Peer Support Volunteering

Are you an unpaid carer (former or current) who would like to help other carers in similar situations?
If so, peer support volunteering could be for you.

 

What is peer support?

Peer support is the sharing of experiences between two people in a safe environment. It aims to provide support to both the peer volunteer and the carer. Each experience is treated as equally important and support goes both ways. Peer support provides the chance to talk about experiences and work through feelings, learn and share coping strategies, understand diagnosis, and much more.

 

Peer support for carers

In recent years, peer support has become increasingly common for mental health service users and has been proven to be a positive and beneficial tool for those in recovery. However, rarely are there peer support programmes focusing on carers. Caring for someone with a mental illness or dementia can be a lonely and isolating experience. By talking to someone who understands, feelings of isolation, stress and worry can be significantly reduced.

 

We are recruiting

Edinburgh Carers Council are seeking peer support volunteers to work with carers on a one-to-one basis. Specifically, we are looking for carers of older people with mental health difficulties (including dementia), though we are more than happy to welcome someone with lived experience caring for anyone with a mental health difficulty.

 

Free peer support training

Free training for becoming a peer volunteer is provided by Heath in Mind and would consist of a 1-day per week course that runs for 5 weeks’ total. Peer volunteers are then provided with supervision and support by Edinburgh Carers Council.

 

Interested?

For anyone who is interested, please feel free to give us a call on 0131 322 8480 (ask to speak to Rachael or Ruth) or email rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk.

 

Our office building is located in the Leith Links: 14 Links Place (Great Michael House), Edinburgh, EH6 7EZ.

 

Parking is available around the back of the building, or you can hop on a #12 bus which will take you to our front door.