Peer Research Collaboration
In Our Own Words is a pilot project for neurodivergent young people as lived experience experts. The project trains and supports young people to become researchers to understand other young people’s experiences of mental health and wellbeing as well as mental health services. It’s a peer-led project where young people lead their own research and decide what areas of mental health and wellbeing they want to investigate, inspired by their own passions. This is important as it gives power and voice to the community the research is about and makes sure that the findings are accurate and helpful to them. It’s all about doing research with people instead of about them.
This multi-agency initiative has so far supported 11 neurodivergent young people in completing a social research training program, equipping them to explore and understand mental health and wellbeing experiences of neurodivergent individuals and their families in Surrey. Surrey Youth Focus worked in collaboration with Surrey Youth Voice, SCC, University of Surrey, Mindworks, Healthwatch, Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum, and Surrey Heartlands, to secure funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) to enable this initiative and we have continued to work in partnership throughout it’s duration.
We were delighted to join Surrey Youth Voice and the peer researchers for the ‘In Our Own Words’ exhibition at the University of Surrey in February 2025 to celebrate the work that the youth researchers have conducted and to highlight the themes they brought to life.
To watch Lucy (Youth Research Participation Officer SCC UVP) talk about the initiative click here or to hear directly from the peer researchers who took part in this pilot click here
We are also able to share with you the official ‘In our own words’ information pack. This includes the:
