Evidence-based Recovery Colleges: developing a typology based on organisational characteristics, fidelity and funding

Abstract

Purpose Recovery Colleges (RCs) have been implemented across England with wide variation in organisational characteristics. The purpose of this study is to describe RCs across England in terms of organisational and student characteristics, fidelity and annual spending, to generate a RC typology based on characteristics and to explore the relationship between characteristics and fidelity. Methods All RC in England meeting criteria on recovery orientation, coproduction and adult learning were included. Managers completed a survey capturing characteristics, fidelity and budget. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to identify common groupings and generate an RC typology. Results Participants comprised 63 (72%) of 88 RC in England. Fidelity scores were high (median 11, IQR 9–13). Both NHS and strengths-focussed RCs were associated with higher fidelity. The median annual budget was £200,000 (IQR £127,000–£300,000) per RC. The median cost per student was £518 (IQR £275–£840), cost per course designed was £5,556 (IQR £3,000–£9,416) and per course run was £1,510 (IQR £682–£3,030). The total annual budget across England for RCs is an estimated £17.6 m including £13.4 m from NHS budgets, with 11,000 courses delivered to 45,500 students. Conclusion Although the majority of RCs had high levels of fidelity, there were sufficiently pronounced differences in other key characteristics to generate a typology of RCs. This typology might prove important for understanding student outcomes and how they are achieved and for commissioning decisions. Staffing and co-producing new courses are key drivers of spending. The estimated budget for RCs was less than 1% of NHS mental health spending.

Implementing an Advance Choice Documents resource for Black African and Caribbean people with experience of compulsory psychiatric admission

“…The NHS Trust has a Recovery College, which offers courses and workshops taught by people with lived experience of long-term mental health conditions/difficulties and people with expertise by profession. Recovery Colleges are widespread throughout the UK (88 in 2021; (26) and are open to service users, carers/supporters, and MHS to attend. The Trust also has a mental health simulation training centre that offers courses that can be booked by any NHS Trust.…”

Investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recovery colleges: multi-site qualitative study

“…Our previous national survey aimed to identify all recovery colleges in England via web searches, consultation with recovery college experts and networks, snowball sampling and contacting large organisations likely to have a recovery college embedded within them (referred to as 'host organisations' hereafter). 5 The recovery college manager or another senior member of staff at 63 of the 88 identified recovery colleges participated in the survey. All 63 participants were invited by email to be interviewed.…”

“…4 A national survey conducted in 2021 to characterise recovery college variation in England identified 88 recovery colleges operating at a cost of £20 000 000 to the National Health Service (NHS), and attended by approximately 36 000 individuals per year. 5 Three clusters of recovery colleges were identified: strengths-oriented (NHS Trust-affiliated), community-oriented (not NHS Trust-affiliated and focused on social connectedness) and forensic (NHS Trust-affiliated, with majority male student population). Surveyed recovery college managers reported that their responses were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented an unprecedented challenge for mental health service provision.…”

“…8 Unlike clinical mental health services, most recovery colleges accept self-referrals and are available for any member of the public to attend. 5 Digitally delivered recovery college courses were felt to support students to self-regulate their mental health challenges and stress levels during periods of social distancing and reduced access to care. 9 However, there has been no multi-site exploration of how recovery college operation evolved in the UK during the pandemic.…”

“A place without walls, only opportunities”: personal accounts of attending Recovery Colleges in Norway

“…RCs are now established in at least 20 countries across the world ( 12 ). In UK only, 88 colleges have been initiated with some variation in organization, location (urban, rural), and other factors ( 13 ). Based on data from existing colleges, Hayes et al ( 13 ) categorized these colleges in three clusters of characteristics, as either strength-based colleges, which are usually affiliated with specialist health care and based in health or social care buildings, or community-based colleges, which are almost exclusively unaffiliated with specialist care and based in community location, or as forensic RCs offered to forensic populations ( 13 ).…”