About this session
Sometimes the easiest person to speak to first is not a clinician, HR representative or manager. It is a colleague who understands the environment, has time to listen and knows where useful support can be found.
A well-designed peer-support network can create that earlier, lower-friction point of connection.
But goodwill alone is not enough.
Without a clearly defined role, peer supporters can begin giving advice they are not qualified to give, carrying problems beyond their capacity, promising confidentiality they cannot always maintain or becoming the only person supporting a colleague whose needs require something more.
This session helps participants build peer support that is useful because its boundaries are clear.
They define what peer supporters do, practice supportive conversations, map referral and escalation routes and design the practical structure around recruitment, access, supporter wellbeing and review. The objective is connection and appropriate signposting—not amateur therapy.
What your people take away
- Define what workplace peer support should and should not provide
- Practice supportive conversations that listen before trying to solve
- Build clear boundaries, confidentiality expectations and referral pathways
- Design access so employees know where peer support fits and how to use it
- Create a sustainable network that also supports the people providing peer support
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Define the Peer-Support RoleA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Define the Peer-Support Role: start with a clear purpose, draw the line around the role and decide what confidentiality really means.
- Start with a clear purpose
- Draw the line around the role
- Decide what confidentiality really means
Covers 3 of 4 points in Define the Peer-Support Role.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Module 1: Define the Peer-Support RoleA practical introduction to workplace peer support. Participants define what the role is for, what sits outside it and how peer support should connect with professional and organizational services. They leave with a clearer role boundary rather than an informal expectation to 'help with anything.'
- Module 1: Define the Peer-Support Role
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Define the Peer-Support Role.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Modules 1 and 2: Build the Role and the Conversation SkillsEverything in the 60-minute session, plus guided practice in opening a peer conversation, listening without immediately fixing and helping the colleague identify an appropriate next step. Participants rehearse realistic workplace situations while maintaining clear boundaries around advice, confidentiality and responsibility.
- Module 1: Define the Peer-Support Role
- Module 2: Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation
- Peer-conversation practice scenarios
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Define the Peer-Support Role and Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Define the Peer-Support Role, Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation and Build Safe Pathways Around the Conversation.
Full day
Full Day — Full Peer-Support Network Design WorkshopFull coverage of all four modules with conversation practice, referral mapping, network-design exercises and implementation planning. Participants work through how peer support will operate in their own organization and leave with a practical role charter, support pathway and network launch plan.
- Module 1: Define the Peer-Support Role
- Module 2: Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation
- Module 3: Build Safe Pathways Around the Conversation
- Module 4: Design a Network That Can Last
- Peer-support scenario practice
- Network implementation plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Define the Peer-Support Role
Every length- Start with a clear purposeParticipants define what the network is actually there to provide.
- Draw the line around the roleParticipants separate peer support from counseling, diagnosis, case management, mediation and formal HR responsibility.
- Decide what confidentiality really meansParticipants practice explaining privacy honestly rather than promising that every conversation will always remain secret.
- Connect peer support to the wider systemParticipants map the services already available through EAP, occupational health, HR, benefits, managers, community resources or healthcare.
Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation
90 minutes and longer- Open the conversation without interrogatingParticipants practice starting from a simple observation or invitation rather than demanding disclosure.
- Listen before trying to fixParticipants work with the common urge to immediately give advice, share their own story or solve the problem.
- Ask what kind of support is wantedParticipants learn not to assume that every conversation requires advice.
- Close with clarity, not an open-ended promiseParticipants practice ending a peer conversation with an agreed next step.
Build Safe Pathways Around the Conversation
3 hours and longer- Create a support pathway people can actually useParticipants turn a long benefits or wellbeing directory into a practical pathway showing where different needs can go next.
- Use a warm handoff when more support is neededParticipants practice moving from listening to signposting without making the colleague feel dismissed.
- Know the escalation route before you need itParticipants identify the organization's appropriate route for immediate safety concerns and other situations that cannot remain within ordinary peer support.
- Protect privacy in records and reportingParticipants decide what information the network genuinely needs to operate and what should never be collected.
Design a Network That Can Last
Full day only- Select supporters for the role, not the badgeParticipants define selection criteria around willingness, listening, reliability, boundaries, judgment and accessibility rather than assuming the most senior, extroverted or personally disclosed employees will automatically make the best supporters.
- Support the people doing the supportingParticipants design practical support for peer supporters themselves, including regular check-ins, skills refreshers, opportunities to raise process questions and clear routes for situations that feel too heavy or complex.
- Design access for the whole workforceParticipants test whether the proposed network is genuinely reachable across locations, shifts, remote work, languages and employee groups.
- Launch small, learn and improveParticipants build an implementation plan covering communication, supporter visibility, referral links, review points and feedback.
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Building Effective Peer Support Networks
How long is Building Effective Peer Support Networks?
Building Effective Peer Support Networks runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Define the Peer-Support Role: start with a clear purpose, draw the line around the role and decide what confidentiality really means. A 60-minute session covers Define the Peer-Support Role in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Have a Useful Peer-Support Conversation. A 3-hour session adds Build Safe Pathways Around the Conversation. A full-day session adds Design a Network That Can Last. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Building Effective Peer Support Networks be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Building Effective Peer Support Networks?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Building Effective Peer Support Networks to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.