About

Our Peer Support Worker (PSW) at Working Well Trust uses their lived experience of mental health and neurodivergence to support autistic and/or ADHD clients with a severe mental illness (SMI).
The PSW will talk through emotional challenges with you, reflecting on their own mental health recovery journey to help you develop coping strategies, though shared understanding, empathy and encouragement.

We offer weekly one-to-one sessions for 6-8 weeks to help you identify and action personal recovery goals, such as reducing social isolation or increasing independence. We use a person-centred and strength-based approach that places your preferences at the forefront and tailors support to your individual needs.
Sessions can be face to face at the Working Well Trust Office, in community settings or delivered remotely depending on personal preference.

If you are looking for Employment Support in Kingston however you can find the details of our Kingston Supported Employment service here

Please note: A Peer Support Worker is not a medically qualified professional, and peer support is not counselling or psychotherapy

About

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Anyone with autism/ADHD and an SMI who has received a clinical triage through South West London St George’s Mental Health Trust.
  • Service users with an identified need for Peer Support
  • A desire to engage with Peer Support oriented activities
  • Be a resident of Kingston upon Thames

Kingston Peer Support Service FAQs

  • What is Peer support?
    A peer support worker helps you consider what your goals and challenges are in relation to your wellbeing and support you to develop coping strategies though a shared understanding and empathic approach. Please be aware that peer support is not a befriending or counselling service.
  • How long do you support clients?
    Peer support is offered for 6-8 sessions. We do require clients to engage with the service and let us know if they are unable to attend meetings.
  • How often will I meet my Peer Support worker?
    Our service is flexible but clients are usually seen every week or two weeks for sessions.
  • What does lived experience mean?
    Our peer support worker has personal experience of mental health, autism /ADHD, they utilize their experience and journey to help guide clients achieve their wellbeing goals. Our peer support will use their  wider understanding of mental health difficulties, and the use of mental health services to aid you in your recovery journey.  Peer support workers role model hope by sharing their own experiences of mental health recovery and coping strategies.
  • What do you mean by “lived experience”?
    In order be referred to the Peer Support Service you will have to speak to your GP or mental health professional and they will action a referral for you.

Our impact

The number of clients that gained vocational outcomes… 0

Find out more

Testimonials

  • “I would say that you have been very supportive to our clients and they could see the light at the end of the tunnel working with yourself, your skills and empathy has been great for our clients and they find it easy to connect with your service.”
    Mahmoud Jum’ah, Health & Wellbeing Practitioner For MIND
  • “I think the service is a very good one. Having them in-house it makes it a lot easier for patients to meet with them and for us to support. It’s easier for the patients to trust and work with them which is a very good thing and the staff are fantastic, very personable and very good team players” –
    , Team lead for Early Intervention Service, BEH Trust
  • “Your ES’s are both amazing and have made life so easy for us for supporting our client into work, really helpful, great to have this service integrated into our team”
    , Social Worker in South Locality, BEH Trust
  • “Service users in therapy leave your sessions feeling more confident and often reminded of their skills and abilities that hadn’t been at the forefront of their minds. This empowering approach is so valuable (especially so when conversations are often focused on problems) and really helps with therapy when goals are around feeling more confident and returning to work/activity. Thanks very much.”
    THPTS Clinician, THPTS Clinician
  • “I’m meeting all different types of people and learning something that I still enjoy even though it’s not in my interest and field but I’m learning other things. Access has been very positive for me based on my enquiries helping me find my part time jobs. I’m feeling confident in a positive way.”
    Access Client, Access Client
  • “I was struggling with my mental health and learn something new. It has helped me in many ways – more confident to ask for help when it is needed, communicate with other peers and enjoying sewing. The staff are brilliant, very caring, helpful and encouraging. Each day is difficult to get out of the house and stressful for me but when I attend Sew and Support course it helps me to relax”
    Sew & Support Client, Sew & Support Client
  • “I have seen a difference within myself and am not afraid to attend events/workshop or meet new people by myself. This helped me to open up as a person and able to articulate what I would like to do,”
    Business & Enterprise Client, Business & Enterprise Client
  • “Working with  WWT Business & Enterprise has been an amazing and helpful experience for me.  Due to my ongoing mental health struggles I was feeling very overwhelmed and anxious about starting my business, but communicating with Faisal from the get go really helped me clear my head and get a better understanding of what I need to do in order to be successful. 
    WWT Business & Enterprise Client, WWT Business & Enterprise Client
  • “I really am grateful for having Working Well Trust put their time and effort in supporting me on my employment journey. Not only did they help me to believe and have faith in myself, but they have guided me in a way where I don’t have to feel as if I am pressured to rush things. Where I can take on challenges at my own pace and still achieve my goals.”
    Tower Hamlets IPS Client, Tower Hamlets IPS Client
  • “I finally feel as though the work has paid of and the support received has been incredible, I am hoping to continue in building my confidence’
    Enfield IPS Client, Enfield IPS Client
Find out more

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