CWPT welcomes learning disability peer support workers to help shape services through lived experience
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) has welcomed two learning disability peer support workers (PSWs) to Brooklands, in an exciting pilot marking an important step in delivering services shaped by lived experience.
The Trust's two new peer support workers, Richard Barlow and Gordon Cairns, bring their own experiences of living with a learning disability to the role. Their insight, understanding and empathy help patients feel heard, understood and better connected to the support around them.
The appointments build on CWPT's longstanding commitment to co-designing services with the people who use them. Recognised nationally for its leadership in delivering the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, CWPT has worked to ensure the voices of people with lived experience are at the heart of service development. Richard and Gordon's appointments are the latest step in that journey, creating opportunities for people with a learning disability to help shape and deliver care for others.
As part of this work, four Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training co-facilitators, who are trained individuals with lived experience of autism and/or a learning disability who co-deliver the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, completed a specialist peer support worker training programme designed for adults with a learning disability.
The peer support worker training programme was independently evaluated and helped shape a new approach to developing peer support worker roles for people with a learning disability.
CWPT has also adapted its recruitment process to make it more accessible for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Rather than completing a traditional application form, candidates for roles can use learning passports, personal portfolios developed during training that showcase their skills, strengths and experiences.
This innovative approach has attracted national recognition and was highlighted as good practice in a publication on employing peer support workers in learning disability services by registered charity, ImROC (Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change), an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people with mental health conditions and a learning disability.
The team at CWPT has also shared its learning through national webinars and events. Earlier this year, Richard attended a World Café event hosted by King's College London. The event brought together people with a learning disability, employment specialists and provider organisations to explore ways of increasing Peer Support Worker roles and improving inclusive employment opportunities.
Reflecting on the event, Richard said:
It was good to network with different organisations and meet new people. I enjoyed learning new things from others, exploring different ways of working and finding solutions together. It was encouraging to see plans for peer support roles moving forward and helping to share that message more widely. It also reinforced how important it is to have peer support workers within organisations and to see these roles continue to expand.
Speaking about his role, Richard added:
I know what it feels like to struggle, to feel different and to need support from someone who really understands. Now I get to be that person for someone else. I want people to know they're not alone and that their experiences matter.
Jacky Vincent, Chief Nursing Officer at CWPT, said:
Richard and Gordon bring something you cannot teach - genuine lived experience. They connect with people in a way that feels natural, honest and human. Their insight helps us better understand the needs of the people we support and strengthens the care we provide.
Introducing these roles has been an important learning journey for CWPT. It demonstrates our commitment to working alongside people with lived experience to design and deliver services that are more inclusive, responsive and person-centred.
We are proud to be at the forefront of this work and to help shape how peer support worker roles can develop for people with a learning disability in the future.