Peerled

Peerled is a term used to describe a model of leadership and service delivery in which members of a peer group assume formal or informal leadership roles to design, facilitate, and sustain activities or services. The approach relies on peer-to-peer facilitation, shared decision making, and experiential knowledge, and it is commonly employed to complement or replace traditional professional-led models in education, health, and community settings.

Origin and scope: While peer-led practices have existed for decades, the compact term Peerled has been used in recent years to describe structured programs in schools, universities, workplaces, and mental health or addiction support networks. Core concepts include empowerment, accessibility, and the idea that those with lived experience are best placed to address the needs of their peers.

Structure and practices: Programs typically recruit participants from the target population to train as facilitators or coordinators. Training covers communication, ethics, confidentiality, inclusivity, and facilitation methods. Peer leaders work under some form supervision, but retain decision-making authority within their groups. Activities may include workshops, mentoring, discussion circles, or co-design of services. Evaluation combines qualitative feedback with outcome measures relevant to the setting.

Benefits and challenges: Potential benefits include higher engagement, relevance, trust, and skill development for leaders. Challenges include turnover, quality assurance, safeguarding, and aligning peer-led activities with organizational objectives and standards.

See also: Peer-led teaching, peer mentoring, peer support, participatory governance, student-led initiatives.