Peer Worker - Dynamic Training

Occupational profile overview

Working within clearly agreed boundaries, as a peer worker, you purposefully share your own experiences, and through the mutual sharing and commonality of experience, you can support individuals through significant changes in their life circumstances and facilitate access to different sources of support to build or reestablish trust and relationships with services.

This occupation is unique in that it is only open to those who have expertise through lived experience.

Peer workers support individuals across all age groups who may be experiencing:

severe mental distress
mental health crises
perinatal mental health difficulties
long term conditions
addiction problems
problem gambling
rough sleeping

You work as part of a team, reporting to a Team Manager/Care Coordinator to provide peer support in combination with the individuals’ service-led care and support plans.

In your daily work, you have direct contact with individuals as well as their families and carers. You also interact with the wider team, working alongside other professionals such as GPs, Practitioner Psychologists, members
of the nursing team, housing support workers, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, custodial and probation services, police and teachers.

Typical job roles

Carer peer support worker, peer coach, lived experience practitioner, peer care navigator, peer link worker, peer mentor, peer support worker

Programme qualifications

Achieve Level 2 English and maths Functional Skills (if not already held) *

* For apprentices with an existing Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) or a Learning Difficulty Assessment (LDA), there is flexibility to achieve Entry Level 3 Functional Skills.

Reasonable adjustments can be appliedwithin the workplace, the learning environment and End Point Assessment, to ensure the apprenticeship is accessible to individuals with special educational needs, learning difficulties or
disabilities and/or Autism.

Programme requirements

To meet the skills, knowledge and behaviour requirements of the apprenticeship standard
and to be consistently working at or above the level required of a peer worker.
Complete a minimum of 6 hours learning and development per week through your studies
and at work (off-the-job training).
Collate a portfolio of evidence.
Complete End Point Assessment.

Programme delivery

You will receive support and guidance throughout your apprenticeship from a Skills & Development Coach who will be assigned to you at the start of your programme. Your Skills & Development Coach will be an experienced peer worker with lived experience.

Your apprenticeship programme will be delivered as blended learning. Blended learning is a combination of both online and face to face delivery.

You will need to have good internet access and a suitable device such as a laptop, or tablet to work on. Microsoft Teams is used for coaching sessions and ZOOM is currently used for taught sessions. You will need to check with your employer that access to ZOOM and Microsoft Teams is available and permitted if using a work device to complete your training.

Assessment gateway

Your employer will make the decision that you are ready to go forward to End Point Assessment when you have achieved the mandatory requirements of the apprenticeship programme and you are consistently working at or above the level of a Peer Support Worker. Gateway is a term used to signify you are now ready to go through to
your end point assessment.

End Point Assessment (EPA)

The End Point Assessment (EPA) is undertaken by an Independent Assessment Organisation, chosen
by your employer and within a three month timeframe of passing Gateway.

The End Point Assessment comprises of two assessments: