Sheffield mental health hospital launches new Recovery College
Cygnet Hospital Sheffield’s female low secure service, Spencer Ward, is to launch a new Recovery College.
The team at the East Bank Road hospital hosted a pre-launch event, which saw women on the ward speak with the Skills Facilitators, dive into some activities, and vote on a name for the college.
After considering suggestions like ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and ‘Step into Recovery’, the women unanimously chose ‘Ohana College.’
'Ohana’ is the Hawaiian concept of family, encompassing close friends and a chosen community. It stands for unity, deep support, and the promise that nobody gets left behind.
On Friday, June 5, the education team will begin classroom sessions covering English and Maths functional skills, healthy relationships, CV writing, interview prep, and building self-esteem.
Then, starting on Thursday, June 11, three Skills Facilitators will host six-week blocks every Thursday afternoon, allowing individuals to work toward AQA Awards.
The diverse line-up of sessions includes:
Health & Wellbeing: First Aid Awareness & Women’s Health (Physical Health Team), Healthy Living (Dietitian & OTA), and Anger Management (Psychology Team).
Life & Trade Skills: Basic Car Maintenance, Home Maintenance, and Painting & Decorating (Maintenance Team), plus Basic Food Hygiene (Head Chef) and Household Skills (Domestic Team).
Creative & Personal Care: Photography (Maintenance Team) and Nail Care & Nail Art (Activity Coordinator).
Kerry Booth, Cygnet Health Care Regional Occupational Therapy Lead for South Yorkshire, said: “This college is truly co-produced; the ladies worked closely with our team to map out the skills they want to build for their futures, and our staff stepped up to deliver exactly what was requested.”