Peer Support Champion

On this page you will find all the information you need to become and to conduct your role as a peer champion within your own organisation.

Video transcript

Hello and welcome to your peer support champion input being a peer support champion is an integral part of the peer support network that you have within your own organisation.
You are going to be there to assist and support peer supporters when they conduct their work. So basically you are going to be a peer supporter for peer supporters. You will also be the link between the coordinator and the supporters offering that advice and guidance when needed.
It's what we call supervision.
Now supervision and peer support is when peer support has used the services of a champion to review the way they have worked. This is to ensure that all active peer supporters are keeping their skills up to date and they work in that safe and ethical way and also have that extra support and guidance when needed.
As a champion, you shouldn't be given any more than 8 peer supporters, and once you've got them you are going to form a small team.
It's gonna be down to you then, to contact each member of your team at least once a month to check on their welfare, their well-being their workloads in relation to peer supports and offer that guidance and support to them when needed. Now we've designed this simple as a self learning tool so you can refer back to it as Gans whenever you need along with all the other information you'll see on the OK website.
In this training, you're going to cover the following. We're going to go through the model of peer support again and then move on to what are actually the benefits of being a peer support champion. What do champions actually do?
How we capture or record the information of our interactions again, as you're sure you're probably aware, there's a new way that we ask people to recall their information. How are peer support supervision, meeting takes place.
It could be that you're holding meetings, so we give you some advice and guidance on that.
What to do with escalations in breaches of confidentiality? Knowing what support is available, not just locally but also nationally as well, and then finally, finishing off with an input in self-care and resilience.
Now you will notice that there are a number of hyperlinks for you to click throughout this training, which will also give you some information. So please use those.
Finally, when you've completed the training, all we ask is that you e-mail me [email protected] and also your coordinator with the date you've completed this training. Once I've got your e-mail, I can then forward over a certificate of completion to you.
Finally, if you have any questions at all about this training or any other information on the OK website, please feel free to contact.
Contact at oscarkilo.org.uk.
Thank you very much.

Peer support model

Below is our model of peer support. As you can see, we have three strands within the model itself. We start off with peer supporters then leading to peer champions and finishing off with peer coordinator.

If you are looking at this page you are or have probably have been a peer supporter so you will know what peer supporters do. Peer supporters provide one to one support to officers, staff, and volunteers in a timely manner. Offering that listening ear to their colleagues whilst assisting and supporting them with whatever concern/issue problem they may be facing. They always act as an ambassador for the Peer Support team whilst maintaining those personal boundaries.

As we know the intention of the peer support network is to ensure all police officers, staff and volunteers within your own organisation have the opportunity to speak with someone (a trusted colleague) who can offer support and assistance for a variety of different issues that they may be facing, they can range from any level of a deterioration in their mental wellbeing, financial, family/personal reasons, psychological, bereavement, suicide, relationships, leavers of the organisation, assaults (Op Hampshire) and other work related issues.

As peer supporters we can talk about what resources and support are available for people who are seeking support, there are a number of resources and support networks within forces. Trauma risk management (TRiM), critical incident stress management (CISM), peer debrief model, psychological debrief. We can talk about signposting/referring to staff associations, federation, unions, occupational health. EAPs, internal and external sources of support. But no matter what anyone comes to talk to us about we as peer supporters always make sure the person seeking support is treated with fairness, respect and understanding, so that they feel fully supported. Peer support provides that additional source of support in force for every police officer and member of police staff. There may be occasions when an individual feels support is not available through organisational support mechanisms, there may be a fear of repercussions or perceived stigma. This is where peer support can come in.

“Peer support is not like clinical support, nor is it just about being friends. Unlike clinical help, peer support helps people to understand each other because they’ve ‘been there’ shared similar experiences and can model for each other a willingness to learn and grow. In peer support people come together with the intention of changing unhelpful patterns, getting out of “stuck” places and building relationships that are respectful, mutually responsible, and potentially mutually transforming.” (Mead and MacNeil, 2003)

Now due to the nature of work carried out by peer supporters and what there are listening to, they may be times where supporters could do with some support, assistance, and guidance themselves. Through peer supervision, peer supporters can gain insight into their decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. It also provides emotional and practical support, as well as referrals or resources.

This is why we have champions.

What are the benefits of being a peer support champion.

There are a number of benefits being involved in peer support and as a peer support champion. The benefits will vary between people, as we are all individuals, but here are main general benefits.

The mutuality that occurs through peer support and as a champion, builds social capital, which in turn is associated with wellbeing and resilience. When we have opportunities to support each other; we are building our capacity as a community.

Now ‘social capital’ is characterised as the skills, networks and resources that support individuals to be connected to their communities. Connection in police communities is vital. As we all know policing is like no other job.

