1

Peer support small grants 2014- 2015

Guidance notes and Application Form (from page 7)

  1. Introduction

‘Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help founded on key principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement of what is helpful. Peer support is not based on psychiatric models and diagnostic criteria. It is about understanding another’s situation empathically through the shared experience of emotional and psychological pain.’

Shery Mead, 2003

Mind believes that everyone with a mental health problem in England and Wales should be able to access support from others who have similar experiences, so that people with mental health problems are better able to manage their mental health and have opportunities to develop skills in supporting others.

As part of our programme of work around peer support, we are now setting up a small grants scheme to further develop peer support in England, based on our research findings.

  1. Key information

Total funds available in 2014 / £40,000
Number of grants / 8
Grant size / Up to £5000 per project
Timeframe for projects / Up to 12 Months
Application deadline / 12 Noon, 28 July 2014
Grant panel meets and awards made / w/c 1August 2014
  1. What has happened so far?

Mind’s work in peer support so far has been about understanding the gaps, supporting people to make connections and showcasing what works.

We needed to understand where peer support took place, so we:

  • Recruited a team of peer support researchers who had lived experience of mental health problems and experience in peer support and/or research, to undertake a survey
  • Established an independently chaired Enquiry Team of expert organisations and consultants who advised and supported the work

We used the findings from this to:

  • Publish an online database of peer support projects in England
  • Produce a report about peer support ‘Mental health peer support in England: Piecing together the jigsaw’
  • Discuss and promote recommendations through 14 events around England that provided connections for local people and opportunities for projects who had been part of the research, to share learning
  • Launch the report; with workshops on starting up projects, good practice, influencing funders, online peer support at a celebratory event called PeerFest

Over this time, we also worked with four local Minds to develop peer support projects, and set up a highly successful online peer support community: Elefriends.org.uk

  1. Peer support small grants programme

We are now looking to award 8 grants of up to £5000 to groups or organisations to develop a peer support initiative. We are looking to support new projects or the development of an existing project.

This grants scheme follows our scoping study which identified that we needed to:

  • Support a variety and range of models of peer support and promote work in partnerships
  • Understand peer support and further its development within and for Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic communities
  • Encourage peer support that is designed and led by people with experience of mental health problems
  • Support people with the skills and knowledge they need to undertake projects
  1. Projects will need to meet one or more of the following criteria:
  1. To engage under-served communities that don’t usually have access to peer support (including people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.)
  2. To develop the capacity of people with mental health problems to undertake leadership roles in project activity

Applicants will be asked to show how their project will address one or both of the outcomes.

Each project will have to achieve the following outputs:

  • At least 10 more people will feel supported by their peers
  • At least 10 more people will feel better able to manage their mental health
  • As a direct result of their involvement at least 10 more people will be willing and able to continue to support other people in their community.
  1. Examples of the types of projects we are seeking to fund:
  • Setting up a new peer educator project such as Mind in Harrow's Hayaan Project or providing peer support to groups where mental health is not culturally recognised
  • Offering or running training or supervision that supports those involved in a peer support project to develop their skills to undertake new roles in their project – such as Oxfordshire Mind’s Peer supporter training
  1. Making an application
  • We will accept applications from within England only
  • Applicants must be already delivering peer support
  • Applications must be from a constituted group / a group which has a management board
  • Applications must evidence that decision-making in all aspects of project will be led by people with experience of mental health problems
  • Applications must be received by 12 Noon, 28 July 2014

To ask us any questions about the application criteria or process please email

.

Please note that whilst we can answer questions about the process and criteria, we can’t offer support to you to develop your application.

For more details about Mind’s peer support programme click here or email:

  1. General Conditions

The following general criteria apply to these grants:

  • All Projects in receipt of a grant must comply with the terms and conditions of their grant such as sending proof of expenditure and a completed monitoring form at the end of the project.
  • All projects in receipt of a grant are required to complete a monitoring form and undertake review of their learning at the end of the project. This is a mandatory element of accepting a Mind grant.
  • Once awarded, the amount of the grant cannot be increased
  • All grant funded projects must state on any materials and publicity that the project is developed with support from Mind
  1. What next?

Successful projects will be required to share learning from their grant activity.

Working closely with the 8 funded projects we will be pulling together a practical Peer Support resource from this work, which we hope will help other groups and organisations to set up and develop peer support.

The grants mentoring team will work closely with each of the 8 projects to identify and write up their learning to share in this resource.

The themes of the resource will centre on the topics of:

  1. Governance
  2. Capacity and leadership
  3. Training
  4. Quality Practice
  5. Evaluation & Outcomes
  6. Engaging Under-served Communities
  1. How we will make decisions

A grants panel will review applications and award the grants. The panel is formed of independent consultants, user led organisations and representatives from Mind. Most of the panel have experience of mental health problems.

Final decisions will be based on a balanced representation of:

  • Local Minds and non-Local Minds
  • Geographical spread England-wide
  • Under-served communities (eg rural, BME, LGBT) and
  • Leadership opportunities for people with mental health problems

11. Where to go for more help

National Survivors User Network (NSUN)

NSUN is an independent network of individuals and groups who have direct experience of mental health distress and/or using mental health services. NSUN provides information, networking opportunities and peer to peer support and may be able to assist with linking you to user/survivor groups in your area.

Phone: 0845 602 0779

Website:

National Association of Voluntary Community Associations (NAVCA)

You can find out about your local infrastructure bodies which support voluntary sector groups with quality systems, training, representation, networking etc. from the NAVCA Directory. These may be called Voluntary Action Councils or Council for Voluntary Service (CVS).

