Creating Space for Colleagues to Support Each Other
About the organisation
The organisation provides holistic, trauma-informed support to women and girls who are often overlooked or marginalised, including those affected by domestic abuse, women seeking asylum, women with disabilities, those accessing maternity services, and women and children who have experienced trauma. Recognising the emotional demands this work can place on staff, the organisation places staff wellbeing at the heart of how it works.
The Challenge
Women's Health Matters recognises that supporting women and girls who have experienced trauma can have a significant emotional impact on staff. The organisation wanted to ensure colleagues had regular opportunities to connect, reflect and support one another, helping people feel valued, empowered and resilient while continuing to deliver high-quality support.
Approach in action
Peer support is embedded into everyday working life at Women's Health Matters. Project workers take part in fortnightly peer supervision sessions, providing protected time to share challenges, celebrate successes and support one another both practically and emotionally. These sessions create regular opportunities for colleagues to reflect together and learn from each other's experiences. Monthly Safeguarding and Reflective Practice sessions give space for the team to share resources, upskill and complete training together.
The whole team also comes together for monthly wellbeing sessions, giving colleagues time to connect through shared activities and unwind together. Alongside this, the organisation encourages staff to build relationships outside their day-to-day roles through regular social activities and an annual staff away day, recognising the value of spending time together away from the pressures of work.
These opportunities sit alongside regular one-to-one meetings with managers, access to safeguarding leads as and when needed, fortnightly safeguarding reviews with a safeguarding lead, and external supervision, ensuring colleagues have a range of ways to access support. Women's Health Matters also encourages staff to take annual leave, avoid regularly working beyond their contracted hours and access training, mentoring and coaching to support both their wellbeing and professional development.
Women’s Health Matters has also developed an annual staff wellbeing survey to help understand how staff feel about their role, their workplace and areas for improvement. This anonymous survey is used to guide decision-making to benefit the team and the wider organisation. The organisation recognises the importance of offering an anonymous space for the team to share their thoughts on all aspects of their roles and the workplace.
Impact and learning
Women's Health Matters has created regular, protected opportunities for colleagues to connect, support one another and reflect on the emotional demands of their work.
The organisation believes these opportunities help people feel valued, empowered and resilient, while reinforcing that nobody is expected to manage challenging experiences alone.
The organisation has learned that peer support works best when it is intentionally built into everyday working life. Protecting time for colleagues to come together, reflect, celebrate successes and support one another has become an important part of maintaining staff wellbeing and creating a supportive workplace culture.
Key takeaway for other employers
Peer support is most effective when it is built into the working day rather than left to chance. Creating protected opportunities for colleagues to connect, reflect on shared experiences and support one another can strengthen relationships, reduce isolation and help people feel valued, supported and better able to manage emotionally demanding work.