The difference between a Peer Leader and a peer supporter

So far, we’ve talked about providing peer support to someone else. Let’s have a quick recap.

A peer supporter has some knowledge of personalised care. They want to use this new knowledge to support others and help them navigate their way through the health and care system. Knowing who to ask and what to ask for, makes a huge difference in getting personalised care. This support enables others to hope for a different future and have better conversations about their personalised care.

What is a Peer Leader?

A Peer Leader works with others to effect change within the health and care system. They do this by shaping and influencing how personalised care is developed and delivered. They coproduce locally, regionally or nationally, working alongside their Primary Care Network, Clinical Commissioning Group, Local Authority or NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Coproduction is central to delivery of the key shifts at the heart of personalised care. It represents a different and more proactive relationship between people with health and care needs and the NHS. It transforms our way of thinking about the role of people with lived experience in shaping health and social care. It also transforms our way of working by recognising that the requirements of people with health and care needs can best be met by working in genuine partnership to coproduce and codesign new models of care.

Your course booklet has information about Step Three which we call the Peer Leadership Academy. It also has some examples of peer leadership in action.