What is the South Eastern Trust Recovery College

What is the South Eastern Trust Recovery College?

We are an educational centre of excellence that nurtures the principles of recovery and wellbeing through lived and learned experience

Where is the South Eastern Trust Recovery College?

The South Eastern Trust Recovery College spans across Ards & North Down, Lisburn, and Downpatrick. Our administrative hub resides on the 2nd floor of Lough House in Ards Community Hospital. Excitingly, this space may host future courses, complemented by various other venues in the communities we serve.

How can I get involved in the South Eastern Trust Recovery College?

Experience education with a purpose! Operating like a traditional college, we provide structured semester timetables. Dive into the subject that resonates with you—your journey to well-being starts with a simple call or email at the contact information below:

• Explore our Facebook page: SOUTH EASTERN TRUST RECOVERY COLLEGE

• Reach out via email at RECOVERY.COLLEGE@SETRUST.HSCNI.NET

• Giving us a call on 02890413872

Your path to holistic well-being begins here! 

What kind of skills could I learn and what are your different projects/courses?

Step into a welcoming world of growth and well-being with our diverse range of courses!  Join us on an exploration of topics like anxiety management and unlocking the power of Living Life to the Full. Discover courses designed to empower you with skills, including an Introduction to Mindfulness, Building Resilience, and Assertiveness Skills.

But there's more to this journey! If you're eager to contribute to the creation and delivery of courses or play a role in shaping mental health services, explore our engaging sessions like Building Skills for Co-production, Peer Advocacy, and Train the Trainer. You'll be delighted to know that some of these courses carry an accreditation from the Open College Network (OCN).

And that's not all! Immerse yourself in our inviting licensed courses, featuring WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), The Decider, and Positive Steps. Your invitation to a fulfilling and supportive learning experience awaits! 

What kind of experience can I expect?

We are confident you have a very positive experience in the Recovery College. We consider ourselves to be friendly and welcoming. It can be hard to join something new and we will do our very best to put you at ease. If it helps to chat to a tutor before a course, we are very happy to do that.

All our courses are designed in combination with both lived and learned experience of mental health challenges. In fact, everyone in the Recovery College come with their own mental health diagnosis & resulting challenges. We think this mix of lived and learned experience is what makes this experience unique. Not only do you get a chance to learn new skills and strategies, but you also get to hear how tutors have used those skills and strategies in real life situations.

Who are your courses available for and do you have any joining criteria?

Our courses are open to all adults aged 18 or over and are open to everyone, whether you’re experiencing a mental health challenge yourself, or you’re caring for someone who does, you work in mental health or you’re just interested in learning more. You don’t need to live in the South Eastern Trust area to take part in a course, although if our courses are over-subscribed, we will give first priority to those living in the area.

If I wanted to join a course, would I have to pay?

Nope! All our courses are completely free of charge.

How long does each of your projects run for?

It depends. Some of our courses are just for one session and others run for five or six sessions.

We have three terms each year and we also run a few courses as part of our summer school each year.

How do I sign-up?

You can find our current timetable on our FACEBOOK PAGE or you can email the college and ask us to send it to you. If you want, we can add you to our mailing list and then you will always be kept updated about what is happening.

When you see a course you’re interested in, you can sign up by clicking the registration link (for Zoom courses) or you can phone or email us.

Are there any waitlists?

For courses on Zoom, there’s no limit to how many can attend. For face-to-face classes, we usually try to cap numbers at about 24 students, but this can vary depending on the venue we’re using. If the course you’re interested in is oversubscribed, we will add you a waiting list and let you know if a space becomes available. If we can’t offer you a space on a course, you will be given priority the next time we run the course. But don’t worry there are always plenty of courses to choose from.

As we have a large number of courses in our prospectus, it’s not possible to run every course each semester. If the course you’re interested in isn’t running, we will offer to add you to an expression of interest list. These expressions of interest help us decide what to include on our next timetable.

Once I register my interest how soon will I hear back?

We aim to be in touch as soon as possible. If you register for a Zoom course, you’ll get an immediate email response confirming your registration. If you contact us by email or leave a voice message (we aren’t always able to answer our phone) we will get back to you within a couple of days.