Your how-to: Creating a basic outline for a peer support program
Creating a basic outline for a peer support program involves designing a structured approach to mental wellbeing within your business, where employees support each other in managing stress, enhancing resilience, and promoting positive mental health. Here, peer support means that employees help one another through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment.
In contrast to external counselling services, a peer support program is generally a more informal, accessible, and cost-effective strategy to improve and maintain employee wellbeing. These programs can contribute to creating a workplace culture that prioritises mental health, thereby reducing work-related stress and increasing productivity.
In an Australian context, a peer support program would need to comply with the Safe Work Australia’s 'Work Health and Safety Act (2011)', requiring businesses to ensure the mental and physical health of their workforce. Emphasising employee mental wellbeing can provide a positive return on investment, assist in meeting ethical and legal work health and safety requirements, and sustain a more engaged and satisfied workforce.
Step by step instructions
Understanding Peer Support Programs: Start by understanding the concept of peer support programs. After all, you cannot implement a strategy you do not know. Peer support programs allow employees to aid one another through shared empathy, mutual respect, and empowerment, offering an informal and cost-effective alternative to external counselling services. They are particularly effective in driving positive mental health and resilience, and reducing workplace stress.
Securing Management’s Support: Getting the buy-in from the management is crucial, as they will need to support you in implementing the program. Present the findings from your workplace survey, highlighting how a peer support program could improve employee wellbeing, productivity, and overall company performance.
Designing the Program Outline: Create an outline for your peer support program. This should include the objectives, strategies to achieve these objectives, the roles and responsibilities of employees within the program, and how you intend to train these employees. Be sure to include strategies for program assessment and evaluation as well.
Implementing the Program: Once the peer supporters are ready and the program details have been finalised, launch the program within your organisation. Communication is crucial at this point to ensure that all employees understand what the program is about, how it works, and who to reach out to if they need support.
Identifying the Need: Assess the need for a peer support program within your organisation. You might consider conducting a survey to gauge the current state of mental wellbeing and stress levels among your employees. If your findings indicate a considerable number of your staff are dealing with excessive work-related stress or experiencing poor mental health, then a peer support program would be a beneficial consideration.
Reviewing the Regulatory Framework: Ensure your planned program aligns with Safe Work Australia’s 'Work Health and Safety Act (2011)'. The Act emphasises the employer's obligation to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of their workforce.
Training Peer Supporters: Identify and train a cohort of employees who will act as peer supporters. These individuals should be empathetic, resilient, and approachable. The training should equip them with skills and strategies to provide support to colleagues effectively while ensuring their own wellbeing.
Monitoring and Evaluating the Program: After the implementation, regular monitoring is needed to assess the efficiency and impact of the program. This could involve routine surveys or confidential feedback from employees. Use this feedback to improve and strengthen the program continuously.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Without the backing of management, your program could face hurdles in execution and resource allocation. Ensure you have strong managerial support, often signalled through commitment and participation to ensure the success of your peer support program.
Identifying the wrong individuals to take on the role of a 'peer supporter' could lead to ineffective support and possible harm. It's crucial to choose individuals who display empathy, understanding, and professionalism, with some training in mental health to provide effective support.
Ensuring the program serves everyone's interest is important to its success. Failing to include opinion from a diverse range of employees may result in a biassed or non-inclusive program that may miss out on certain important perspectives.
Assuming everyone understands the concept and benefit of peer support can lead to confusion and lack of buy-in from your team members. Before launching the program, consider initiating a comprehensive training session outlining the benefits, functions, and goals of peer support.
Trivialising concerns about privacy can quickly dismantle trust. Australian privacy laws, such as the Privacy Act 1988, must be adhered to in managing personal information. Additionally, an internal policy for confidentiality should be established and communicated.
Launching the program without a system to measure its effectiveness can make the program stagnant. Regular feedback mechanisms and a commitment to continuous improvement can enhance the program's function and ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of your team.