazer group said:
“The launch of the Peer Worker Apprenticeship is a huge step forward for an entry level career pathway into the Health and Social Care careers sector and in improving social mobility for people with lived experience. We know the benefits of Lived Experience in designing, shaping, delivering and leading services through the Lived Experience Charter and Thrive projects both linked to the apprenticeship programme. It is a privilege to be part of the Peer Worker Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group.
Congratulations to all of the committed Trailblazer Group and the Chair Marissa Lambert for their dedication and commitment to developing the new apprenticeship! We look forward to supporting implementation and development of apprenticeships moving forward for people with lived experience of the care system and/or the criminal justice system”.
Sameer Iqbal, National Health and Justice Lead at Career Matters across the Lived Experience Charter, Thrive and member of the Trailblazer group said:
“It has been a privilege to be part of the Trailblazer Group – we have supported the focus around Health and Justice Peer Support. It has been great to be a part of implementation group and to see the commitment from the new providers. We look forward to supporting implementation and the development of the apprenticeship programs”
Andrew Gale, Senior Peer Support Worker from The East Midlands Centre for Forensic Mental Health said:
“Knowing that there is now a Peer Apprenticeship that has been developed which has been long in development is such wonderful news and I think a sign of things to come of just what value is being placed on the work of Peer Support and the impact it can have in a wide multitude of settings. It gives me wonderful reassurance that Peer Support is being taken seriously and given the investment it deserves along with creating a wide variety of opportunities for people who may not have had the easiest journey in life but want to use that journey to reciprocally help others in their journey something I see and do every day in Medium Secure Inpatient Forensics.”
Liam Pywell, Co-chair, Mind, Peer Support & Communities Team said:
“I started my career at a local charity through an apprenticeship and have a real passion for peer support, so it’s been exciting to work with some great people to bring those two things together. Peer support has a rich history within grassroots and survivor/user movements; I hope that we continue to use opportunities like this apprenticeship to bring that history with us and create meaningful roles in the third sector for those who are as passionate about peer support as I am.”
Deborah Owen, Trailblazer member and Peer Support Lead for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:
“For the first time the new L3 Peer Worker award offers peer support staff the opportunity to achieve a recognised national qualification. It is an exciting opportunity for career development, and it will bring increased visibility and recognition of the value of peer support roles to organisations. This is a landmark moment we are so pleased to have been part of!”
Selina Aktar, Peer/Lived Experience Manager, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust said
“It was a great privilege and inspiration to support the peer worker apprenticeship programme and be part of the Trailblazer group. I truly believe this will support equality and diversity, especially for our young people.
Seeing all the hard work across the country has made me feel extremely hopeful for the future.
I hope the Service Leads involved in transformation in mental health embed the peer apprenticeship as part of co-production and collaboration with the grassroots organisations”