New report: Mapping peer support for women’s health in Scotland
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 15th December 2025
The report maps and analyses the delivery of peer support for women’s health across Scotland.
The ALLIANCE report ‘Mapping peer support for women’s health in Scotland: Insight and impact across practice and policy’ explores the delivery of women’s peer support across Scotland’s third sector, and outlines steps needed to sustain and strengthen this work. It draws on a national mapping of 100 peer support services and in-depth interviews with peer workers and practitioners across various settings.
The ALLIANCE delivers a women’s health programme, in support of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan. In delivering this programme and speaking to women about their experiences, the benefits of peer support have emerged as a common theme. The ALLIANCE wanted to better understand the scale of delivery of peer support for women’s health in Scotland, and showcase the impact that this model can have on women’s health outcomes. This works connects to our established role in facilitating conversation around community-based support for women’s health via our Conversation Café toolkit for women’s health, and the positive impact we have noticed in those that have used the toolkit. The recommendations from this report will help to inform our ongoing work in raising awareness of the benefits of community-based health initiatives that centre lived experience.
“You can’t rush trust, it’s about showing up, not fixing.” – Interviewee
Through conversations with practitioners and an extensive survey of peer support services (accessible via this online map), the report highlights the unique strengths of peer support in flexible, trauma-informed and relationship-based care for women that is often embedded in communities and responsive to local needs. The report highlights how peer support works in innovative and creative ways to empower women to make decisions about their health and better understand their options, and centre lived experience.
“It’s not just lived experience in delivery—it’s in how we train people, how we do policy, how we think about leadership” – Interviewee
The report also expands on the challenges for sustainable and impactful delivery of peer support, and makes a series of recommendations to funders, commissioners and policy makers to strengthen the impact of peer support in Scotland, and invest in its growth:
- Embed peer support in planning and commissioning
- Provide multi-year, stable funding for peer support initiatives
- Fund lived experience leadership and progression
- Adapt evaluation frameworks to reflect relational outcomes
- Reduce administrative and funding barriers for third sector organisations
- Support the development of a national peer support network
The full report is linked at the bottom of the page, or you can find it here.
This report was produced as part of the dissertation placement of Sarah Tomany from the MSc Health and Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde. You can read Sarah’s own reflections on the research in her blog post.
If you have any questions about this research then you can get in touch with the ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health programme at the following email whp@alliance-scotland.org.uk
End of page.
You may also like:
The Scottish Government Plan builds on progress from the first Women’s Health Plan and sets new priority areas.
Continue readingGet involved and become a NHS National Services Scotland lay representative supporting work around Infection Prevention and Control.
Continue readingThis toolkit helps people work together to find, collect and share information about local resources that support community wellbeing.
Continue readingThe programme continues to be a critical strategic partner in gambling harms prevention work across Scotland.
Continue readingFindings reinforce ALLIANCE concerns on declining performance, limited reporting and inequalities
Continue readingProgress in many areas is welcome, but the budget must go further on social care, mental health and third sector support.
Continue readingYou are invited to join the DCP MyCare.scot Working Group to contribute to influencing the resource as its developed and rolled out
Continue readingNew article highlights the role of human rights in tackling health inequalities in Scotland
Continue readingGordon Moody is running free pilot residential programmes in Scotland for people experiencing gambling harm between February and April.
Continue readingGlobal Intergenerational Congress in Glasgow (29 September-1 October 2026) exploring research, practice and learning across generations.
Continue readingDrop in sessions for senior leaders in social work and social care to learn more about the Leading for the Future leadership programme.
Continue readingEvery Tuesday the Discover Digital team at the ALLIANCE shares a free and trusted digital tool that supports health and wellbeing.
Continue readingThe 'joint statement on prevention' partners have issued a follow-up ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget.
Continue readingReflections from ALLIANCE Lived Experience group members about their role in contributing to the Women’s Health Plan.
Continue readingScottish Government accepts ALLIANCE call for voting rights for lived experience, unpaid carer and third sector representatives.
Continue readingALLIANCE supports the launch of a new DEAP report sharing learning on meaningful lived experience involvement in mental health policy.
Continue readingOver the year, we have delivered a series of engagement activities with our partners that centre voices of people with lived experience.
Continue readingIn 2025, the Person Centred Voices programme engaged with 9.000 people at over 200 events, to embrace kindness in care.
Continue readingIn 2025, the networks have continued to information share and connect people with experience of heart disease and Long Covid.
Continue readingThe Academy has continued to advocate for long term, meaningful and sustainable change.
Continue readingThe programme continues to raise awareness of how Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) can support children and their families.
Continue readingIn 2025, we have continued to build and strengthen relationships within the third sector and promoted integrated ways of working.
Continue readingIn 2025, the Community Links Worker Programme continued to support people facing challenges such as isolation, poverty and debt.
Continue readingThe Self Management Programme continued to drive the uptake of self management practices in community and health settings.
Continue readingIn 2025, the Scottish Sensory Hub has launched a major campaign on inclusive communication, contributed to consultations, and more.
Continue reading