SHP’s commitment to putting lived experience at the heart of service delivery has been recognised by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

The Peer Mentor programmes in both our Lottery-funded Fulfilling Lives in Islington and Camden (FLIC) Service and our Camden and Islington ETE services were awarded the NCVO’s Approved Provider Standard (APS).

The APS is the national quality standard for mentoring and befriending projects, awarded to organisations who exemplify good practice and an excellent standard of work within their mentoring programmes.

The assessor noted that SHP’s Peer Mentor programme was “systematically pursuing and demonstrating good practice” and was “well integrated into the wider SHP services.”

The programme was also commended for its “dual focus on both mentees and Peer Mentors”, with both groups supported well and achieving positive outcomes, with the mutual relationship aiding motivation and the development of recovery capital across the two groups.

Rosie Holliday, Peer Mentor Team Manager, said: “We’re delighted to receive this award. I’m so proud of what our Peer Mentors have achieved and they totally deserve the external recognition that what they do is amazing.

“As the NCVO assessor was leaving our service on the assessment day she told me that she got a real sense that SHP really cares, and we do. Our staff care about our Peer Mentors and the people we work with, and I’m so glad that came across. Becoming an approved provider of mentoring is the endorsement that they deserve. "

Across SHP Services
The award of the APS is the culmination of work over the last few months, with a Peer Mentor manager for the organisation and the development of new guidance and processes around recruitment and supervision of Peer Mentor Volunteers.

All Peer Mentors now go through a structured eight-day training course to help them in the role, with the ultimate aim of helping them make the next step into independence, such as further training or employment.

Despite being focused within two services, the programme is now expanding across all SHP services with Mentors in four additional services, so more clients can benefit from these relationships.

The programme has trained over 30 individuals in the last year. 

Find out more about our Peer Mentor Programme.