Phone: 0114 278 6636Textphone: 0114 278 7025

Website: Email:

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

Phone: 0114 278 6636Text Phone: 0114 278 7025

Website:

NCVO has free online resources (and access to more if you are a member) training events around the country and a recommend list of consultants.

NCVO also manages Funding Central, a free resource (also supported by the Cabinet Office) for finding out about different funding opportunities, with lots of help if you are relatively new to fundraising, including comprehensive guides to different kinds of funders and online toolkits –

Charity Commission

Phone: 0845 3000 218Textphone: 0845 3000 219

Website:

A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Funding

Provides useful tips for securing financial backing for your project. Factsheet explaining how to get started, finding funders, writing your bid, how funders think, and key fundraising tips.

Directory of Social Change

Phone: 08450 77 77 07 (Customer Services team)

Website:

Provides information on funding via four linked websites: government funding, trust funding, company giving and grants for individuals. Some parts of these databases can be accessed for free whilst the whole database can be accessed for a fee. Other parts of the website are also worth looking at as they provide fundraising advice and news.

GRANTnet

Website:

Helps small businesses, charitable and community groups to find suitable funding.

HM Revenue and Customs

VAT help line

Website:

Phone: 0845 010 9000

Employees salary details

To help you work out your employees’ National Insurance Contributions and, where applicable, their pension contributions.

Website: or

Phone: 0845 302 1479

Understanding budgets and finances

Full Cost Recovery training programme. Highlights various training opportunities, website resources, one-to-one support, tools and publications that are specific to your needs.

PDF document produced by Esmee Fairburn Foundation, titled “Costing Projects & Programmes in the Voluntary Sector.

Mind is not responsible for the content of external websites and the information provided.

Mind Ref:

Grant Application Form 2014-2015

Peer Support Small Grants Fund

Your contact details

  • Your name:
  • Your role:
  • Your project/organisation/group name:
  • Direct telephone Number:
  • Direct email Address:
  • Amount applied for: £

Please supply a brief description of the funded activity
This will be reproduced in assessment summaries, minutes, and reports.
Think carefully about how you would like this summary to appear to others before completing the sentence usingno more than 100 words.
We seek a grant to fund….
Q1: Grants will need to meet one or both of the following outcomes. Which of the following is your application for?
(Please tick the relevant box(es))
  1. To engage under-served communities that have limited access to peer support☐
  1. To develop capacity of people with experience of mental health problems to undertake leadership roles ☐
Provide more detail of the project the grant is forProvide information on your proposed activities (No more than 500 words.)
Q2: How do you know the proposed activity is needed? Please tell us about any research, evaluation or consultation you have undertaken (No more than 500 words.)
Q3: Describe how your project idea will achieve the following:
  • At least 10 more people will feel supported by their peers
  • At least 10 more people will feel better able to manage their mental health
  • As a direct result of their involvement at least 10 more people will be willing and able to continue to support other people in their community

Q4: If awarded, projects are expected to commence by end October 2014. What is your timetable of planned activity for your grant?
Time period: eg Month / What will you do? / No of people engaged*
*people with experience of mental health problems
Q5: How will people with experience of mental health problems influence the design, delivery and evaluation of your project? Describe specific roles. Please say how people have been involved, and how they will be supported. (No more than 500 words.)
Q6: Costs: please provide a breakdown of the expenditure requested from this fundFor example, this can include costs for temporary workers, freelance fees, volunteer expenses, training materials, venue hire.
We will NOT fund:
  • office equipment
  • double funding – items/activity that is already FULLY funded from another source
  • Salaries of current staff members
  • Retrospective costs – These are costs that have already been incurred in the past
  • Hardship funds/emergency funds for individuals.

Expenditure item / Item cost
Eg. Room hire (30 sessions @ £40 per session) / £1200
Total / £
Q7: Measuring success: Please tell us how you will keep your project on track Tell us about any tools you intend to use
Q8: How will you manage your project? Please tell us about the management structure of the organisation/group. Eg. Board of Trustees, Management Team, Members of Constituted Group, etc (No more than 500 words.)
Q9: Please describe the experience your organisation has in peer support. For example current or past peer support projects you have developed.
Q10: Other than peer support, what types of work does your organisation currently provide?(No more than 500 words.)
Q11: Grants projects will share their learning which will become a peer support resource (point 9 in the guidance above.) Which of the following do you think applies to your grant? Tick all thatapply to your project.
  1. Governance ☐
Learning and development about good governance, or organisational capacity, or peer led leadership; effective policies, procedures and roles. Setting up, starting, developing and sustaining peer groups/projects
  1. Capacityand leadership☐
How peer support roles and groups are developed and peer led - developing understanding and knowledge about guidance, supervision or mentoring
  1. Training☐
How peer support is developed through effective training and gathering understanding of what training is available and appropriate
  1. Quality practice☐
Identifying the features of ‘good practice’ and key principles in peer support
  1. Evaluation and Outcomes ☐
Develop effective evaluation tools and guidance to help groups to measure and communicate the outcomes of their peer support
  1. Engaging under-served communities ☐
Developing understanding of innovative and creative ways of working in new partnerships or with under-served communities
Q12: Is there any other information you would like to add to support your application? (No more than 500 words.)

Signature

Signature of applicant:

Date:

The deadline for applications is 12 noon, Monday 28 July 2014.

Please complete your application form electronically and email to