Recovery College NHFT

Recovery College NHFT offers a range of free educational courses and one-off workshops designed to improve health by increasing your knowledge and skills and promote self-management.

Type

Recovery College NHFT

Here at the Recovery College NHFT we offer you a range of different courses to help you support yourself and others to understand health conditions and help with recovery. Increased hope, control and opportunity are what we strive for and help our students to achieve.

Courses are designed to support you to take control of your own mental health and wellbeing, despite any health challenges you may have. They are co-produced and presented by a health professional and someone who has personally experienced their own health issues. Courses are related to mental health, neurodiversity, physical health, as well as workshops on wellbeing and opportunities to become more involved in our community.

Who is this service for?  Our courses are available for people aged 18 and over who live in Northamptonshire and are current or previous NHFT service users, as well as their families, friends, carers, members of partner organisations, and NHFT staff. All courses are free to attend. If you do not meet these criteria but would still like to join a course, please contact us directly.

How do I register for this service?

In order to access courses through the Recovery College, you will need to enrol as a student.

Register for the Recovery College using this online form.

 

Alternatively you can download our Recovery College NHFT Student Enrolment Form and email it to recovery.college@nhft.nhs.uk

Contact us

You can contact the Recovery College by:

Email: Recovery.college@nhft.nhs.uk

Phone: 03000 270470 (phone lines are open 9am-4.30pm Monday-Friday)

Post: Recovery College, Campbell House, Campbell Square, Northampton, NN1 3EB

 

Reviews and feedback

Improves awareness and ways to cope, overall reduces isolation and increases reassurance that people aren't alone in their journeys.

Attendance to Recovery College courses helps people appreciate that they are not on their own, others have good ideas and experiences that may help and there's positive actions to take after the course

The Recovery College is clearly committed to breaking down barriers and ending stigma and I am truly grateful for the necessary and exemplary work being undertaken

The Recovery College helps reduce feelings of isolation and provides courses to support wellbeing with excellent examples. It was valuable to hear from both experts by training and experts by experience

Provide your feedback on the college

If you would like to share your views or feedback on one of our courses, please complete our online form.

Alternatively, you can email us at recovery.college@nhft.nhs.uk  with any general feedback.

 

Accessibility information

At the Recovery College, we are committed to being inclusive, and we recognise that many of our students may have additional learning or support needs.

 If you have any learning or support needs that you feel we should be aware of, please let us know how we can support you when you enrol or sign up for a course. A member of our team may contact you in advance to discuss your needs or preferences so that any necessary adjustments can be made.

Book a course

You can find out more about how to book a Recovery College course by filling in our enrolment form

Book a course

In order to access courses through the Recovery College, you will need to enrol as a student.

Click here to register with us - there is a section to indicate which courses you would like to attend.

Please select 'Yes Please' on the final question if you want to receive information on our courses and Recovery College updates.

If you are already registered as a student you can book a course via our Eventbrite homepage.

Click here to discover what courses are available and book your place.

Frequently asked questions

The team at the Recovery College aim to answer your questions before you enrol, you can email the team at Recovery.college@nhft.nhs.uk

FAQs

Who can attend courses at the Recovery College?

Our courses are available for people aged 18 and over who live in Northamptonshire and are current or previous NHFT service users, as well as their families, friends, carers, members of partner organisations, and NHFT staff. All courses are free to attend. If you do not meet these criteria but would still like to join a course, please contact us directly.

 

Why is attending Recovery College courses beneficial?

Our courses are coproduced with service users and clinical staff to give you the benefit of their experience and knowledge. Our courses aim to provide hope, control and opportunity on both your recovery journey and learning to live with your condition

 

Is there a charge to attend courses?

Our courses are free at point of delivery

 

Are courses online or in person?

We have a range of courses that are available both online and in person. In person courses are delivered at NHS venues across Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Daventry and Rushden. Online courses are held via MS Teams or Zoom.

 

What do I need to attend courses online?

To join our online courses, you will need an internet enabled device such as a PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet, as well as a stable internet connection. We also recommend joining from a safe, quiet space that is free from distractions so you can get the most out of the session.

 

Do I have to turn on my video to attend an online course?

Seeing your faces gives us a community feel during courses and helps us interact with and teach you and be aware of your wellbeing! But we understand it make some people feel anxious, so if you would prefer not to have your camera turned on please let us know in advance.

 

What do I need to attend courses in person?

Just yourself! But you may want to bring a pen and paper to make notes. We do provide post course packs and handouts at many of our courses.

 

How long are the courses?

Courses range from an hour and a half to full day sessions. Many of our courses are half day sessions lasting three to four hours. All courses include plenty of breaks and are delivered in a relaxed, informal environment. You can find the running time for each course in the prospectus.

 

Is there any additional work outside of the course?

Some courses include suggested tasks or reading to complete before the session. These are optional, but they can help you get the most out of the course. Post course resources and handouts are often provided as well.

 

Who delivers the courses?

Our courses are facilitated by both a practitioner and a peer trainer. The practitioner usually has a clinical background, while our peer trainers are experts by experience, bringing valuable lived experience knowledge related to the course topic.

 

How many people can I expect in a class?

We keep our class sizes small. On average, around 10 students attend each course, although numbers can vary and may be up to 20 for our more popular sessions.

 

Is it confidential?

