The next resource from our McPin 10 for 10 anniversary celebration is here. Its focus is peer research, from the benefits of working this way to the skills and expertise associated with peer research.
Engaging and impactful research influences change. For research to be impactful it must be done with those affected by the issues being explored.
One of McPin’s approaches is peer research, which our team describe as ‘lived and learned experience’.
In the next of our ten resources marking ten years of McPin, we go in depth on this topic – from the benefits of working in this way, to the challenges, and incorporating lived experience – with case studies to bring it all to life. Download the latest 10 for 10 resource now: Peer research at McPin: Reflections and learning over 10 years.
McPin’s 10 for 10 resources
In 2023 we hit a big milestone – ten years of McPin! Since then we’ve been delving into our learnings and pausing to reflect on our approach over the last ten years.
To celebrate we’ve produced a collection of resources that explain our approach to working in collaboration with lived experience expertise to lead and shape research, valuations and public involvement work.
The ’10 for 10’ resources showcase our learning and reflections from working across a wide range of projects. They are not ‘how to’ guides but instead present our thinking and learning to date.
if you have seen some of these resources before, we invite you to have another look at ones you may have missed. Please do share the resource page with those who may be interested. Find the full set of resources here
The resources span everything from using lived experience in the workplace, to co-production, public involvement in mental health, and working with both young people and adult research involvement groups.
The peer research resource covers what we mean by peer research at McPin and how people use lived experience expertise in research.
Peer research at McPin
Over the last few decades there has been a significant shift in mental health research in the UK, which recognises that for mental health research to be engaging and impactful it must be done with people directly affected by the issues being explored: people with lived experience.
Involvement is often recommended by research commissioners, grant award bodies and specified in government policies.
For McPin, it’s at the heart of what we do and why we were set up. We believe that research is done best when it includes people with relevant lived experience throughout the process. We have also found that our staff bring a huge diversity of strengths and skills into the workplace when they actively draw upon their lived experience.
People with lived experience advise, consult and/or are researchers, in their own right. One approach that we take to embedding lived experience involvement at McPin is peer research.
As an organisation, we are often a bridge, connecting lived experience with academic and clinical institutions.
It’s a complex position to occupy, as such institutions have historically devalued the knowledge derived from direct lived experiences, regarding it as biased, unscientific or anecdotal, and we’re still very much on a learning journey. However, we’ve found that it’s also more than worth it.
People with lived experience advise, consult and/or are researchers, in their own right. One approach that we take to embedding lived experience involvement at McPin is peer research.
- Peer Research Resource
Our ten peer research learning points
In our resource we’ve pulled together ten peer research learning points:
- Peer research is a values-based approach.
- Peer research can be applied to many different types of research.
- Applying lived experience to peer research requires skills.
- Peer research works transparently with subjectivity in the research process.
- Disclosure of personal lived experiences should always be a personal choice and one that considers the impacts on participants.
- Peer researchers are not inherently more vulnerable than other researchers.
- Peer research involves emotional labour.
- Peer research is pragmatic about change.
- Peer researchers are bridge builders.
- Peer research is not an add on. Plan and resource it well.
Find out more about each of these learning points, as well as peer research case studies and lots more, in our resource.
