Peer Support

For non-medical, non-judgemental 1:1 support from people with lived experience

What is the Peer Support Service?

Our Peer Support Service is here for people in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire who:

Are over the age of 18
Have been referred to us by a member of NHS staff after visiting A&E or a walk-in centre in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire, or
Have been referred to us after an assessment with NHS Talking Therapies IAPT services in Bristol
Have been referred to us after visiting The Sanctuary or The Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre
Are not currently receiving support from secondary mental health service

All of our team have their own personal lived experience of self-harm which allows us to offer emotional support, facilitated community connections, and an opportunity to explore your self-harm in a non-medical and non-judgemental space with someone who understands.

If you haven’t been referred to this service but you’re looking for support with self-harm, please get in touch with our Listening Support Services or have a look at our Group Support.

For more information about the service, please get in touch at [email protected].

"The more I looked into your site and the different worksheets and things, the more tears welled up in my eyes. I'm not alone. I realise that, and there are people here to help me. They don't know me, but they're there, and they care about me. A total stranger." Carly, Peer Support User

Our Impact

out of 5 rating by people who use Peer Support

0 %

of clients reported feeling safer since their appointment

0 %

of clients reported a decrease in the frequency of their self-harm

"I really liked that the space felt very relaxed, and the person I spoke with felt so "human", for want of a better term. It can sometimes come across in mental health services that the people you speak with seem quite rigid and judgemental, but that was not the case here; it felt like they really cared while maintaining professionalism." Elena, Peer Support User

What Happens After a Referral?

1. After Being Referred

Once we’ve received a referral, we will contact you within 3 working days to introduce ourselves, see how you are, and arrange an appointment.

2. Booking Your Appointment

We will offer you an appointment within 2 weeks. Our service is open Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm and we will work to find a time that suits you. You can decide if you would like your appointment to be in person, over the phone or via video call.

3. At Your Appointment

You’ll meet with one of our lived experience support workers for up to an hour and a half. You can use the space to explore self-harm or you might decide to focus on other things in your life. Your support worker will listen to you, and together you can look for resources and services that make sense for you.

4. What Happens Next

The support worker will send over any resources discussed and put you in touch with any organisations you talked about. We offer a 45-minute follow-up appointment 2 weeks later to check in with you, see if there’s any extra support or resources we could help with, and ask for any feedback about the service.

"It's really comforting and reassuring to speak with someone who has experience of self-harm as this is often something people can find really difficult to engage with." Floyd, Peer Support User

FAQs

Who runs the service?

Our service is run by Sift, formerly Self Injury Support, a charity with over 40 years of experience supporting people affected by self-harm. Our service is funded by the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. Our team is run entirely by people who have lived experience of self-harm.

Is the service confidential?

Yes. Our service is completely confidential. We would only need to break confidentiality if you told us that you or somebody else was at immediate risk of serious harm.

I've been referred. Do I have to use the service?

No. It’s completely your choice to use our service and you can stop using it at any point.

Are you going to tell me to stop using self-harm?

No. The support we offer is tailored entirely to your needs. We understand that self-harm can play many roles in people’s lives – sometimes helpful and sometimes unhelpful. We don’t expect you to stop using self-harm, and we won’t tell you that you have to stop. But if you do feel ready to think about stopping or you’d like to talk about reducing self-harm, we will support you to find the tools to help you in that journey.