Involving lived experience peer research in programme evaluation: the case of police-led drug diversion schemes in England

Introduction The importance of involving people with lived experience of substance use disorder in research settings is receiving increasing attention. This article draws on learning from the involvement of a peer research organization in a large realist evaluation of police-led drug diversion schemes in England. It highlights how an applied peer research model facilitated the inclusion of the perspectives of people who use drugs in the evaluation.Methods Our peer research model involved full time User Voice employees with lived experience of problematic drug use and the criminal justice system. In collaboration with academics, they were involved in research design, participant recruitment, data collection, collaborative analysis, and dissemination. Peer researchers conducted 103 semi-structured interviews with people who had been diverted and co-facilitated three focus groups using a dual interview approach.Results The article identifies key benefits from involving peer researchers at all stages of the research process, including increasing the quantity and quality of data collected and the diversity and authenticity of its analysis. It also identifies challenges in implementing peer research, including navigating technical language, applying research methods consistently, and maintaining analytical rigor. The article considers various ethical issues, in particular safeguarding peer researchers’ wellbeing and managing the boundaries between their dual roles of a researcher and a peer.Conclusion The authors argue that the involvement of peer researchers enhanced the authenticity of both data collection and analysis.