Who are we?

We are Irene and Angharad, and we work for CAPS Independent Advocacy. We are passionate about bringing people together to create change. We organise and facilitate the Peer Forum, a collective advocacy group.

What are collective advocacy groups?

They are groups where people with shared identities, experiences and challenges come together to have a stronger voice. Participants share ideas on how to tackle common difficulties and take collective action. They take decisions together and lead the direction of the group. Our job is to support and facilitate what they want to achieve. As an example, some collective advocacy groups designed a workshop to present to clinicians to de-stigmatise mental health. In other projects, groups have set up exhibitions, written letters to MSPs, organised conferences, and much more.

Who is a peer?

You’re a peer if you use your own lived experience of mental health difficulties in an intentional way to benefit others, supporting those going through a similar situation. Peer roles can be paid or unpaid, so you might have a title such as ‘peer practitioner’, ‘peer volunteer’, or ‘peer worker’.

What is the Peer Forum?

The Peer Forum is a collective advocacy group specifically for those in a peer role. Peers can meet and talk about what works for them and what could be improved, and decide how to push ahead for what they want. It is a safe space, and it is free of conflict of interest. We are independent, so we do not follow the agenda of any other organisations or services. We only follow the peers’ interests.

What have we been doing?

Until now, we met once per month to discuss what matters to peers. Some participants have also contributed with their views 1 to 1 and by email. The group focused on organisational policies, procedures, and accessibility in the first quarter of the year. Specifically, sick leave, mental health days, phased return, flexible working, and disability adjustments were of interest. Discussions were fed back to strategic meetings. As a result, two events focused on peer rights and procedures within organisations. A sub-group was also created, and an employability framework is underway.

Recently, other issues emerged: peers need more support in the form of reflective supervisions, resources, and shadowing. Learning and development opportunities, progression and pay have been major topics. Peers are now getting involved in attending strategic meetings. We are currently planning actions to voice the lack of spaces for peers to learn from each other, support each other, and simply socialise.

Get involved with us

If you are a peer volunteer or a peer worker, and you are interested in bringing about change, you can join the Peer Forum. You just need to fill in a consent form so we have the permission to contact you. You can also check this website or our social media to find out when the next Peer Forum is and what are the latest updates.

Why is CAPS doing this work?

This work is part of the priorities of the Thrive Peer Work Community of Practice, shortened to the “Peer Community” for simplicity.

CAPS and Health in Mind are both involved in this work which is about embedding peer work across the city of Edinburgh and ensuring its true value is recognised. The Peer Community aims to support the professional development of paid peer workers (Health in Mind’s role) and to enhance opportunities for peer volunteering (Health in Mind and CAPS).

We bring Independence

As an Independent Advocacy organisation we are ideally suited to facilitate the Peer Forum. We do not follow the agenda of any other organisations or services. Peer workers and volunteers can bring their experiences to the Forum and our role is to help them find ways to progress the issues that are important to them in their day-to-day roles.

We have an official agreement with Health in Mind which ensures we retain our independence. This is an ideal partnership which brings together the knowledge and experience in peer work and service delivery that Health in Mind has, with the ethos of encouraging people to value their lived experience and have a stronger voice which is the collective advocacy approach of CAPS.

More about the Peer Community.

View all our collective advocacy projects