The DWP’s Peer Mentoring Programme offers individuals with a substance dependency (‘mentees’) one-to-one support from a mentor with lived experience.
The programme has been tested in selected Jobcentre Plus (JCP) sites in England and Wales and delivered through 4 providers:
The Wallich North Wales Peer Mentoring service works with people in Wrexham, Rhyl and Shotton.
Dame Carol Black’s independent reviews into the impact of employment outcomes on drug and alcohol addiction (reports in 2016 and 2021) highlighted that, alongside treatment, meaningful activity such as employment makes an important contribution to sustaining recovery from a substance dependency.
However, individuals with a substance dependency often have complex needs and require specialist intervention to overcome barriers to recovery and employment.
The Peer Mentoring Programme offers one-to-one support from a mentor with lived experience of substance dependency to individuals with a dependency (‘mentees’) to help them to overcome barriers and make progress.
Progress can mean different things for different mentees, for example around recovery from dependency, health, wellbeing or the labour market. These are referred to as ‘outcomes’ in this report.
