The University of Birmingham has secured £1.46 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The funding will support the first comprehensive study of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (LEROs) in England’s substance misuse treatment system.

The three-year research project launches in March 2026. It will examine how these community-based organisations support individuals recovering from drug and alcohol dependency. Dr Amanda Farley from the Department of Applied Health Sciences and Professor Ed Day from the School of Psychology will co-lead the investigation.

How Peer Led Recovery Organisations Work

Lived Experience Recovery Organisations are founded and run by people who have achieved recovery from substance use disorders themselves. Around 50 peer support recovery organisations currently operate across England. However, little evidence exists about their effectiveness or how they function within local treatment systems.

Professor Day serves as the UK Government’s National Recovery Champion. He highlighted the gap this research will address. “Treatment services can help people stop using substances, but staying in recovery and rebuilding networks, skills, and purpose is much harder,” he said. “LEROs were recognised in the Government’s 2021 drugs strategy, but commissioners still lack the evidence they need.”

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) specifically requested this research. It aligns with national guidance on recovery support and lived experience in addiction services.

A Four Part Research Approach For Peer Support Recovery

The study is titled ‘Mapping and realist evaluation of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations as part of the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system in England (LEROS)’. It has four major components.

Researchers will map all peer-led recovery organisations across England. They’ll document commissioning arrangements, services offered, and data collection systems. A rapid realist review will develop understanding of how peer support recovery works. It will also identify which approaches benefit different individuals.

In-depth case studies will examine diverse lived experience recovery organisations. The team will use interviews, social network analysis, and quantitative data. This will identify effective mechanisms and outcomes. Researchers will also co-produce a national core outcome set. This will enable consistent measurement of recovery-related benefits.

Dr Farley explained the project’s importance. “Substance use disorders create substantial harm for individuals, families, and communities,” she said. “Recovery is not only about gaining control over substance use. It’s about rebuilding a meaningful life. LEROs provide exactly this kind of long-term, community-led support, yet there is currently no national picture of how they operate or how effective they are.”

Lived Experience Recovery Organisations Shaped By Those In Recovery

A new Lived Experience Advisory Panel will guide the research throughout. People with personal recovery experience will shape the study’s direction. The project team wants to develop future lived experience researchers. They’ll offer training opportunities and PhD development pathways.

The research complements the University of Birmingham’s Better Than Well (BTW) programme. BTW offers peer support and structured wellbeing activities for students in recovery from addiction. This shows the university’s commitment to recovery-friendly environments alongside world-leading research.

Supporting Commissioners With Evidence On Peer Led Recovery

Government bodies, including OHID, have expressed strong interest in the findings. Commissioners currently struggle to make evidence-based decisions. They need guidance about including lived experience recovery organisations within local Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care.

“We hope this research will give commissioners the tools they need to make confident, evidence-based decisions,” Dr Farley said. “It will also give LEROs the frameworks to demonstrate their important contribution to people’s recovery journeys.”

The study’s outcomes will inform future commissioning guidance. Local authorities will be able to develop consistent, evidence-based systems. These will support long-term recovery from drug and alcohol dependency.

By establishing how peer support recovery organisations operate, the research will measure their impact systematically. This will strengthen England’s approach to sustainable, community-centred addiction recovery support.

Source: dbrecoveryresources