We are Dorset Recovery Education Centre (REC) and we offer free educational based courses and resources focusing on recovery, wellbeing and mental health. As part of a partnership between Dorset Healthcare and Dorset Mental Health Forum, a local peer-led charity, we bring together the expertise of mental health professionals and people with lived experience.
We believe people and communities hold their own solutions and through working in partnership everyone can realise their own unique potential.
Our vision is to provide a learning space that is accessible to all, available to people with personal experience of mental health difficulties and those accessing mental health services, as well as carers, friends, family, supporters and staff. We welcome everyone wherever they are in their recovery journey.
Through shared learning, self-determination and choice, we provide opportunities to explore experiences and develop skills and tools which may help in your recovery journey.
Our courses are free to Dorset residents or those accessing our local healthcare services aged 18 or over. We offer a range of face-to-face courses, online webinars and self-directed learning resources.
Key information about this service
What are your opening times?
Our REC office is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am-4.30pm. It is closed on bank holidays.
How do I register and enrol?
To become a student, you first need to register by filling in a short registration form, and then you will need to complete an enrolment appointment with an admissions tutor. To find our registration form and further information, please visit our registration and enrolment page.
Are courses free?
All our courses are free to attend. However, when booking face to face courses please be mindful of the cost of travel and parking (if free onsite parking is not available at a venue).
When are the term times?
Our timetable of courses is broken down into three terms, spring (January-Easter), summer (May-July) and autumn (September–December). The dates will differ each year depending on when bank holidays fall.
How do I book on to a course?
All bookings are made through our REC office. To book your place on courses, please call the office on 01202 584478 or email us on dhc.
Where are the face-to-face courses held?
We bring our courses out into the community, so we use a variety of accessible venues, for example, libraries, halls and meeting rooms. As our courses run all over the county venues will differ and may change over time. If you need to find out more details about a venue before booking, we would be happy to discuss this with you.
Do I need to bring anything with me to a face-to-face course?
We will provide the course workbook, relevant materials and pens. You may like to bring a bottle of water with you, but we do pick venues near to refreshment facilities. Upon booking, your course confirmation will state if any refreshments are provided on that course.
Can I bring a friend, carer, family member or supporter along with me to the course?
Yes, you can, but we would kindly ask that they register and enrol with us as a student and then book onto the course with you as places are limited.
Do you have online resources?
We have a range of online self-directed resources for you to download and complete in your own time. These resources can be found on our learn online page and are available to anyone at any time.
Will you be able to support my specific access needs?
We will work with you to try to do all that we can together to meet diverse accessibility needs. Please contact us to discuss your needs and explore how you can feel supported to access the REC.
I still have some questions, is there somebody I could talk to?
If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to call our office on 01202 584478 and speak to a member of the team, or email us at dhc.
Access Mental Health offers a range of services which provide mental health support at times and places when people need it the most - online, over the phone and face to face.
Access Wellbeing Hubs provide a welcoming space for members of the local community to find support on issues that matter to them, for example, mental health, emotional wellbeing, social connections, housing, grief, etc. Hubs and drop-ins are staffed by skilled wellbeing coordinators. There are hubs in Boscombe, Poole and Weymouth & Portland, with community drop-in spaces also running in several other Dorset towns. Please check their website for more details.
The Discovery Project combines the expertise of NHS healthcare professionals, the lived experience of peer specialists and the voices of young people (aged 13-25) to create spaces to explore and share what mental health, recovery, and wellbeing means by looking at what matters to you.
Dorset Mental Health Forum promotes wellbeing and recovery in Dorset through lived experience expertise. Its projects aim to increase understanding of mental health and to support and enable people to live the lives they wish to live.
Dorset Open Door is a local service that supports people bereaved or affected by a death where the cause may be suicide, particularly traumatic or sudden.
Dorset Work Matters helps people who are accessing mental health services to find, or continue in, paid employment.
Other online resources
Veterans Hub is a community project based in Weymouth that supports veterans and their families.
NHS Every Mind Matters explores available support and how to 'Be kind to your mind.' This includes expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.
The Mental Health Foundation has many publications containing high-quality, evidence-based information on a variety of mental health topics which are free to download. You may also like to explore their podcasts.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has an Online Recovery College with a range of resources.