Embedding lived experience in the evaluation of a crisis support service

Understanding what matters to people experiencing crisis

Samaritans developed their Online Chat Service to reach people for whom typing feels more comfortable than talking, or for whom a phone call simply is not an option. For many young people in particular, a text-based conversation can feel more accessible than picking up the phone. Volunteers read and respond to messages in real time, helping people work through what is on their mind.

Samaritans wanted to understand how well this service meets the needs of its users, with a particular focus on children and young people. They commissioned the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and Habitus Collective to evaluate the pilot. Our partnership brought together rigorous evaluation expertise with a deep understanding of how to centre lived experience in research. Habitus led on all aspects of lived experience involvement, while Tavistock led the overall evaluation design and quantitative analysis.

Challenges

Evaluating a service that supports people during moments of crisis requires particular care. The people whose insights matter most, those who have used the service, are also those for whom participating in research could be re-traumatising if not handled thoughtfully.

We needed to create conditions where people with experience of distress and suicidality could contribute meaningfully and safely. This meant going beyond simply including lived experience voices as participants. It meant building a research approach where people with lived experience were integral to shaping, conducting, and making sense of the evaluation itself.

What we did

Our role focused on embedding lived experience throughout the evaluation:

Recruiting and training peer researchers: We supported the recruitment of young peer researchers with lived experience of mental health distress and suicidality. We designed and delivered training to prepare them for co-facilitating focus groups and conducting user-centred research, equipping them with skills in trauma-informed approaches and working with marginalised groups.

Mentoring and support: Throughout the project, we provided ongoing mentoring and support to the young peer researchers, building their confidence and skills while ensuring their wellbeing was protected. This investment in emerging researchers was central to the project's success.

Developing research tools: We contributed to developing focus group questions and creative activities, drawing on our expertise in participatory approaches to ensure the methods were accessible and trauma-informed.

Co-analysis, sensemaking, and reporting: Our team, including peer researchers, participated in co-analysis sessions to draw out themes from the qualitative data. Peer researchers also contributed to reporting on findings and presented results back to Samaritans. This ensured the richness of findings was captured and that lived experience perspectives were present from data collection through to final delivery.

Knowledge mobilisation: We facilitated early insights sessions to ensure all stakeholder voices were heard and that the final report would meet Samaritans' operational and strategic needs. This included supporting the activation of recommendations, not just the production of a report.

Building organisational capacity: Beyond the immediate evaluation, we provided insights on how Samaritans could strengthen peer and lived experience roles in future research and service development.

How we made a difference

By investing in young peer researchers, we helped create an evaluation that was richer in insight and more grounded in the realities of those the service exists to support. Young people were not just the focus of the research, they were leading it.

"Habitus were flexible, responsive and innovative." - Gbemi Babalola, Impact and Evaluation Manager, Samaritans

The co-analysis and sensemaking work was particularly valuable. Rather than treating peer researchers as data collectors alone, we involved them in interpreting what the findings meant and how they could be applied in practice. This ensured recommendations were practical and rooted in genuine understanding of user experience.

Results

The evaluation provided Samaritans with insights into how well the Online Chat Service meets the needs of children, young people, and adults, informing decisions about the service's future development. The methodology engaged a diverse range of participants including service users of different ages and Samaritans volunteers.

Beyond the evaluation itself, the project built Samaritans' internal capacity to work with peer researchers. The organisation now has stronger foundations for embedding lived experience in future research and service development work.

Gbemi Babalola, Impact and Evaluation Manager: "The early insights session was super helpful and well organised, it ensured all stakeholder voices were heard so the final product met our needs. Beyond that, Habitus supported us to strengthen our ability to work with peer researchers. As an organisation we have been upskilled, which is so invaluable."

Project Manager: "Co-analysis and sense-making was a particular highlight. Habitus were excellent at ensuring the richness of the findings were synthesised with practical application in mind."

Habitus has extensive experience supporting organisations to develop peer-led services from the ground up. For more information on how Habitus can support your organisation or network to develop lived experience and peer leadership, contact us.