We have peer support groups running across Dudley to suit you. Groups include activities such as stay & plays and outdoor sessions. We also offer bespoke groups such as for dads, LGBTQ+, young parents etc. 

Take a look at the map to find a Peer Support Group near you...

If you need support to find the right group for you, please contact our friendly team at Dudley CVS on 01384 573381 or email us at info@dudleycvs.org.uk

What is Peer Support?

Peer Support is where people gather as part of a community to offer each other support, advice and build relationships around a particular experience. Often groups are led by someone who has lived experience, who can help to recognise and facilitate a group. Peer support offers authentic support to improve a persons wellbeing and reassure them that they are not alone.

About Dudley's Peer Support Groups

Dudley Council have commissioned Dudley CVS as part of the Start For Life Programme and Family Hub Network to deliver on the development of a new peer support offer for parents and caregivers in Dudley. 

Peer support is the gathering of a community to offer support around a particular experience. In Dudley we are partnering with both the not-for-profit sector and Family Hubs to offer peer support groups for parents, grandparents and caregivers. 

Groups have been identified across Dudley to ensure that there is something for everyone. This ensures there is opportunity for parents and caregivers to access this offer locally. We also recognise that some parents face unique challenges. As such there are themed groups that can offer specific support this includes SEND, dads, adoptive parents and young parents.

If you would like to read more about Dudley's Family Hub Peer Support Programme, please click here.

Network of Support

As part of this programme we have created a network that connects the different peer support groups and Family Hubs across Dudley. This helps raise awareness of the support available for parents and caregivers and helps groups signpost people to get the right support. We are committed to creating a community of peer support groups that are working together with each other and the right agencies.

We are also committed to hearing about your experiences. Your feedback is important to us and we would love to hear from you. Click here to contact us.

Volunteering

One of the key aims of the programme is to create and develop opportunities for volunteers. Many of us will have lived experienced of the challenges being a parent of caregiver brings and are in a great position to support others. If you have lived experience and would be interested in volunteering please email info@dudleycvs.org.uk

Dads Included findings

Dads Included was a 12-month pilot
project, aimed to engage with new dads
in the ‘first 1001 days’ to find out what the
picture of fatherhood looks like in
Dudley.

Dads shared both the joy they experienced
being a father alongside the
overwhelming feeling of being excluded
from parenting support. Dads Included
identified potential opportunities to
support Dads in Dudley.

To read about our findings and to view other resources for Dads, please click the links below.

The Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme makes explicit reference to the need to harness peer (face to face and virtual) support networks and pathways for parenting support and growing trained peer support for infant feeding and parental mental health or relationships with their baby.  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide 

Peer to Peer support involves people with similar experiences or backgrounds providing support, advice, and encouragement to one another. It is often used in healthcare and social care settings but can also be found in a range of other contexts, such as education, employment, and community organisations. The main focus of Dudley’s Peer Support, is on supporting parents through the first 1001 days of a child’s life from conception to age 2. 

Peer support can be delivered through different routes, including one-on-one conversations, group meetings, online forums, and peer-led classes or workshops. Its key feature is that it is provided by individuals who have first-hand experience of the challenges faced by those seeking support, which can include physical or mental health issues, addiction, disability, or social isolation. 

Peer support can be particularly effective because it is based on shared experiences and mutual understanding. Peers can offer practical advice and emotional support, share coping strategies, and provide a sense of community and belonging. Peer support can also help to reduce stigma and promote recovery, by demonstrating that individuals with similar experiences can lead fulfilling lives and contribute to society. A wide range of peers able to provide peer support need to be engaged to ensure that as many individuals as possible have access to someone they can relate to so that they are provided with the widest sense of community and belonging. 

In recent years, peer support has become increasingly recognised as an important part of the healthcare and social care landscape. Many organisations, including hospitals, community health centres, and mental health clinics, now incorporate peer support into their services, recognising the benefits it can bring to both individuals and the wider community.