Being a champion can increase confidence and self-esteem, assist you finding your voice, empowerment, so assisting you in the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life, there are also some practical benefits like learning new skills, knowing where to access sources of support, information and advice, and strategies that may be able to assist you personally. It can definitely help with reducing stigma also. Through this online information package, you will be given all of the information you will need to conduct the role of a peer champion.

If you have any questions in relation to peer champions, please get in touch

What is a peer support champion?

A peer champion is basically a peer supporter for peer supporters. Someone who will be there for advice and guidance. Offering supervision for supporters is a vital channel of communication. It gives supporters mutual support and offers the ability for someone to gain insights, new perspectives and offers a place where someone can receive feedback and the opportunity to learn from other people’s experiences.

We talk about supervision in peer support carried out by champions, but what is supervision.

Supervision is the process in which a peer supporter meets with a champion within the team on a face-to-face basis each month, for the purpose of reflecting on their practice, developing their skills and confidence in their work, and supporting individual wellness. The relationship between champion and supporter is a supportive and strong one that enables the supporter to grow, learn and develop through reflection, learning and development prompted by the champion, within a safe space. Supervision is about creating a space for reflection on work practice, and gaining feedback, development, and guidance on your practice. Effective supervision contributes to increased skills, knowledge, and resilience, and to increased job engagement. Ultimately, effective supervision helps to ensure that the people served by peer support network get the best quality of service possible.

What do champions do?

Champions listen and offer support and assistance to supporters.

It is ideal for a champion to be someone who has been a peer supporter in the past. Using the skills and knowledge they have used as a peer supporter will make the transition to a champion a lot easier as they will be used to providing that one to one support to officers, staff, and volunteers in that timely manner, they will be used to responding to requests from peers and the peer support coordinator.

In addition, they will support other peer supporters, ensuring that their peer support workload is manageable, and their wellbeing is always considered.

Attend an initial peer support training course and CPD refresher training with regards to offering Peer Support
Listen to peers empathetically and to provided support including sign posting to relevant help and further professional support, if required
Ensure that they have comprehensive knowledge of local and national support options and have a flexible and pragmatic approach to finding additional support for peers as required through continuous professional development.
Work in a confidential manner in line with the College of Policing’s code of ethics.
Proactively promote peer support throughout the force
Work with other peer support champions to identify issues impacting on colleagues.
Actively monitor own wellbeing and advise peer support co-ordinator of any issues with capacity to provide peer support.
Support local peer support initiatives, events and promotions as required.
Provide an anonymised log of support provided on an ongoing basis.
Schedule and deliver regular one to one contact with designated peer support cohort (at least once a month)
Act as initial point of contact for peers supporters and be a conduit between the peer supporter and the peer support co-ordinator

As a peer champion you will be given up to eight peer supporters and you will make a small team.

It will be down to you to contact your team members on a monthly basis. Ideally this will be done face to face and as a group. We appreciate this may be difficult with work commitments so there are other methods of meeting your team, one to one, telephone, Microsoft Teams. It is a requirement of being a champion to speak with ever member of their team at least once a month.

You will check on their welfare and the peer supporter’s workload. This gives the supporter the opportunity to discuss anything they may have found difficult, unusual, or problematic. Offering a safe space for your supporter to talk about how they are feeling can help them to open up about what they are experiencing. It can introduce them to new ideas and approaches that others have found helpful, reassuring them that they are not alone in how they are feeling. It can encourage them to value their strengths and build their self-esteem and confidence. Reassuring the supporter that they are doing good work can and will assist them to feel more hopeful about the future in their role.

Recording of information

It is vitally important that you ask your team if they have recorded their interactions and any work they have completed as a peer supporter. If not request, they do this. It could be you have a new peer supporter join your team and they are not sure of how to document their interactions. This will be for you to show them.

Explaining what is recorded and not recorded is of the upmost importance. We never record any information that can identify the person being supported. This also covers when champions record their teams’ interactions each month. It isn’t just formal peer support that we record. Any work we do as a peer supporter should be recorded.

If they are helping out on a wellbeing day, helping out on the OK vans, assisting a OK9 handler, briefing their team on what peer support is, even having an informal chat and offering support to a work colleague can be documented. Remember the more information we capture and record, can and will give us a better understanding of what support people are looking for. As a champion you will also be expected to record your interactions. Every time you speak to a member of your peer support team you are offering support so this should be documented.

If you are concerned that members of your team are not recording their work, then a discussion about the importance of recording should be taking place or speaking with your peer support coordinator who will be able to assist you.

An idea which may be able to assist with this is, when the meeting has five minutes left, load up the recording link on a computer and complete the recording of work before the supporters leave.

Log into your Oscar Kilo account and access the Peer Support Member page, you'll find the links and QR code there.

To complete the interaction form you can click on the link or scan the QR code

Oscar Kilo Peer Support Interaction Form

QR Code for Peer Support Interaction form

Let’s look at how a peer support supervision meeting takes place

Why do we have supervision?

