Peer mentoring in action: changing lives across the Liverpool City Region

• The DWP Peer Mentoring programme, which the Growth Company delivered in the Liverpool City Region, supported more than 700 people facing substance dependency.
• Many of them started treatment, moved into training, and found work.
• Mentors like John and Steve, and mentors such as Hannah and Beth, show how peer mentoring can help build trust and support recovery.

The premise behind the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Peer Mentoring programme is simple: people with lived experience of substance dependency are best placed to support others who face similar challenges.

Simple and effective, that is. Because since it launched in 2023, the scheme has changed the lives of many people for the better, helping them recover, improve their health, confidence, and wellbeing, and take steps towards work.

The Growth Company oversaw delivery in the Liverpool City Region. Overall, over 700 people chose to engage with the programme, trusting their mentors enough to attend face-to-face meetings, openly share their experiences, and seek the support they deserve.

Given the difficult circumstances in which they found themselves at the beginning of their mentorship, our cohort achieved a range of positive outcomes.

However, numbers don’t always do justice to the human stories behind them.

John and Steve might agree.[i]

John’s success story

John was referred to the Peer Mentoring programme through Jobcentre Plus at a difficult period in his life.

He was struggling with anxiety and cycles of relapse and began using cannabis as a coping mechanism while battling dependency with heavier drugs.

Although he suffered frequent setbacks, John showed a willingness to work with his mentor and external support services from day one. 

During weekly sessions, he looked into different recovery pathways before committing to Narcotics Anonymous and additional structured support.

Over time, John’s intervals of sobriety gradually increased from days to weeks. Even when he underwent setbacks, he remained focused, attending meetings and keeping in touch with his mentor.

They also worked together to bring some stability and predictability into other areas of John’s life, including housing and employment. John soon returned to work and has remained employed ever since. He credits the routine and structure of the programme as key factors in his ongoing sobriety.

Thanks to the support he received, as well as his own determination, John is now planning his next chapter, exploring qualifications in environmental safety and other ways to build a new career.

Steve’s success story

Steve’s experience also highlights how peer mentoring can help people get their lives back on track.

When he joined the programme, Steve was facing a set of severe health problems, many of which were the result of long-term alcohol dependency.

Doctors had told him that he had stage 4 liver disease. This involved permanent damage requiring lifelong management.

At this point, he hadn’t experienced a period of prolonged sobriety in years. It wasn’t just his physical health that was affected, either; his mental wellbeing and relationships were, too.

Thankfully, things started to improve once Steve enrolled as a mentee.

He took the recovery process seriously, consistently meeting with his mentor and dedicating himself fully to structured group sessions. Alongside this, he paid special attention to managing his health, attending GP appointments, and following treatment plans.

Early on, he registered six weeks of sobriety, which was the longest stretch he’d ever achieved.

Steve rebuilt other aspects of his life, as well.

He reconnected with his children and grandson and began looking forward to shared joys such as his son’s wedding. What’s more, he took up regular exercise, including walking and various fitness activities in the community, which did wonders for his daily routine and confidence.

As things stand, Steve is considering a whole host of volunteering opportunities, hoping to give something back through peer mentoring and sport.

Hannah and Beth on peer mentoring

So, why is peer mentoring so successful?

Hannah Williamson, who is a lead peer mentor in Liverpool, has some ideas.

‘We’ve been able to connect with clients quickly due to our shared experiences and understanding of the issues at hand,’ she told us. ‘Plus, we were able to offer tailored support, so we could meet people where they were, making sure they got the time they needed.’

‘We also had access to the experience and wisdom of the entire team of mentors, meaning we could ask about certain things that we might not have encountered before,’ Hannah continued.

Time was a big factor, too. ‘Being able to work with someone for three months gave us enough space to build trust and ultimately reach a breakthrough,’ she explained, ‘which made it easier to move forward together.’

‘This also meant that we could support people through relapses, to pick one example.’

Another peer mentor, Beth Law, echoed Hannah’s sentiments. “The main benefit of peer mentoring,” she said, “is that it helps people see that change is always possible.

‘With 15 years of lived experience of substance dependency, I can sit across from someone and offer a real-life example of what their future could look like.”

The Growth Company’s operations director, Alex Howley, echoed Hannah’s and Beth’s sentiments. ‘What stands out most about the Peer Mentoring programme is how a simple idea has delivered such significant change.

‘We’ve seen up close how shared experience and time can set the foundations for lasting trust, in a way that traditional approaches can often struggle to achieve.’

‘This isn’t a model that just works in the context of substance dependency. It has real potential to be adapted across a range of services.

‘In the end, it goes to show that when people feel understood, they’re far more likely to believe that things can get better and take the steps to make it happen.’

The Growth Company

The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a 35-year history of enabling growth, creating jobs, and improving lives. We help people and businesses to develop, grow, and succeed through a range of employment, skills, and business support services. We provide employment, justice, and health support across the North of England and beyond.

Learn more about the health and wellbeing support that we offer. 

[i] John and Steve are pseudonyms.