About the Service
Leaving hospital can feel overwhelming, even when it’s something you’ve been working towards.
Our In-Reach Peer Support Service is here to make that transition gentler, safer and more supported.
Delivered in partnership with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Mind in Croydon, and South East London Mind, the service offers emotional and practical support from peer workers with their own lived experience of mental health challenges. They walk alongside you as you move from the ward back into the community, helping you rebuild confidence, independence and connection.
Who it's for
This service is available only for inpatients at:
- Phoenix Unit (Springfield University Hospital, Wandsworth)
- Burntwood Villas (Springfield University Hospital, Wandsworth)
And for people being discharged from these units.
If this is you, we’re here to support your next steps.
Location:
Wandsworth
Service types:
Peer support, Connection with others
Referral types:
N/A
What to expect
Your peer support worker will:
- Meet you while you’re still on the ward
- Build a supportive, understanding relationship based on shared lived experience
- Help you prepare for discharge at a pace that feels right
- Work with you in the community after you leave hospital
- Support you until you feel confident and no longer need the service
All support is person-centred, flexible, and shaped around what you need as you adjust to life outside the unit.
What people say about the service
These words capture what this service is all about: helping people feel seen, heard and less alone.
How it works
Peer support is built on one simple idea: people who’ve lived through mental health challenges can offer powerful, practical support to others going through something similar.
Your peer worker can help you:
- Apply the skills you developed in hospital
- Build confidence with day-to-day tasks (shopping, bills, attending appointments, managing routines)
- Reconnect with your GP, community teams or specialist services
- Find groups, activities or local opportunities that support your recovery
- Explore goals around wellbeing, independence, relationships, work or study
You’ll meet regularly, either on the ward or in the community, depending on where you are in your recovery journey.
Who are peer support workers?
Peer workers bring their own recovery experience and use that insight to support you with empathy, hope and practical strategies.
Their lived experience may include:
- Similar diagnoses
- Trauma or difficult life events
- Medication journeys
- Experiences of hospital or crisis care
- Challenges with relationships, finances or independence
- Navigating community services
They’re not clinicians, they’re people who understand what you’re going through and can walk alongside you with compassion and respect.
How peer support helps?
Peer support can make a meaningful difference during discharge and beyond. It can help you:
- Feel understood, accepted and less alone
- Build coping strategies that work for you
- Strengthen emotional resilience
- Reconnect with relationships, routines and the community
- Access practical resources and local support
- Regain confidence as you rebuild your independence
- Feel hopeful about recovery and the road ahead
Many people describe peer support as the moment things start to feel manageable again.
How to access support
If you have any questions about this service or you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help.
Get in touch
Referrals are made by staff on Phoenix and Burntwood Villas. Speak to your ward team if you’d like peer support during or after discharge.
Need help or have questions?
If you have questions about the service, please reach out to the team.