Level 3 Certificate in Peer Support Work (Mental Health)
About the course
Our Level 3 qualification has been developed to equip learners with values, knowledge and skills that will enable them to deliver safe, effective peer support in the NHS or voluntary sector organisations.
This customised qualification has been accredited by NCFE demonstrating the quality and rigour. The course is designated a 'Certificate' because it involves more than 120 hours of taught content and guided learning. It is delivered at academic Level 3, which is equivalent to further education standard (e.g. A level, or BTEC Level 3). When learners complete the course, their certificates will carry the logos of both Imroc and NCFE.
It should be noted that as a customised qualification, Imroc's Level 3 Certificate in Peer Support Work is not regulated by Ofqual. As yet, there is no nationally recognised qualification for Peer Support Workers.
The course maps to the 9 domains of peer support work as set out in Health Education England's 'Competence Framework for Peer Support Workers in Mental Health'.
What you will learn
The Level 3 Certificate in Peer Support Work (Mental Health) will enable participants to:
Recognise and value the expertise you bring through your own lived experience. Understand and apply the evidence-based principles and values that underpin peer support.
Use your lived experience to provide safe, effective, person-centred, and recovery-focused support – helping people live the life they want and live it well.
Take a strengths-based, progressive approach that helps people find their own personal route towards recovery.
Promote inclusion and respect for difference, offering fair and accessible peer support for people from all backgrounds and cultures.
Champion the rights of the people you support and encourage recovery-focused practices.
Structure
Total Duration: 40 hours (16 sessions, 2.5 hours each)
Course Structure: Delivered in two parts
Part one
Online module
Part two
Unit 1: 2 online classroom sessions per week over 4 consecutive weeks.
Break: Scheduled halfway.
Unit 2: 2 online classroom sessions per week over the following 4 weeks.
N.B. Allow approximately 12 weeks total for induction, training, and assessment completion.
Who is this course for?
Those in peer support worker roles or applying for a peer support worker role, particularly those in paid roles and those who deliver one-to-one support using their lived experience in any setting
Modules Covered
Unit 1: Exploring the values, theory and knowledge underpinning peer support work
Module 1 – Mutuality, connection and the 8 Core Values
Module 2 – Reciprocity and sharing our lived experience
Module 3 – Recovery-focused and progressive
Module 4 – Finding strength in self and others
Module 5 – Safe and boundaried peer support
Module 6 – Being non-directive
Module 7 – Finding strength in community
Module 8 – Overarching principles: equity and trauma-responsive
Unit 2: Promoting generative, innovative and rights-based peer support
Module 9 – Person-centred communication skills
Module 10 – Understanding our own story and supporting others to do so
Module 11 – The arc of the peer support relationship
Module 12 – Working in systems, recognising rights
Module 13 – Distress and the right to be safe
Module 14 – Alternative approaches to mental distress and holding a wider perspective
Module 15 – Thriving in peer support work
Module 16 – Consolidating our skills and preparing to move forward
Additional Details
Induction: Yes
Assessment: Yes
Cohort Size: 12–20 participants
Cost & Booking: peertraining@imroc.org
For bespoke delivery options: contact peertraining@imroc.org