Developing care experienced young peoples’ participation as peer researchers in an inter-disciplinary study: applying the ‘Ability-Motivation-Opportunity’ framework

There is a growing trend towards the use of participatory methods, within health and social care research and an increase in the inclusion of Peer Researchers in leaving care studies internationally. Whilst multiple benefits have been identified, they are not automatic and consideration also needs to be given to the complexities involved and how challenges might be mitigated. This paper focuses on the participation of care-experienced young people as Peer Researchers in an inter-disciplinary study examining how to sustain, scale and spread innovation to support young people’s transitions from care. It shares learning from a nested action research study that was co-developed to explore and support Peer Researchers’ contribution to and participation in the wider study. Key learning from the qualitative survey and focus groups centred on the discovery and application of the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (‘A-M-O’) theoretical framework [Applebaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: why high performance work systems pay off. ILR Press.] and its use to explore, analyse, reflect on and develop the Peer Researcher role. The application of A-M-O as an analytical and reflective tool offers a valuable and practical way to develop Peer Researchers’ contribution to and participation in and beyond health and social care research studies.