Anything you choose to share during our courses is treated as confidential and stays within the group. We ask all students to respect each other's privacy and confidentiality in line with our Student Charter. In exceptional circumstances, a trainer may need to share information outside the session if there are concerns about a student's wellbeing or safety.

 

Do you provide immediate help for people in crisis?

We are not a clinical or crisis service and do not have access to clinical records of anyone attending our courses. To find immediate support visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/help

 

Can I attend a course more than once if I feel the need to?

Recovery and personal situations are always changing. With this in mind, students are welcome to attend the same course more than once if they feel it would be helpful.

 

I have a question that isn't answered here...

You can contact us with any questions at recovery.college@nhft.nhs.uk

 

Get involved with NHFT

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Get involved with NHFT

We proactively encourage service users and their carers, family and friends to become involved in the day to day running of the Trust.

Coproduction is at the core of the Recovery College.  All our courses are co-designed and co-delivered by people with real-life experience, who work in conjunction with health professionals, education providers, and trainers to share what works for them.

If you are interested in becoming involved with us, why not attend our 'Using Lived Experience to Improve Services: What Is Coproduction?' course. 

Volunteering with NHFT

Each and everyday people are giving their time freely as an NHFT volunteer. There are many opportunities to enhance and complement the care provided by paid staff by sharing your skills.

A volunteer is someone who gives their time, skills or knowledge, freely and by choice, for no financial reward, to benefit others in the community. Volunteers help in many different ways in our hospitals and services. 

There are a variety of roles including befriending on the wards, supporting occupational therapists, psychologists and clerical staff, as well as volunteering in roles such as gardening and as shop assistants.

To find out more contact the volunteer services:

phone: 03000 274109
email: volunteering@nhft.nhs.uk 
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/volunteer

for more information or to register your interest in becoming a volunteer. 

Involvement with NHFT

Listening to patients, service users and carers' experiences of our services is the first step in finding out what they think of the service they receive. 

If you know of a patient, service user, carer or parent that would like to be involved in helping to improve services, please contact the Involvement Team:

phone: 03000 273 873
email: involvement@nhft.nhs.uk
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/involvement 

Peer mentoring

People who are experiencing mental distress often benefit from meeting others who have had similar experiences and have been successful in their recovery. 

A peer mentor is someone who has experienced mental ill health and wants to use their personal experiences to volunteer support to other service users and patients with mental health conditions. Carers often also value meeting other carers.

email: admin.peersupport@nhft.nhs.uk
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/peer-support

Work for NHFT

We encourage people who have experienced mental ill health to come and work at NHFT. Here at NHFT we are committed to making a positive difference. Whether this is to the life of our service users, patients and carers or the careers of those who work as part of our fantastic team.

As a Trust who provides support in the community and in hospital settings, for physical and mental health, as well as for adults and children, there are many opportunities available. 

To find current vacancies visit: jobs.nhft.nhs.uk

Individual Placement and Support Employment Service

If you are a service user accessing one of the community teams and would like support finding and sustaining work either in the NHS or outside the NHS our 'Individual Placement and Support' Employment Team can help. 

To find out more information or to contact a team member:

phone: 03000 270800
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/ips

Innovation & Research

NHFT involves patients, service-users, carers and volunteers in the design, delivery and evaluation of innovation and research projects. We encourage everyone to take the opportunity to find out about and participate in research that they might be interested in or might benefit. Innovation and research is critical to the delivery of evidence-based care and the future of the a high quality NHS service. 

NHFT Innovation and Research team are involved in delivering national and local innovation and research projects across all our services. 

If you are interested find out more from 

phone: 03000 271717
email: research&Innovation@nhft.nhs.uk
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/research

Trust Membership

Our members play a key part in the shaping and development of NHFT.  They directly influence the way we are run and how we will develop in the future. Our members add value to the Trust by representing the people who live in the communities we serve, our service users and carers. 

To find out more information about becoming a Trust member:

phone: 03000 273981
email: foundationtrust@nhft.nhs.uk
visit: www.nhft.nhs.uk/membership

 

Mental health, learning disability and autism services

  1. Acute Liaison Mental Health Service
  2. Adult ADHD, Autism and Tourettes Team (AAATT)
  3. Adult Acute Inpatients
  4. Adult Inpatient Specialist
  5. Adult Inpatient PICU
  6. At Risk Mental State Service
  7. Community Mental Health Adult - Early Intervention NSTEP
  8. Complex PTSD service
  9. Community mental health team
  10. Crisis cafés
  11. Crisis Houses: The Warren and The Martins
  12. Crisis Response Unit
  13. Eating Disorders Service
  14. ECT and Ketamine Therapy - The Treatment Centre
  15. Forensic Team
  16. Health Based Place of Safety
  17. IPS Employment Service
  18. Learning Disabilities
  19. Liaison Psychiatry for Older People
  20. Maternal Loss Psychology Service
  21. Memory Assessment Service
  22. The Mental Health Number
  23. Northants Personality Disorder Hub
  24. NHS Northamptonshire Talking Therapies
  25. Older Adults Community Mental Health Services
  26. Older People’s Inpatient Acute
  27. Peer support service
  28. Police Liaison and Triage
  29. Recovery College
    1. Recovery College NHFT
  30. Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service
  31. Urgent Care and Assessment Team
  32. Younger Persons with Dementia Team