PROJECT 100
National Excellence in HIV Peer Support
SUMMARY
May 2015
July 2014
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Introduction
With an estimated 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK (Health Protection Agency); PROJECT 100 100 is an ambitious programme which sets out to
ensure that 100% of the population living with HIV in the UK have access to quality peer –led support. The programme will:
1. Develop standards for peer support that are endorsed by and adopted by clinical, commissioning and patients group nationally. The standards will
underpin best practice in peer-led HIV support.
2. Train 1,000 people living with HV across the UK as peer mentors through a comprehensive programme of accredited training, support and continuous
professional development. We will achieve this working in partnership with HIV support agencies, NHS Trusts and patient group leaders in London and
across the UK to build the capacity of the sector and community in developing and integrating peer-led provision within health and social care services.
3. Provide training and accreditation for people living with HIV in areas including treatment advocacy skills
4. Conduct research into the effectiveness of the programme by firstly engaging an external agency to identify the cost effectiveness of peer support and
impact upon health and social care budgets, and internal evaluation into the benefits of the programme of people living with HIV as mentors, as
beneficiaries and for health and social care agencies.
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Background:
Peer support is now considered a key component for people living in managing their physical and emotional well-being. The Service Specification for
Specialised HIV Services for Adults (2013), BHIVA Standards of Care for People Living with HIV (2013) and NHS 5-year Forward View (2014), all recognise the
role of peer support within the patient care pathway. ‘What do You Need’ (Sigma Research 2009) reports that peer support would help with areas of selfconfidence, emotional well-being and social inclusion. Positively UK’s evaluation of its wider peer support programme found that 95% of people reported
increase well-being as a result of peer interventions (Supporting Well-Being, Positively UK, 2014). The demand for peer support continues to grow and
Positively UK has witnessed a 24% increase in the number of people accessing peer support in 2013/14. Our external evaluation published in January 2014
demonstrated that peer support improved people’s ability to manage HIV as a long-term condition alongside emotional well-being.
In 2012 the Monument Fund supported Positively UK with a grant to develop a volunteer peer mentoring programme for people living with HIV. Over two
years the project
Developed a core training package for provision of peer mentoring carrying a Level 2 Qualification in Peer Mentoring
Trained 56 people living with HIV as peer mentors
Supported 170 People living with HIV through mentoring
Developed patient-led groups for gay men people newly diagnosed, a drop-in for people not in employment, training or education and an over 50’s
group
At the end of the project volunteer mentors reported
improvements in understanding of areas such as treatments (initial mean score 7, final mean score 9)
increases in ability to advocate for others (initial mean score 6, final mean score 8)
For beneficiaries:
92% of beneficiaries self-reported improved mental health
88% reported reduced isolation
84% stated increased confidence and ability to access other health and social care services
80% were better able to adhere to their medication
The greatest achievements were recorded in the most vulnerable cohort with just under 90% reported improvements in negotiating safer sex and
100% in ability to access other statutory and voluntary care services
July 2014
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Project 100:
This proposal will build upon Positively UK’s peer mentoring project to establish national standards, excellence and increase capacity for peerled involvement and support of people living. The programme will work across 3 domains:
Domain 3:
Programme Evaluation and Strategy
Domain 2:
Peer Mentoring: Training & Support
Increasing capacity of peer
mentoring and support in London
Peer Mentoring Training:
Accredited to Level 2
Working with Regional Support
agencies in extending reach
Treatment Advocacy
Working with clinics to extend
support in London
Continuous Professional
Development
Accredited to Level 2
Volunteer Co-ordination
Working with clinics to extend
support across UK
Alumni
Working with patient groups to
extend support across UK
Sharing good practice and
implementing National Standards
Domain 1: National Quality Standards of Peer Support
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DOMAIN 1: NATIONAL STANDARDS OF PEER SUPPORT
Aim: To develop standards for peer support nationally including core competencies for peer workers and volunteers
Outcome: Standards that are adopted nationally by commissioners, those providing peer support and by people living
with HIV and provide clear criteria around effective peer support
Peer support is now offered by a range of agencies and this support varies with small group meetings with no formal structure or training of group leaders,
to accredited models of peer mentoring. In establishing National Standards of Peer Support we will provide:
People living with HIV with standards of care they can expect to be commissioned and to receive from support agencies
Commissioners of services a framework of the types and levels of peer support and resources required
Service providers a framework to establish the remit, quality and outcomes of their peer-support services
The standards will address the following:
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Principles and Values of Peer Support
Role of Peer Support with psychological and clinical frameworks
Peer Support Types and Interventions (e.g. face-to-face; online, group; mentoring)
Levels of Peer Support
Assessment and Objectives of Peer Support
Outcome Framework
Core competencies Support and Professional Development
A Steering Group will be established to guide the formation of the standards. To ensure the standards are peer-led, the Steering Group will consist of at
least 50% people living with HIV, representing a diversity of ages, backgrounds and regional representation.
