About Lead Worker Peer Mentor
The Lead Worker Peer Mentor (LWPM) service ran from 2015 to 2019 and was an innovative partnership between SIFA Fireside, Birmingham Mind, Shelter and BVSC. The LWPM Service successfully engaged and supported individuals experiencing three or more complex needs – homelessness, mental health difficulties, substance misuse and offending.
The model was pioneering in its recruitment, pairing a seasoned professional with extensive knowledge of support services (Lead Worker) with someone who had personal, lived experience of multiple disadvantage (Peer Mentor). The support provided was intensive, flexible and not time limited; significantly improving outcomes for our clients at an estimated social cost saving of over 3 million pounds. For further details on the social cost benefits, please visit our Report Page.
The LWPM Continuation Strategy aims to take the learning from the LWPM service to help other organisations embed the approach within their workforce.
Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service
An Organisational Toolkit
Below you can find more information about the LWPM Continuation Strategy through a variety of media. You can view our short film produced in partnership with the Birmingham REP Theatre, listen to “Challenging”, a podcast featuring members of the team talking about their work, watch our webinars where we share insights and successes of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service and read the blogs from the people at the heart of the approach.
LWPM Blogs
LWPM Media
LWPM – The Data
This film details where the LWPM approach made savings and helped services become more efficient.
The Yellow Brick Road to Recovery
View our short film developed alongside the Birmingham REP Theatre where you’ll learn more about the LWPM Service. Follow Dorothy and her dog Toto (along with a familiar looking group of Lead Workers and Peer Mentors) as they navigate the many twists and turns on the Yellow Brick Road to Recovery.
Webinars
‘Challenging’ Podcast by Shelter
A new podcast by Shelter reflecting on an ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.
