Bridging care in brain injury rehabilitation: Staff perspectives on the role of peer support

Introduction: Peer support roles are well established in mental health services, yet their integration into neurorehabilitation remains limited. This study offers novel insight into how staff perceive the opportunities and challenges of introducing a peer support worker role into a community brain injury service. Methods: Using qualitative interviews and focus groups with clinical and support staff, we explored understandings of the role, its perceived value, and contextual barriers to implementation. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: the perfect candidate, context for success, and connecting care. Rigour was ensured through pre-registration, triangulated coding discussions, and reflexive analytic practices. Results: Findings highlighted the unique value of lived experience in fostering trust, hope, and engagement, while also revealing neuro-specific challenges relating to cognition, behaviour, and role boundaries. Staff emphasised the need for tailored recruitment, training, and supervision frameworks distinct from existing mental health models. Conclusions: The study is significant in being the first to systematically examine the adaptation of peer support to neurorehabilitation, offering evidence to guide service development and policy. Collectively, the findings underscore both the transformative potential and the structural requirements of embedding peer support within neurorehabilitation contexts.