Graduates celebrate another step to recovery

Dil Jauffur, Pennine Care’s Rehabilitation and High Support Directorate Manager (left), presenting students with their certificates

Seventeen mental health service users have been celebrating their graduation from a college aimed at helping their recovery.

The college campus is based at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust’s two low secure units, Prospect Place in Rochdale and Tatton Unit in Ashton-under-Lyne.

These are the newest addition to the Trust’s Health and Wellbeing College, which aims to provide a range of free recovery-focused and educational courses.

The courses are aimed at supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing, recognise their potential and make the most of their talents and resources, through self-management.

They are all designed by someone with professional skills or knowledge (experts by profession) and someone with skills or knowledge gained through living with the condition (experts by experience). Courses include: 

• Curtains to sleepless nights - a look at the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, how to improve sleep and sleeping habits.
• I am in control – learning tools and techniques to help recognise, manage and overcome anxieties.
• This is my moment – becoming aware of feeling and acknowledging thoughts to help feel in the moment and appreciate life.
• Cool it – help with understanding and managing anger and aggressive behaviour.

The graduates were presented with certificates of achievement by Dil Jauffur, Pennine Care’s Rehabilitation and High Support Directorate (RHSD) Manager, at a celebration event in Oldham.

Gemma Kirk, RHSD Transformation Lead, said: “The college supports our goal of empowering patients in our low secure units to take control of their own health and wellbeing, both while they are on the unit and in the future.

“Student feedback has been excellent; with one student describing the college as helpful and uplifting and another saying they have gained wisdom and knowledge as a result.

“I would like to congratulate to all those who have graduated for their hard work.”

The spring semester is already underway, with new courses including ‘living with psychosis’ and ‘an introduction to drugs and alcohol; which have also been co-produced by students from Pennine Care’s low secure units.