The Recovery Academy: Celebrating the benefits of co-production, sharing good practice and the contribution of people with lived experience
The Recovery Academy first launched in 2013 and has been a shining light of effective co-production in practice ever since! From opening its doors to all, the Academy has offered a wide range of learning opportunities for anyone looking to manage their own mental wellbeing or support someone else.
At the heart of the Recovery Academy lies its core values of inclusivity, empowerment, and hope. These values are embedded within the Recovery Academy via the co-production approach, meaning that all resources are co-developed and co-delivered with people with lived experience.
The co-production approach ensures resources are accessible, reliable, and informed from different perspectives, creating an effective learning environment for all. Lived experience tutors also provide a real sense of hope for students. The co-production approach challenges traditional perceptions of support and recognises with equal weight, the value of everyone’s experiences.
Our resources include 59 face-to-face courses, focusing on areas such as improving understanding around mental health, learning new skills and supporting wellbeing through creativity. The Academy also offers over 250 digital resources, including e-learning packages, self-help worksheets and our very own radio station featuring podcasts and relaxation audio tracks.
The Recovery Academy is free to join and available to:
- Anyone who is experiencing mental health and/or addiction problems (you do not have to be under the care of NHS mental health services)
- Their supporters (carers, family, friends and loved ones)
- GMMH staff members, volunteers, and students on placement
- Any healthcare professionals
Face-to-face courses are held in Prestwich, Manchester, Trafford, Bolton, Salford and Wigan.
One of our most popular courses is called 'Co-Production in Practice: Getting it Right' and supports staff to better understand how to co-produce projects in a meaningful way. We spoke to Anthony O'Connor, co-facilitator on this course for further information on what the course covers and why co-production is important for mental health services to champion...
“The course is a great starting point for learning the principles of co-production whilst also offering advice and tips on best approaches in different contexts. Learners will learn a little of the history behind the concept and the many different areas where co-production can be applied. Lived experience is often a crucial element of good co-production and the course goes into detail about what this is and how individuals can adapt their own experiences when engaging with co-produced projects.
This can be especially important when it comes to mental health services where we know that service user and carer engagement is a keen driver of learning and improvement. The co-produced approach gives people a greater say, a sense of ownership and more equitable outcomes whenever it is used. It reduces stigma, bolsters confidence and aids recovery. This is all achieved whilst working alongside and together with like-minded people striving for the same goals.”
If you would like to see what the Recovery Academy can offer you and create you very own Recovery Academy account, visit our website at: https://recoveryacademy.gmmh.nhs.uk/
GMMH staff members and volunteers can access all resources via their Learning Hub.
You can also contact the Recovery Academy team directly with any questions at: recoveryacademy@gmmh.nhs.uk or telephone: 0161 938 5122.
