Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing College (GHWC) delivers educational courses teaching people the skills, techniques and knowledge to make them experts in their own recovery from long-term physical and mental health conditions.
Understanding how closely linked physical and mental health are, Severn and Wye Recovery College and Gloucestershire Self-Management came together to form GHWC.
As a peer-led self-management service, the college offers unique and friendly courses, facilitated by those with lived experience, tailored to consider different aspects of wellbeing. Through learning together, our vision is to provide educational self-management courses to help people build the skills and confidence to take control of their own health and wellbeing.
At Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing College it is all about you. Our courses are produced by you, for you, and we want to support you to become an expert in your own health and self-management. Creating hope and connections with likeminded people, we offer a unique and friendly service.
Our friendly team comprises Peer Support Workers, colleagues with clinical or health backgrounds and administration staff. Our Health and Wellbeing College is also supported by Experts by Experience – volunteers who regularly get involved in service projects, co-production of our courses and supporting their delivery, while using their own lived experience of living with long-term health conditions.
Our courses and workshops are led by our trained Peer Support Workers; all of whom have lived experience of mental health challenges and/or long-term physical health conditions themselves. They are here to offer support to others experiencing similar situations and we are all constantly learning from each other.
Mental health courses
The following courses are open to adults registered with a Gloucestershire GP, who are living with a mental health condition. They must be currently receiving care from a mental health team within secondary services.
Secondary mental health services include the Recovery Team, GRiP, Eating Disorders Service, Young Adults team, Later Life, Perinatal Mental Health or Assertive Outreach teams and more.
Life Skills for Independence
Join this friendly and relaxed course which aims to support you into moving towards more independent accommodation and living. We will cover topics such as paying bills, shopping and cooking on a budget, overcoming barriers, general household chores, goal setting and more.
Working in partnership, this course is co-facilitated by the GHC Accommodation Team, our Health and Wellbeing Clinician and our Peer Support Workers who all have lived experience of their own recovery.
Date: Tuesday 24 September 2024
Time: 1pm – 3pm
Duration: 4 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: The Guildhall, Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1QR
Closing date for applications: 27 August 2024
Mindfulness Workshops for Mental Health and Wellbeing
A friendly and relaxed mindfulness workshop aimed at developing a helpful range of mindfulness techniques, to support you in managing your symptoms and your recovery journey.
This course takes an educational approach to mindfulness, helping you to identify what works best for you through group learning and sharing with fellow participants, peers and the facilitators.
The workshops are co-facilitated by a Peer Support Worker with lived experience of their own recovery.
Date: Wednesday 9 October
Time: 10.30am-12.30pm
Duration: Two-hour workshop
Venue: Pullman Place, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NF
Closing date for applications: 11 September 1024
Employment
Join this friendly and relaxed course which aims to help you build your confidence in seeking employment. We will cover topics such as benefits and fears, identifying your strengths, goal setting, explaining gaps in employment, support for any convictions, signposting information and more.
In partnership with the IPS Employment Services team, this course is co-facilitated by an employment specialist, our Health and Wellbeing clinician and Peer Support Workers, all of whom have lived experience of their own recovery.
Date: Friday 8 November 2024
Time: 1pm-3pm
Duration: 4 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: Pullman Place, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NF
Closing date for applications: 11 October 2024
Coping with Winter
We know that winter can be a particularly challenging time, due to the shorter days, reduced motivation, low mood, financial pressure and Christmas. On this friendly and relaxed course, we will explore different hints and tips on how to cope this winter. This will also be an opportunity to get out and meet with new people and find out what is happening in your area.
This course is co-facilitated by our Health and Wellbeing clinician and Mental Health Peer Support Worker, who has their own lived experience of recovery.
Date: Friday 29 November 2024
Time: 10am-12pm
Duration: 4 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1NS
Closing date for applications: 1 November 2024
Physical health courses
Our physical health courses are open to adults registered with a Gloucestershire GP who are living with one or more long-term physical health conditions.
Long-term physical health conditions can include fibromyalgia, diabetes, ME, chronic pain, COPD, heart conditions, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and more.
Live Better to Feel Better - online course
This is a friendly and interactive online course delivered by people with lived experience of long-term physical health conditions. Learn a range of self-management tools and techniques and gain the confidence to use them in your day-to-day life. Self-management is about finding ways which will support and allow you to take back control of your long-term health condition, rather than have it control you.
Topics covered include managing pain and fatigue, getting a good night’s sleep, problem solving, decision making, managing low mood, communication hints and tips, working with your healthcare professional and many more.
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 4 September 2024
Time: 1.30pm-3pm
Duration: 7 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: Online via Microsoft Teams
Closing date for applications: 16 August 2024
Option 2
Date: Friday 6 September 2024
Time: 10.30am-12pm
Duration: 7 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: Online via Microsoft Teams
Closing date for applications: 16 August 2024
Mindfulness workshops
A friendly and relaxed mindfulness workshop aimed at developing a helpful range of mindfulness techniques to support you in managing the symptoms of your long-term physical health condition.
The course takes an educational approach to mindfulness, helping you to identify what works best for you through group learning and sharing with fellow participants, peers and the facilitators.
This course will be co-facilitated by a physical health Peer Support Worker with their own experience of living with a long-term physical health condition.
Option 1
Date: Monday 16 September 2024
Time: 10am-12pm
Duration: Two-hour workshop
Venue: Churchdown Community Centre, Parton Road, Churchdown GL3 2JH
Closing date for applications: 26 August 2024
Option 2
Date: Wednesday 6 November 2024
Time: 1.30pm-3.30pm
Duration: Two-hour workshop
Venue: The Pavilion, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham GL51 6PN
Closing date for applications: 9 October 2024
Live Better to Feel Better self-management course
If you are currently open to a mental health team within secondary care, while living with a long-term physical health condition and would like to learn more about self-management, this free educational course might be for you.
Learn a range of self-management tools and techniques and gain the confidence to use them in your day-to-day life. Self-management is about finding ways which will support and allow you to take back control of your long-term health condition, rather than have it control you.
Topics covered include managing pain and fatigue, getting a good night’s sleep, problem solving, decision making, managing low mood, communication hints and tips, working with your healthcare professional and many more. This course is delivered by our physical health Peer Support Workers who all have their own experience of living with a long-term physical health condition.
Date: Friday 5 November 2024
Time: 1.30pm-3pm
Duration: 7 weeks (same day and time each week)
Venue: Leckhampton Lodge, Charlton Lane, Cheltenham GL53 9DZ
Closing date for applications: 8 October 2024
Training courses
Peer Support Worker training
This eight-day course is for people currently in peer support roles (paid or unpaid). Covering all aspects of Health Education England’s Peer Support Worker Competency Framework, students will learn how to safely and effectively use their lived experience of mental or physical ill-health to help and support others. They will learn about peer support principles and values and develop skills in how to put these into practice.
Date: Monday 21 October 2024
Time: 10am-4pm
Duration: 8 weeks (no session on 28t October)
Venue: Gloucester
To book your place for any of the above courses/workshops, please visit: https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/self-refer/ghwc-enrol
For further information about Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing College visit: Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing College > Glos Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust (ghc.nhs.uk), email: ghwc@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 4414.
