The Peer Worker Trailblazer Group have announced that the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has approved the Level 3 Peer Worker apprenticeship standard.
The Peer Worker apprenticeship is firmly rooted in the fundamental principles required for working from a lived experience perspective
Peer Workers work alongside other professionals in hospital, justice and community settings, providing peer support for individuals using knowledge gained from their own lived experience of health or social problems and/or using services.
They interact with the wider team working alongside other professionals and have direct contact with individuals as well as their families and carers.
Chair of the Trailblazer group, Marissa Lambert, Education and Practice Consultant at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said:
“It’s an exciting and ambitious time for peer support implementation across the national landscape. With the expansion of new peer support roles, we recognise the diversity of applications of these roles across health and justice settings; the diversity of knowledge, skills and experiences included within the lived experience workforce.
The Peer Worker apprenticeship is firmly rooted in the fundamental principles required for working from a lived experience perspective.
To support our commitment to the open and inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience; we are continuing with the implementation of this standard, developing toolkits for employers, training providers and apprentices which will cover all that you need to know about the standard and good practice guidance.
We look forward to the development of successful and sustainable collaborative partnerships with industry experts, which further progresses the field of peer support and peer leadership roles”
The Standard and Assessment Plan documents, along with other useful resources and documents can be accessed here 😍