Frequently asked questions
If you have any questions about the Recovery and Wellbeing College, take a look at our frequently asked questions below to see if we can answer your query straight away.
If you still can’t find the answer you need, please get in touch with the team and we’ll be happy to help you further.
- Do I need to be referred to attend?
No. You do not need to be referred.
As a student, you will need to enrol with us only once. Once you have enrolled and attended your ILP appointment, you will be set up with a student file that will follow you for the duration of your time with us, whether that is a week or several years. Each time you wish to attend a new course, you’ll just need to call or email us and we’ll book you straight on.
Please discuss with us the courses which best suit you as well as any learning needs you have at your ILP appointment.
- I don't want to go back to school or college - is that what this is?
No. Our courses aren’t traditional college or school subjects and aren’t delivered in a traditional way. We believe that we all have something to learn and we are all on our own recovery journey. If you attend a course you won’t be sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher talk while you take notes and you won’t have any tests, exams or assessments. Instead you’ll have opportunities to discuss subjects that interest you, learn at your own pace and share your expertise in a friendly and relaxed environment. If you would like one, you will also get a certificate of attendance when you complete your course or workshop if you request this from us.
- Will I need to pay for a course?
Our courses are free for everyone. Due to funding, there may be the odd course that students who are not in receipt of specific benefits or low income may need to pay to attend. This will be clearly stated on all course publicity and students will be informed at enrolment if this applies. Please ask us if you would like further details.
- How many other students will be on a course with me?
Group sizes are kept small so that you have the best chance of learning and can develop your knowledge and understanding. Some courses, depending on the topic, may have maximum limits set to ensure that we’re able to offer a supportive environment to learn. For this reason we offer course and workshop places on a first come, first served basis. Typical group sizes are between 8 -12 students. Please check with us if this is something you are concerned about.
- Do I need to have any qualifications or be able to read and write well to attend a course?
No. We appreciate that students may have missed out on education or found school or college courses difficult.
Our courses range from brief, introductory ‘taster’ workshops to courses running over a number of weeks. There are no formal entry requirements for any of our courses and we don’t ask you to take notes, read or speak out loud in a session if you don’t feel comfortable. We can also provide you with a study partner volunteer to assist you with any reading in the sessions if you would like this assistance.
- How will I learn?
Our courses and workshops are co-delivered by volunteer course facilitators working with healthcare and educational professionals. Our tutors have a wealth of both personal and professional experience of health conditions, maintaining their own wellbeing or the wellbeing of someone that they care for or support. Courses and workshops may be delivered in a face to face setting, or online via an online platform such as Microsoft Teams.
- Do I have to take any tests or exams at the Recovery and Wellbeing College?
No. There are no exams or tests.
You will only be asked to complete evaluation questionnaires. If you would like further information on this, please get in touch.
- Do I need to bring anything with me or buy any materials for a course?
You will need to bring a bottle of water or a drinks flask as there is not always somewhere for you to make a drink. Some courses require you to bring something to take your produce home in, such as ‘Baking Basics’, and some may require you to bring some items in after your first session, such as books for the book folding workshop. You will be advised if you need to bring anything once you have enrolled.
- Can I bring a friend or family member with me?
Yes. We are happy for students to attend with a carer, supporter or staff member who supports them.
Please note that your supporter must register, enrol and participate in the sessions also.
- I have a disability/mobility problem - can I come to the Recovery and Wellbeing College?
Our College bases host courses on the ground floor with accessible facilities. Where courses are provided at alternative venues, we try to ensure these are suitable for people with mobility problems. We will work closely with you to support you in any way we can. For courses which have a physical aspect to the course or are based outdoors, please contact the College as there may be some limitations Please get in touch with us if you would like to discuss your needs or if you require further information prior to enrolling.
- What if I need some support once the programme has begun?
Our course facilitators will be happy to provide advice and support if you feel that you need any additional help. We also have study partners who will be able to help you on a one-to-one basis.
- I care for or support someone who uses mental health/learning disabilities services - can I attend?
Yes, but you must enrol also. Students don’t need to have accessed mental health services before, but must be open to learning and want to improve their own health and wellbeing or that of others.
Everyone who attends a workshop or course at the College is thought of as a student; no-one is labelled as a ‘service user’ or ‘professional’ – including course facilitators.
