Supporting Each Other

Other Pages in this section:

Peers are people who are equal through a shared experience or status – for us, this is being disabled people.

Peer Support means people who already receive a Direct Payment meet together to support each other, share experiences and best practice with other people. Peer support can help to solve any problems or issues that may arise with people who have previous experience and without the need to involve ‘professional’ help. This is an invaluable way of people supporting each other through mutual and shared experiences and to become self reliant as a local group.

Wiltshire CIL employs two Peer Support Co-ordinators to organise and facilitate the Peer Support Network across Wiltshire. The groups hold regular meeting at venues local to you. The people that attend the meetings decide what they would like to discuss or if they would like to get a professional person to attend to talk about any topics relevant to using a Direct Payment. For example we can organise for someone from the Tax Office or benefits Office to attend and talk about any issues that will or is likely to affect you in managing your budget. Or you can suggest someone you believe would be beneficial to attend and talk to the group. We will then arrange a suitable person to talk at the next meeting. If you do not want to attend alone you are welcome to bring a friend or family member with you.

Meet Matt Stabb and Anton Prantl who joined Wiltshire CIL as the Peer Support Co-ordinators in October 2012.