Recovery College feedback is shaping new courses
Feedback from students on courses to improve their mental health is being used to shape future offers.
Recovery College, which is run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), is harnessing information from its Friends and Family Test (FFT) to see what is working and where they can make improvements.
Ash Moorcroft, Recovery College and Health Equity Manager, said over the last 16 months, Recovery College has received more than 950 FFT responses, which was helping the team plan new courses and how they deliver them. Out of all the responses, 93.86% rated their experiences “good” or “very good”.
“We’ve had lots of positive feedback for the face-to-face session we have been running in Norwich, so we have increased our in-person session to 75% from 50%,” said Ash. “Our therapy-themed course on acceptance and commitment has been really successful, and we plan to roll out more in this series, including a course focused on self-compassion.”
Ash said it was important to listen to the people who are using Recovery College services to develop what they can offer. He was speaking during Patient Experience Week 2026, which runs from Monday, 27 April to Friday, 1 May, focusing on celebrating healthcare staff and highlighting efforts to improve care quality for patients, families, and carers.
“We already have peer tutors with lived experience co-designing and running our courses and getting feedback from those who are taking part gives us more vital information so we can carry on improving our offer,” said Ash. “Patient Experience Week is a reminder that we should always foster person-centred care, recognise those enhancing the patient journey and share best practices.”
Cath Byford, Chief Patient Experience Office and Deputy CEO, emphasised the importance of the Friends and Family Test for giving service users, carers and families the chance to share their views.
“It’s really good to see how Recovery College is using feedback from the FFT to shape its future offer and taking into consideration what students have said about their experiences. The more we listen to the people who use our services, the better we can make them.”
Student Steve said his life had changed from being involved in Recovery College, first when he signed up to courses and now on the threshold of becoming a peer tutor.
He found the Recovery College after receiving a diagnosis for PTSD, autism, ADHD and more.
He said: “A few months ago I was in one of the darkest places in my life. I couldn’t go for a walk, couldn’t face people and spent months barely speaking or leaving the sofa.
“The courses helped me understand why my mind works the way it does and for the first time I felt like things made sense. The team taught me practical tools to manage my mental health, communicate better with my family and recognise that I’m not broken - I just needed the right support.
“Slowly, with their help, I started getting out again, I even made a promise to my dog that we’d walk together when I was ready. And now we do - calmer, steadier and more present than I have ever been. I’m not the same person I was, I’m healing, learning and finally moving forward.”
Steve, who lives in the Dereham area, felt attending in person courses helped him as he progressed from online sessions. “It took a lot just for me to get out of the house and attend but I loved the sense of warmth and community the tutors created and how it gave me a reason to get up.
“If you’re struggling, I can honestly say the Recovery College gave me hope when I had none left. They helped me understand myself, rebuild my confidence take steps I never thought I’d manage again.”