Peer Mentoring Women with multiple & complex disadvantage

Here at Cohort 4 we’ve practiced peer mentoring with our women group members when they have needed someone standing shoulder to shoulder with them, or have needed extra time and advice to help them through situations.

What is peer mentoring?

Peer mentoring is someone more experienced or knowledgeable supporting or encouraging someone less experienced in the performance of something. At Cohort 4 peer mentoring usually has a specific aim and purpose, perhaps to help a women address something in her life that she needs to undertake for her own health and wellbeing, or connected to her role as mother/carer/partner. Peer mentoring might be offered to enhance her confidence and self-worth.

In practice what does it involve?

Here are a few examples. This week we’ve seen three aspects of peer mentoring involving three different peer mentors and three different women group members.

• One woman had not been taking her prescribed medication and was self-medicating with other substances. A peer mentor worked alongside her to attend GP appointments, to disclose her health issues, to listen in at the appointment to note her medications, what they did and how important they were and to go with her to collect the medication as well as sort them into a weekly pill organiser. She will send reminders to the group member to take her medication and help her to set reminders as time progresses to be confident in doing for herself. In a few hours, this woman was able to gain control over the issues that caused her anxiety and poor health. We actively support women to access what they need in our community to stay well and safe. Sometimes, even attending a medical or dental appointment can be too stressful to manage, so having a peer mentor with you means that the woman receives what she needs and as a side issue, the NHS is not spending money on missed appointments or more serious health needs in the future.
• One woman was dealing with relationship breakdown and difficulty in managing friendships and in communicating without conflict and upset. She has chosen a peer mentor to work with at Cohort 4 to work on her social media postings, her communication style and her current distress at the change in her relationship status. Sometimes it can be so helpful to have a kind guide to support us through a period of change or conflict.
• One woman is moving home and is struggling to manage clearing out, packing and preparing for the move. A longer-term peer mentor is on hand to help the women to organise this exciting chapter of her life and to let go of stored items that are neither useful nor needed. Decluttering and moving home can cause anxiety and a helpful woman peer mentor can gentle coax and assist in something potentially stressful. Without having help, something like this could create a significant problem in a woman’s life if she has other issues adding to the complexities of life.

Peer Mentoring at Cohort 4

We are part way into a 12 month funded peer mentoring project called ‘Together We Can.’ Thanks to the VCSE Innovation Fund we are able to develop and deliver our peer mentoring project. Everyone needs support at certain times of their lives, and when life can be confusing, stressful, and complex, it can be useful even more so. A kind, patient and non-judgemental peer mentor can make all the difference.

Whether attending an appointment with a woman, helping her with filling out forms, managing her situations or just meeting to listen – it all helps. Peer mentoring is part of what makes Cohort 4 special.

Beverley

11/11/2022