26 May 2022
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) have awarded a four-year contract to Humankind to continue to provide a peer support service within the Tees crisis teams.
Humankind provides specialist services and support to meet people’s health and social needs, across several sectors including clinical, substance use, education, housing support and family services.
The organisation will recruit a variety of peer support workers with lived experience of mental health, who will offer practical and listening support to patients.
Over the last 15 months the Tees crisis teams have seen the positive impact the peers have had with their ability to bring lived experience to patient care, impacting on patient engagement and carers support across the crisis teams.
The peer workers support patients in either a one-to-one or group setting and provide a listening ear, compassion and understanding, whilst promoting hope and recovery.
The contract will allow the recruitment of a volunteer and peer mentor co-ordinator, three peer support workers and four peer workers, who will complete an apprenticeship in adult care.
Six former apprentices have recently gained employment in peer support worker roles for Humankind, in crisis services and other TEWV peer support roles.
Nadya Hatton, a former apprentice discusses how she applied for the apprenticeship after her personal battle with mental health. She’s praised the scheme as “rewarding” and mentions how she now has plans to become a mental health nurse after receiving a merit in her final assignment.
Nadya said: “I really hope I can help others in a similar position to myself. Having a damaged past and talking through the barriers you overcame and survived can make a huge difference to people who are still going through that pain or trauma. Just speaking about your own personal experience can help promote hope and recovery to patients on the ward.”
As a child I was branded as naughty and an under-achiever but completing this apprenticeship has shown me that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. I am now working within crisis services, and I love my job. I can’t wait to progress further and it’s thanks to opportunities like this being available.
Nadya Hatton, former Humankind apprentice
Lived experience apprentices George and Ellie have also commented on what the Humankind apprenticeship meant to them.
I have learned so many skills and worked alongside so many professionals during this apprenticeship. I was responsible for my own work, and I didn’t think I would ever have an opportunity like this to gain a qualification and work my way up into a paid role, it’s been incredible.
George Bell, former Humankind apprentice
The apprenticeship gave me light and hope when I didn’t believe I could make the changes I needed to in my recovery. The apprenticeship has been life changing for me and it has allowed me to overcome so many obstacles I thought I couldn’t.
Ellie Wallbank, former Humankind apprentice
