1. Employing people in
Recovery in the NHS
Alan Butler
Peer Support worker
Annette Dale-Perera
Strategic Director Addictions and Offender Care

2. Our Approach
• Preparing the ground: preparing the staff
• Underpinned by CNWL Recovery College
• CNWL Volunteer placement schemes
• Big Lottery employment support scheme
• Employing experts by experience
– managing criminal records
– Creating more supportive HR contracts
– Creating a peer support network
– Leadership from (and hotline to) senior managers
– Support systems when `Warriors are down’

3. Prepare the staff
Formal review of CNWL Addiction services 2009
Strategy to make services more `recovery-orientated’
• more `experts by experience’ volunteers & paid staff
• Led by management
• Tackle staff prejudice
• Give buildings for peer-led
activities and mutual aid
evenings, weekends, etc
• Support & respect volunteers
and workers

4. CNWL Recovery College
Kings Fund national initiative (initially mental health)
Co-produced (user/staff) and co-delivered courses
Service users and staff learn together
University accredited courses eg Peer Support Workers
Focus on empowerment & respect

5. If the NHS can
do this – anyone can……
Key issues when employing `experts by experience’
as volunteers and paid staff
• Managing criminal records
• Keeping healthy: 5 ways to wellbeing for staff
• Creating more supportive HR contracts
• Good training and supervision
• Creating a peer support network
• Leadership from (and hotline to) senior managers
• Support systems when `Warriors are down’

6. Being a peer support worker
in the NHS
Alan Butler

7. Being a peer support worker
in the NHS
Alan Butler