South West London and St George's (SWLStG) Recovery College

South West London and St George’s (SWLStG) Recovery College:

What is recovery?

One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some time in our lives.

Being diagnosed with mental illness can be very frightening. Sometimes people can lose confidence in themselves and feel very alone and scared.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Recovery is possible for everyone.

In mental health, recovery is the process of rebuilding a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life with a diagnosis of mental health problems.

Recovery is a uniquely personal journey and can mean differnt things to different people.

As the journey is so personal and individual, no-one can tell you what you need to do. Many of the courses we offer will be of help, but over time you will work out, with support, what skills and learning is most important for your recovery.

Recovery often starts with the feeling of hope and our trainers are inspirational and skilled at embodying the principles of recovery.  It involves making sense of and finding meaning in what has happened, becoming an expert in your own self-care, building a new sense of self and purpose and discovering your own resourcefulness.

Who we are

Here at the Recovery College, we value the contribution that people with lived experience of mental health issues can add.

That’s why our team is made up of peer trainers (people with lived experience of mental health challenges) and mental health professionals.

The college was launched in September 2010 and was the first of its kind to be developed in the U.K.

We use a recovery-based approach to encourage people to become experts in their own self-care and wellbeing, giving students the tools they need to manage their conditions and for families, friends, carers and staff to better understand mental health conditions and support people in their recovery journey.

Our courses, library and computers are available to people who use our services (and for up to 12 months after discharge), their friends, family, carers and Trust staff.

When you visit the Recovery College you will be greeted in a warm, welcoming environment by people with an understanding of what you are going through and a passion for making the College work for you.

Our courses run in all five of the Trust boroughs so that courses can be local to you at a variety of educational venues in Merton, Sutton, Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth.

About our Courses

Our classroom courses

The majority of our courses for Sep-Dec will now be delivered in the classroom, with some exceptions remaining online being delivered via MS Teams, so please pay close attention to the timetable when booking.

Our courses are run by a practitioner trainer (eg Occupational Therapist, Nurse or Social worker) and a peer trainer (someone with lived experience of mental health issues).

The courses provide a safe, supported environment for you to learn and contribute to discussions when it feels right for you.

Courses vary from single sessions to sessions running from three to eight weeks. All sessions are half day with a break.
We use a range of learning methods, including teaching and group work. We can also advise on support for anyone having difficulty accessing our courses. If you have any difficulties or disability our administrative team can support you with this.

Interactive webinars

For those who prefer a virtual classroom environment we run weekly webinars using MS Teams. Groups are limited to between 6-8 per session, so if you’re interested in attending click here to see what’s coming up and how to register.

Not ready to return to class?

We know that not everyone is ready to return to the classroom, and for these individuals we will continue to provide our Home Learning Service. We will also continue with the support telephone line manned by our trainers, who are on hand to help answer any questions you may have.

The Recovery College E-Learning Hub is a multi-media resource for all the latest online content the college has to offer.

You can refine what you see by the type of content that works best for you. We have downloadable course content, videos, audio guides and blogs, as well as useful resource documents.

Don’t forget to check our website regularly as we’ll be posting regular updates as new courses become available.

If you have any questions about the home learning service, you can contact us by email at RCHomelearning@swlstg.nhs.uk