This series of reports outlines the findings from a peer mentor & peer involvement roles in prison study series. The study was conducted across four differently profiled prison sites by a research team from Sheffield Hallam University led by Dr Katherine Albertson

This series of reports presents the findings from a unique study identifying and mapping the wide range of peer involvement roles available in prison. Creating Future Opportunities (CFO) is part of His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and one of the activities CFO promote is the CFO wing model, designed to both complement and advance core HMPPS provision. The HMPPS CFO wing model provides a specialist staff team and meaningful activities alongside peer mentor and other peer involvement role opportunities, aimed at generating a sense of collectiveness on the wing, to support residents towards realising crime free pro-social futures.

The aim of this series of studies were two-fold, to identify and evaluate the different peer involvement role delivery in each pilot site, and to compare the sites to provide recommendations for future HMPPS CFO wing model commissioning of peer involvement roles initiatives. The research was carried out in 2023 by Dr Katherine Albertson with the support of Dr Jennifer Rainbow, Dr Lauren Hall and Dr Sarah Goodwin. Jake Phillips, and Professor’s Del-Roy Fletcher and Kevin Albertson formed an expert steering group for this study series.

The delivery of the four CFO wing model sites was found to enable different, positive relational experiences contributing to a positive social climate on the wings. The study found peer role element of the initiative’s contribution to CFO wing model aims were more pronounced where the peer mentor role was selected, and most explicitly where peer mentors had achieved an externally accredited L2 mentoring qualification. The main findings of the research study are:

1. A wide array of peer involvement role opportunities in custody exist, which we map, and which include the peer mentor role.
2. While all peer mentoring is categorised as peer support, not all peer support is peer mentoring. Our participants clearly articulated clear distinctions between the peer mentor and other peer roles in custody.
3. Although our resident participants acknowledged being inspired by those with lived experience coming back into prison, they do not consider them as peers, but those with ‘living’ experience residing alongside them.
4. The existing HMPPS National Target Operating Model for services in England and Wales includes guidance on peer involvement roles in the community (HMPPS, 2021, pp 62-68), and recruitment plans for those on probation, but not in custody.
5. Our recommendations include co-production of a consistent cross-jurisdictional national operating model that is sensitive to custodial-specific peer mentor issues.

CFO Discovery wings Peer mentor initiative at HMP Risley

At HMP Risley, CFO’s Discovery wing offers a CFO Into-employment focussed course, work experience in a bike shop and making improvements to the custodial environment phases of a meaningful activities programme. This opportunity is offered to veterans, short-sentenced prisoners, prisoners with care experience and/or limited family ties, across both People Convicted of a Sexual Offence (PCoSO) and Mains resident sections of the wing. CFO Discovery wing residents have the opportunity to interact with a mixed sector specialist staff, and progress through the programme with externally accredited L2 mentor qualified peer mentors. This report makes three recommendations to inform the future development of the initiative at HMP Risley: To utilise a wider range of peer involvement roles available; To both map and co-produce the peer involvement role journey through the CFO Discovery initiative and; Optimise social capital building and impact opportunities across the wider prison.

• Read the report: CFO Discovery wings Peer mentor initiative at HMP Risley (PDF, 1.5MB)
• Read the Technical Appendices (PDF, 1006.7KB)

CFO Community Living Units Ambassador initiative at HMP High Down

At HMP High Down, CFO’s Community Living Unit (CLU) offers a CFO Lifers’ course concerned with equipping residents with the skills and knowledge to manage a long sentence, and a range of wing community activities with which to engage, including wing improvements to prepare them for life in the community. CLU residents have the opportunity to interact with a specialist mixed sector staff team modelling relational based practice alongside externally accredited L2 trained Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Ambassadors. This report makes three recommendations to inform the future development of the initiative at HMP High Down: To articulate the expectations are of those having completed any peer involvement role training; Embed the wider range of peer involvement roles in a progression pathway through the initiative and; Optimise external accreditation options & existing prison representation pathways.

• Read the report: CFO Community Living Units Ambassador initiative at HMP High Down (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Read the Technical Appendices (PDF, 1MB)

CFO Hamlet Peer mentor initiative at HMP Drake Hall

At HMP Drake Hall, CFO’s Hamlet House Block model offers a CFO course focussed on capacity building and resilience and community-building activities to female residents. Hamlet residents are encouraged to interact with the mixed sector specialist staff team and are supported by female Lifer residents with L2 externally accredited mentor qualifications as peer mentors. This report makes three recommendations to inform the future development of the initiative at HMP Drake Hall, to: Increase both the visibility and activity of peer mentors aligned to the delivery of the core CFO programme cycle; Develop a shared peer mentor recruitment and selection process and; Align the peer mentor initiative with the current peer involvement in prison infrastructure to optimise social capital building opportunities.

• Read the report: CFO Hamlet Peer mentor initiative at HMP Drake Hall (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Read the Technical Appendices (PDF, 1021.6KB)

CFO Endeavour wings’ Peer mentor initiative at HMP Holme House

At HMP Holme House, CFO’s Endeavour wing offers a rolling CFO course session menu, including thinking skills, employment-related content and all potential barriers to managing a successful release, alongside a range of wing community events. CFO Endeavour wing residents have the opportunity to interact with a mixed sector specialist staff team and are supported by wing residents as peer mentors, having engaged in a third sector unaccredited peer mentor training course. This report makes three recommendations to inform the future development of the initiative at HMP Holme House, to: Increase both the visibility and activity of peer mentors as embedded in the core CFO wing programme cycle; Map an expanded peer involvement journey through the cycle of resident’s engagement with the programme, and; Increase opportunities for advocacy to increase vertical social capital building opportunities.

• Read the report: CFO Endeavour wings' Peer mentor initiative at HMP Holme House (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Read the Technical Appendices (PDF, 935.6KB)

HMPPS CFO Commissioning guidance Peer mentor & peer involvement roles in prison

Our study identifies the delivery of the four CFO wing model sites as enable different, positive relational experiences affecting positive social climate on the wings in the study. The peer role element of the initiative’s contribution to CFO wing model aims were more pronounced where the peer mentor role was selected, and most explicitly where peer mentors had achieved an externally accredited L2 mentoring qualification. We make three recommendations in this report. First, the development of a cross-jurisdictional HMPPS national target operating model for peer involvement roles; Second, the embedding of five additional wing model commissioning requirements and; Finally, guidance to be provided to delivery teams to embed peer role initiatives into core CFO activities.

• Read the report: HMPPS CFO Commissioning guidance Peer mentor & peer involvement roles in prison (PDF, 1.1MB)