What helps successful community groups (involving peers support workers) to develop?

Deering, Kris; Fieldhouse, Jon; Parmenter, Vanessa

Abstract

© Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore features of successful peer supported community support groups hosted by St Mungo's and partners. Design/methodology/approach - Literature review and theme construction. Findings - Overall the review confirmed existing findings that successful support groups foster mutually supportive, reciprocal relationships capable of inspiring hope among group members. This paper will concentrate on findings that co-production was indicative of successful groups in terms of shared aims, negotiated agendas, clear communication, and engagement with the wider community. Research limitations/implications - A group's success was seen in terms of growth in members' self-esteem, empowerment, and optimism, which this paper proposes could become part of a conceptual framework of a learning organisational culture. Originality/value - Developing understanding of a rapidly growing phenomenon in community-based mental health care and presenting this in terms of a particular organisational culture.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Online Publication Date: May 9, 2016
• Publication Date: May 9, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 31, 2017
• Journal: Mental Health and Social Inclusion
• Print ISSN: 2042-8308
• Electronic ISSN: 2042-8316
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 126-134
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-10-2015-0038
• Keywords: successful community groups, peer support workers
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/911142
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-10-2015-0038
• Contract Date: Mar 31, 2017