Champions are people who represent a particular group, or groups, of individuals, and use their knowledge of being a part of that group to help improve services for others.
Staff Champions
At Kirklees Employment Service we have Staff Champions who focus on a particular group to help ensure resources, training, and support is available to the customers we support. Staff Champions are also a point of contact for our Peer Champions should they need to discuss ideas.
Peer Champions
Our Peer Champions are people who have lived experience of mental health, and have the additional experience of belonging to a particular community.
A Peer Champion uses their knowledge to help services deliver support that is really focused on what helps people in those communities access the services.
A Peer Champion has a voice to improve accessibility to services by working with staff and commissioners to teach us what things we can do to make people within communities feel more comfortable coming to us for support. A Peer Champion can also be a link to telling us what people in communities want us to be doing at our services and the support they would like to see.
What do Peer Champions do?
- Be at services to be a lived experience point of contact
- Inspire others based on your journey
- Attend workshops to help peers feel comfortable
- Help at events
- Let staff know what will help communities access services
- Help services improve the provision they offer
Current Champion Areas:
- Neurodivergence
- LGBTQIA+
- Young People (18-25)
- Veterans
- Dementia
- BAME
- Mental Health
We are always open to more groups so if you have a group you would like to represent, just let us know!
Peer Champions can also contribute to our Your Voice in Kirklees Newsletter – you might want to raise awareness of the group/s you represent, or just things that interest you generally!
Peer Champion News
Winter 2023!
Our Champions have been meeting up regularly to help the service with it’s accessibility, promotion, and general support. Champions have so far attended the World Mental Health Day Lantern Parade and were fantastic at providing information and support to members of the public…as well as creating beautiful lanterns!
Champions have also been involved with Richmond Fellowship’s Communication department to look at the ways we can market and promote the event.
A third exciting project before the year ends is a piece of work Champions are doing with commissioners within the council to share their thoughts and opinions on what future services in Kirklees might look like. This is a very exciting piece of work and we are thrilled the commissioners have asked us to be involved!
Summer 2023!
Kirklees Employment Service held their first champion steering meeting and five members completed Peer Champion Training. The group intends to meet at least every quarter to discuss the operation of service and look at ideas of how we can improve access.
If you would like to become a Peer Champion, or have any questions, please contact us through the website.
You can also register your interest in becoming a Peer Champion by clicking Here.