In counselling supervision is a formal, collaborative process where a counsellor regular meets with a more experienced counsellor to discuss their work. The supervisor provides guidance, support and feedback, ensuring that the counsellor maintains ethical standards. (NCPS) 2024

Even though we are not counsellors the practice of supervision is a key part of peer support. It can assist with maintaining boundaries, professional development, accountability and self care.

Peer supervision should always be conducted in a safe environment. A safe environment is when we can offer a place where someone feels supported, heard, and encouraged.

Booking an appropriate room to hold your meeting is key, making sure there are enough seats, and the room is fit for purpose, clean and tidy, private, and controlled by you. It is always nice to make sure there are drinks available even just a jug of water put on the table. You could consider bringing a box of tissues and placing the box next to water, just on the off chance anyone gets emotional. We ask where possible for people to mute their phones and turn radios down.

We offer this safe place so supporters can open up and talk just like we would when we are conducting peer support. This is essential so people don’t have a fear of judgment, recriminations, or criticism. A bi-directional approach and trust should be offered, meaning that the supporters will know that you as the champion can teach them and offer guidance around ethical and effective work. To get the best out of these meetings we should always try and make sure the supporters feel comfortable.

You as the champion will start the meeting off by asking how everyone is and building up the rapport of the group. (Remember this may be the first-time people have got together in this setting and may not know other people in the group). A quick round robin of introductions should take place. We explain how much time we have set aside for the meeting and that there shouldn’t be any interruptions from anyone outside of the meeting.

It is also imperative at this stage to remind everyone of the ground rules of the meeting. If they speak about any interactions, they have conducted not to mention anyone’s names or anything that can identify the person they supported. We remind everyone that they will all get chance to speak and to respect the speaker at the time so not to interrupt or over talk the speaker. Once the ground rules and introductions have been completed, we can start.

You as the champion will be facilitating/moderating this supervision meeting. We ask who would like to start and to talk about any work, interactions they have done. Be prepared that if this is the first meeting you may not get any volunteers to start talking. As the facilitator we can then take control of this, it may be that to assist with this you as the champion offer up some self-disclosure about yourself or talk about someone you have supported which can demonstrate trust and encourage any feedback of the group.

Once you have finished, we can then ask again if anyone has done any work. When people respond with a yes, we can go straight to them and ask them what they have done. Once they have finished talking, we can ask how they found doing that work/interaction, how did it make them feel, did they take anything away with them afterwards. It could be that someone has struggled with an interaction, we can then offer this out to the room and ask for people to share their thoughts, ideas, experiences, and perspectives.

We always make sure that everyone in the room has chance to speak about their own work and to offer any thoughts they have about other people’s work.

Escalation/breach of confidentiality

There may be a time when a supporter talks to you about a possible breach of confidentiality, or they feel something needs to be escalated. Here is some guidance around safeguarding and criminal / misconduct escalation. No matter what type of escalation it is, YOU MUST inform your peer support coordinator at the earliest opportunity. This is so the supporter or champion gets the immediate support for themselves that may be needed.

Escalation procedure for safeguarding

If a peer supporter has an immediate safeguarding concern in relation to the individual i.e., they are considering suicide, or, they believe life is a risk of serious harm, they must ensure that they are referred to the appropriate support immediately, be that 999, the mental health crisis team, their GP, occupational health or EAP. They must inform the peer support coordinator.

If a peer supporter calls 999 for immediate medical assistance they must also ensure that the force incident manager (FIM) at the control room is informed as they are supporting a member of the police organisation.

Escalation procedure for misconduct / criminal offence

If there are instances where an individual discloses matters of misconduct or criminality to a peer supporter, the matter MUST be referred immediately to the peer support coordinator, line manager or professional standards department.

Knowing what support is available.

As a champion, it will be down to you to find out what sources of support are available within your geographical location. This will differ from force to force or area to area. Speak with your coordinator who will know what is available, Look at your own force’s intranet. The more you know about internal and external services the easier it will be for you.

There’s lots of information and resources on this website, that you will find useful. Please ensure that all of your team have created Oscar Kilo accounts so they can utilise the full benefits of the website.

Read all about our key areas of work using the links below:

We have leaflets which you can use locally, just let us know if you need a few.

We've pulled together many of our resources on dedicated pages, for people who work in policing, forces and organisations, families and leavers, check them out using the links below:

We've also put together a comprehensive list of national support agencies/charities on our signposting page

Go to signposting page

Self-care and resilience

Self-care is essential to offer support to another. It helps us with good productivity, and solid decision-making abilities.

However, we are humans not robots.

Taking care of yourself and engaging in activities that promote your wellbeing will actually improve your efficiency, which is why it's so important to prioritise your self-care.

Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. It is also the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Resilience is having the ability to move through difficult times. Sometimes are resilience gets tested and we may forget to look after ourselves as we would normally.

Check out our self care and resilience module, that you will be able to signpost your supporters to.

Self care and resilience module