- Can I be a volunteer and still attend courses?
Absolutely! We encourage our volunteers to attend courses with us.
- What happens if I am not able to attend the whole course?
Because places are limited, we ask that if you enrol you are able to commit to the full course. However, we understand that sometimes life gets in the way and just ask that you let us know beforehand if you are unable to make it. If you are unable to attend for more than one week, you will unfortunately have missed too much of the course and be asked to re-enrol on a later date.
If you fail to attend three courses that you have enrolled on in one term, we will reluctantly have to withdraw your reserved place from any further courses in that term and request that you re-enrol on the next term.
- Can I re-enrol on the same course/attend the same course more than once?
We understand that students may not have retained everything from a course the first time round and would like another go; however, as places are limited, we ask that students only re-enrol on a course once (attending twice in total) to ensure that those who have never attended our College have the opportunity to do so.
- What happens once I have finished my course?
One of our key aims is to provide you with the time and space to decide on your next steps – and the confidence to take them.
This may be moving on to another course with us, a course with someone else or thinking about other steps including attending a community group, moving into volunteering or paid work. Whatever your next step, please ask, we may be able to help.
- Will my learning be useful beyond my recovery?
Yes. Our offer is grouped in to three main sections to make it easier to identify which courses are best for you; courses around understanding and/or managing health conditions, hobbies and crafts, and physical activity. We also split our website courses in to “online” and “face to face” to enable you to more easily choose the environment you wish to attend in.
Courses offer a range of different skills and you are encouraged to use what you have learned. All of our courses and workshops offer signposting to provide you with opportunities to think about what you would like to do in the future and help you to engage with your local community.
- Can I get help with my childcare and/or transport?
No, sorry. We are unable to provide crèche facilities, transport or expenses to cover these. You will need to arrange your own childcare provision and/or transport to and from the College. Volunteers will be reimbursed for their travel costs associated with their work for the College.
- Where can I find out more information about how I can get in touch with the College?
Simply visit our contact us page for all of our contact details. You can get in touch with us in whichever way you are most comfortable (even via direct message on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!)
- Could I attend from home if I'm house-bound?
We aim to make all of our courses as accessible as possible. Each course is reviewed on a case by case basis but we will always look with you at any courses you’re interested in attending from home to see if this is possible. We will work with our tutors, looking at materials required, and if possible you’ll be able to join via a Microsoft Teams video link. Please note, this may mean that you will be required yourself to source and purchase the materials required for that course so that you can complete the activities at home.
- Now that your courses are open to those 16+ I'm interested in what safeguards you have in place for everyone?
We want to reassure you that all safeguards are in place to ensure that the age group of 16+ is a safe offer; this age range offer is, after all, the same offer you would find in educational colleges and other further education establishments. We are continuing to conduct Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) with every student who enrols with us, looking at their needs, risks and adaptations. Within their ILP appointment, our trained team also support our students around issues of abuse, suicide and self-harm, with appropriate signposting being a key part of our work to ensure that students are supported and in the best place to attend sessions. All of our staff team and volunteers have attended mandatory professionalism and boundary training. All of our staff team have Safeguarding Children level 3 in place, we have a safeguarding lead within our staff team who any concerns are/can be escalated to, our volunteers have completed mandatory Trust safeguarding training, we have safeguarding supervision when required and we ask for evidence from all of our partners for their safeguarding policies. Our sessions will continue to be delivered by a minimum of two facilitators (apart from in particular, risk assessed circumstances), who all have access to our live, web-based, secure Tutor Corner portal to view student needs and risks ahead of delivery. Tutor Corner also houses all facilitator handbooks and relevant documentation to ensure that our tutors are aware of their responsibilities (such as monitoring appropriate interactions in groups) and the support also on offer to them as facilitators. All venues that we use have been through a thorough risk assessment, including liaising with our Trust safeguarding team at times, and have been deemed appropriate to offer courses from for those aged 16+. We have several safety protocols in place to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, facilitator teams and students.
- Will I get a certificate for attending?
We don’t give out certificates as standard now as we are a Paperlight team and are trying to be as green as possible. If you wish to receive a certificate after attending a course though, you can can simply request this through the central Recovery College mailbox and one will be sent to you.