The Q Lab is now into the ‘research and discovery’ phase of a 12 month project to explore the challenge ‘What would it take for effective peer support to be available to everyone who wants it to help manage their long-term health and well-being needs?’.
Using a variety of approaches (and building on what is already known), we are looking to understand what exists in terms of peer support in the UK currently: are there patterns in how peer support services are delivered; what are the effects of peer support and; what are the challenges to scaling and implementation?
Help us crowdsource examples of peer support services
We want to use the Q community’s (and others’) experience and knowledge of peer support as part of this research. We have created a very quick survey which can be used to collect information on peer support services.
If you have a spare five minutes, please take part in the survey and tell us about a peer support service that you commissioned, designed, delivered and/or used yourself.
Each of the questions seeks to understand different elements of how peer support services are provided. For example looking at who provides the service, via which medium and how regularly.
The survey will help us gain a better understanding of the patterns in peer support delivery and what considerations are taken into account when designing peer support services.
Not only will this survey help the Lab, but it is also an opportunity for your peer support work to be part of the Q Lab’s research on this topic.
The next Q Lab workshop
We are drawing out key insights and patterns that can drive discussions at the Lab’s next workshop in July. The workshop will bring around 50 people together to interrogate the existing knowledge in this area to build a rounded understanding of where the biggest opportunities lie for developing and expanding peer support services.
About the Q Lab
Born out of Q, the Q Improvement Lab will bring people together from across the UK (from the Q community and beyond) to work on complex challenges facing health and care. Focusing on a single challenge for 9-12 months, the Lab will build on existing knowledge to understand the challenge, generate ideas and test solutions.
If you have any questions or want to get involved, please get in touch with us: QLab@health.org.uk
Comments
Laurence Whybrow-Gardiner FRSA 11 Nov 2017
I am a new member of Q. I would like to get involved in a future QLab and wish to register my interest. I have an idea that I would like to suggest. My idea builds on the them of the current QLab and addresses an area of unmet need for which peer support would be useful. My idea also builds on the need for self-care, self-agency and mutual self-help and support to achieve significant health outcomes. Please feel free to put me in touch with people who might be interested in taking ideas forward.