The proposed Standards of Peer Support already have the support of HIV voluntary sector agencies including and clinical groups of the British HIV
Association, Children’s HIV Association, National HIV Association of Nurses
We are also seeking endorsement from the British Psychological Society, Royal College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Nursing
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DOMAIN 2: NATIONAL PEER MENTORING ROLL-OUT
Aim: To train 1,000 people as living with HIV as volunteer peer mentors across the UK
Outcome 1: Increased ability of people living with HIV to support and advocate for others
Outcome 2: Increased ability of mentors and mentees to manage HIV as a long-term condition and improved well-being
Outcome 3: A network of people living with HIV skilled in supporting and advocating for the rights of people living with HIV beyond the end
of the project
Volunteer Peer Mentors will all people living with HIV receiving a core package of accredited training and work towards a qualification in Level 2 in
Mentoring awarded by the Open College Network. Ongoing training and development will also be provided
At a local level volunteers will receive a package of on-site line management, supervision, administrative and operational support. To achieve this Positively
UK will continue to work with and support volunteers directly in London, and extend this by working with agencies supporting people living with HIV in the
voluntary and statutory sectors and patient groups, in London and across the UK, to establish protocols and standards that effectively support volunteer
peer mentors in their role. Key steps in the process are as follows:
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DOMAIN 3: PROGRAMME DIRECTION, EVALUATION AND STRATEGY
Aim: To develop and implement monitoring and evaluation framework of project to meet requirements of the newly
developed National Standards
Programme evaluation will be led by Positively UK’s Chief Executive and the Project Steering Group and will focus on 2 areas:
1. External Evaluation:
This evaluation will identify the impact of peer-led support upon health care budgets. This evaluation will set out to demonstrate the impact and economic
modelling of peer support, showing cost savings to the NHS and social care budgets by commissioning our work e.g. reduced admission to hospital inpatient
care, improved adherence to medications.
1. Internal Evaluation
Ongoing internal evaluation will be conducted throughout the lifetime of the project through regular data collection for three groups:
Peer Mentors
Metrics for assessing the impact of the project for volunteer peer mentors will including attainment of the Level 2 Mentoring Qualification, attainment of
additional qualifications, the ability to mentor and advocate for other people living with HIV and understanding of care pathways and referral agencies; with
longer-term outcomes assessing of impact of volunteering upon personal well-being and attainment of employability
Mentees
A framework for monitoring will be established that can be utilised by all peer mentors whether part of a voluntary sector agency or providing support – basic
demographic data and outcomes. A star outcome will be deployed across the programme to measure benefits to people living with HIV accessing support
including areas such as understanding of HIV and treatments, emotional well-being and sexual health.
Partner Agencies
Utilising on-line surveys with staff across partner agencies and one-to-one interviews with co-ordinators and senior staff the project will assess the impact of
mentoring upon organisations including the capacity of the organisation to meet the support needs of people living with HIV and ability to leverage additional
funding and resources.
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING
The programme will be supported by the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive of Positively UK. A project Steering Group will be responsible for
guiding the project direction and evaluation. The Steering Group membership will include representatives from the community, with 50% of the group
being people living with HIV, NGOs and HIV clinical networks.
Four key staff members will be responsible for delivery:
Project Manager
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Project management; meeting key milestones, management budget; line management of National and London Co-ordinators
Developing systems to use across projects; Evaluation framework; Patient reported outcomes; Bringing back learning from external work to
organisation and integrate good practice
Assessment of Organisations including other NGOs, clinics and Relationship with clinics, Assessment of Need of Clinic
Support to local coordinators
Developing Units and New qualifications; Assessment of Learning; Development and management of E-Learning Portal; Webinars / using online
communications
Facilitating Supervision Groups; Facilitate Training; Assessment of qualification
National Co-ordinator
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July 2014
Member of Project Steering Group
Bringing back learning from external work to organisation and integrate good practice; working with partners nationally to provide assessment of
need, support to local coordinators, support in establishing to set up good supervision process;
Facilitating peer mentor training, continuous development of training; working with Positively UK programme leads including Gay Men’ Worker,
Women’s Worker, Welfare Benefits lead and London Coordinator to look at area specific training
Support the establishment of Volunteer Peer Mentor Supervision Groups nationally
Development of ongoing learning and qualifications
Assessment of qualification, developing Units and New qualifications, Webinars / using online communications
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London Co-ordinator
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Member of Project Steering Group
Facilitating peer mentor training, continuous development of training;
Working with Positively UK programme leads including Gay Men’ Worker, Women’s Worker, Welfare Benefits lead to support integration of peer
mentors within project team; working with National Co-ordinator to develop area specific training; developing new areas of peer-led group support
Coordinate London Referral, Matching Process; case management of service users
Facilitating Supervision Groups; Supporting Mentors in clinics, 1-2-1 supervision with mentors
Developing relationship with clinics; assessing of need, support to clinical coordinators, ensure mentors are supported in their teams
Assessment of qualification; Webinars / using online communications
Recently Diagnosed Workshops
Administrator
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Support to Line Manager and Co-ordinators; training co-ordination and contact with delegates; administration of assessment processes and
qualifications
Positively UK
May 2015
July 2014
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