Impact

The m-powered impact model provides a clear framework for understanding the impact of our collaborative approach and the difference made by Peer Leaders.

Its six components reflect best practice, promote peer leadership and highlight the importance of rooting health care policy, strategy and delivery in what works for people.

Through personal stories and organisational case studies, it brings to life how we deliver on our core purpose by empowering people with lived experience to make a difference.

Impact model in practice:

Insight

Peer Leaders shared their insights on NHS Online, a new virtual Trust enabling patients to receive planned specialist care via the NHS App. Peer Leaders reflected on how to – build trust in the service, describe the pathway, and address technical requirements and accessibility. Outputs included creating a jargon-free explanation of the patient journey including what to expect, before during and after an appointment.

Model

In 25/26, Peer Leaders supported 40 programmes across NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. Peer Leaders also supported 16 NHS England programme boards including the National Improvement Board.

Proof

Peer Leaders developed some principles or ‘key features’ for Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. When integrated neighbourhood teams are working well, people will experience ‘the right support, at the right time, from the right person and focussed on what matters to them’. The key features also describe what this means in practice.

Active

m-powered co-founders have empowered over 6900 people to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence to access personalised care. They have also developed 370 Peer Leaders actively collaborating across the health care system.

Champion

m-powered champions the Peer Leader role by signposting to opportunities to collaborate. This enables Peer Leaders to put their leadership skills into practice and demonstrate the impact to the health and care system.

True to purpose

Peer Leaders co-designed a national survey to understand people’s experience of personal health budgets. Survey results were used to develop a national framework to ensure that improvements are grounded in lived experience.

Peer Leader Testimonials

I see my experience as a Peer Leader as an opportunity to get my voice heard and seen for my community. It gives me the opportunity to allow creators of services I use to relay who I am, my values, my views and how best I can benefit from the services they design and manage.
Talent
I thought the programme would show me how our complex healthcare system works and how I could use my lived experience to make a difference for others to benefit. What I didn’t expect was the impact it would have on me personally. Whilst I’ve never struggled to project confidence, understanding my own values and strengthening my skills alongside fellow Peer Leaders gave me an inner confidence, happiness and peace I’d searched for my whole life.
Rob
Becoming a Peer Leader linked my health care experience with that of other people, and put my local patient participation on a larger map. Now I see wide-ranging patient experience in the context of what the NHS wants to offer, and where it falls short. Regular contact with Peer Leaders across the country has shown me what can be achieved when patients and health care professionals tackle systemic issues together.
Molly
I became a Peer Leader in 2021 and then joined a strategic co-production group in cardiology. Becoming a Peer Leader helped me understand more about the NHS, empathise with the professionals handling my treatments, and therefore become a better partner in the personal care I am receiving.
Peer Leader Duvie
Duvie
Being a Peer Leader has given me access to experiences well beyond my own. And the skills to use that wealth of experiences to work collaboratively to improve health care for all.
Peer Leader Alison
Alison
Being a Peer Leader, allows me to use my son’s cancer diagnosis and end of life, to help others secure the best of personalised care. Through this, my son’s legacy is to help others be best prepared to face the same challenges he did.
Peer Leader Andy
Andy
My journey as a Peer Leader transformed my understanding of the NHS and its workings. I become empowered to form collaborative approaches in achieving best results that become win-win outcomes for all. I believe I have now become an asset as I contribute my learning, strengths and knowledge in making a difference to systems, locally, regionally and nationally.
Anjie
I have felt that my role as a parent carer is often undervalued and misunderstood. Being a Peer Leader has given me a community that understands and validates what I do. It has exposed me to brilliant minds and new ideas which has given me widened perspective.
Sophie
Being a Peer Leader has made me aware of the factors that are required to make a positive difference. Whenever I need help, I am never alone. I am now using my lived experience to influence stake holders who are in position to act by sharing my story and experiences.
Amy B
Becoming a Peer Leader rescued me by re-establishing my sense of self-worth when retirement from a position of influence eroded my confidence in my capability to make a difference. As a Peer Leader, I have contributed to the NHS New Hospitals Programme by offering hospital design options with patients in mind and supported a programme designed to improve delivery of online NHS services.
Pete
Becoming a Peer Leader gave me invaluable knowledge and skills but most importantly, opened doors to a richly diverse community of people with shared values of integrity and commitment, a wealth of wisdom and expertise! Keeping person-centred values at the heart of work provided me a foundation and guides me daily in challenging and complex decision-making, common in our roles across healthcare systems.
Amy C
The programme entered my life at just the right time. Alongside the thorough [and often thought provoking] process, I was able to find a confidence that I had lost a long time ago. I credit the programme with opening doors for me that would otherwise have remained bolted and it undoubtedly benefited myself and my family in so many ways.
Peer Leader Carly
Carly
By working as part of the collaboration group, listening to other people’s lived experience and point of view and having an amazing support and encouragement from the group facilitators. I became more resilient, as I can navigate the challenges better and accept the changes with open mind. Reflecting on my time on this group, I have noticed I have gained more self-awareness and self-confidence and my vision has become clearer to me.
Mahsa
Being a Peer Leader helps me to grow confidence in my own abilities. I realised I needed to develop what I already had, instead of growing anything new, it felt like home. Now, my experience in dementia support, cardiac research and communication, among other things enables me to join up the dots for the benefit of other people.
Judith
Business Man

Let’s work together to make a difference

Email: contact@m-powered.org.uk.