General resources

Before you get started, we’d like you to learn a little bit more about what co-production is and (more importantly) is not.

Please watch this short video from our friends at the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust’s Recovery and Wellbeing Academy.

 

Local directories

If you’d like to learn more about other services, events, activities or courses in the district from a variety of other groups and organisations, please visit the Community Wakefield directory, hosted by NOVA, or alternatively, Wakefield’s Connect To Support pages, hosted by Wakefield Council’s health and social care team. The Connect To Support site is filled with lots of useful services that you or someone you know might wish to access.

If you’re looking for some support or things to get involved in to help you to move more, improving your wellbeing, mental health and physical health, check out the Spring edition of the Moving More for My Mental Health Magazine (PDF, 2 MB).

 

Support for yourself or someone else around domestic abuse

There are lots of specialist support services available both locally and nationally for both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. To find out more about every type of support on offer, visit Wakefield District’s Domestic Abuse Service and their directory.

Local and national domestic abuse directory – June 2024 (DOCX, 54 KB)

If you would like support and advice around domestic abuse you can call the Wakefield District Domestic Abuse Service helpline on 0800 915 1561. Or you can e-mail domesticabuse@wakefield.gov.uk. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8.30am – 5pm and Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm.

If you are in immediate danger, please call the police on 999. If you are unable to speak, you can make use of the “Silent Solution” option below:

1. Dial 999
2. Listen to the questions from the operator
3. Respond by coughing or tapping your device, if you can
4. If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it’s a genuine emergency and you’ll be put through to police

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as “behaviour of a person ‘A’ towards another person ‘B’…if they are personally connected to each other and the behaviour is abusive” (reference). Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, controlling or coercive behaviour, physical or sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, financial or economic abuse, harassment and stalking, verbal abuse, online and digital abuse. If you’re unsure whether your experience is domestic abuse, you can find out more information and support on the NHS website and on the Wakefield council website.

 

Self-management and workbooks

(If you are searching for workbooks on topics of the courses we cover, such as improving your sleep, understanding and managing depression, crafts, cooking and many many more, please visit our student resources page.)

As part of our “coping with the cost of living series”, we’re bringing you tips and recipes for cooking and eating well on a tight budget. Here, you can find our “Eating Well on a Budget” booklet of recipes, tips and suggestions, produced in conjunction with Wakefield Council, that you can use and share far and wide that will fill tummies without emptying wallets.

Eating well on a budget (PDF, 7 MB)

“We understand that the cost of living crisis is a concern for everyone. That is why the council is working with partner organisations from across the district through the Residents Recovery Group (RRG) to offer help, support, and advice to all residents through their local Help at the Hub venue. The RRG was originally created to support residents through the Covid-19 pandemic but has since evolved to offering support with the cost of living crisis. The support available is vast, from foodbanks and pantries to money and debt advice, with the group working hard to ensure residents have support where needed.” (Cost of living support guide Wakefield District)

You can find the cost of living support guide here.

cost of living support guide Wakefield District (PDF, 1 MB)

A guide to help children and young people (aged 18 and under) in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield to ‘choose well’ when looking after their mental health and wellbeing.

Choose well for mental health children and young people

This guide was initially produced to support people through the Covid-19 pandemic, however, much of “How to stay calm in a global pandemic” by Dr. Emma Hepburn is still useful today for helping us to take care of our wellbeing during testing times and learning how to manage feelings of being overwhelmed.

How-to-Stay-Calm-in-a-Global-Pandemic-Free-ebook (PDF, 7 MB)

Do you need a few minutes out? Spend some time listening to our short audio guided relaxation clips from our wonderful volunteer Cate.

Audio relaxation (PDF, 1 MB)

Many of us are still carrying around anxieties from our time living during the Covid-19 pandemic and being in lockdown. Have a look at this workbook designed by one of our service users, Samantha, to help with easing these anxieties.

Lifting-lockdown-booklet (PDF, 1007 KB)

Take a look at all of these fantastic workbooks our colleagues at our sister recovery and wellbeing college in Barnsley have created.

1631-Barnsley-introduction-to-recovery-workbook (PDF, 483 KB)1822 Barnsley introduction to recovery workbook – interactive (PDF, 476 KB)1626-Barnsley-recovery-college-anxiety-workbook-v2 (PDF, 427 KB) 1626 Barnsley recovery college anxiety workbook – interactive (PDF1964 Barnsley recovery college habits for sleep workbook – interactive (PDF, 351 KB)1965 Barnsley recovery college moving more workbook – interactive (PDF, 282 KB)1717 Barnsley recovery college habits for sleep workbook (PDF, 446 KB)

Our wonderful volunteers and students put together a playlist of uplifting songs in 2020 that help them to feel better when they’re not quite feeling themselves. Have a look through the playlist and pick a few songs to listen to that might help you lift your spirits. If you have the time, why not give the whole playlist a go!?

Wakefield Recovery College’s Uplifting Playlist (DOC, 2 MB)

Our Trust infection prevention and control team have put together some really useful information about bugs, germs and infection control in the home…

Infection prevention in the home – what’s bugging you (PDF, 2 MB)

Take a look at our fantastic tutor Nirmala (working with us from the charity Spirit In Mind) and her snippets of mindfulness practice. Watch each of the videos and join in…

Mindfulness and breathMindfulness and sightMindfulness and soundMindfulness and smell/touchMindfulness practice Thought for the day – peacefulness

The Wellness Society have put together this really helpful workbook looking at managing anxiety and building resilience during difficult times. Whilst it was specifically designed in relation to Covid-19 (coronavirus), much of this workbook is relevant to many other aspects of life and other challenging experiences.

Managing-Coronavirus-Anxiety-Workbook-Recovery-College (PDF, 550 KB)

Do you fancy making some Christmas crafts (at any time of the year!)? Tina has pulled together a low-cost and easy crafting guide for making fantastic Christmas cardboard characters. Take a look at this step-by-step guide to help you make your own.

Christmas cardboard characters (DOC, 4 MB)

 

Leaving our mental health services

(Credit to Trust Comms)

 

We understand that leaving our services can be a daunting or worrisome time for many.

As part of your treatment and care at the Trust, you will have developed tools and strategies to help manage your health and wellbeing.

Our ‘Ways to wellbeing’ booklet is also a useful resource for supporting your wellbeing. This has been created by our intensive home-based treatment in Kirklees, and is given to people when they leave the service.

You can also take a look at our ‘Choose well for mental health’ guide. The guide features examples of how a person may be feeling alongside some of the support available in these different circumstances.

The guide was created with clinicians at the Trust, alongside people with lived experience of mental health difficulties and their families and carers. It contains lots of useful information and contact details for support services to help you continue on your wellbeing journey.

 

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