Building Resilience programme

The Building Resilience programme is a co-produced series of wellbeing sessions for people experiencing homelessness, developed in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation.

The programme is delivered by Groundswell’s Peer Advocates and staff through group sessions within homelessness services, such as hostels.

The sessions cover a range of mental and physical health topics, from sleep to healthy eating to exercise.

Each session has an accompanying workbook designed to guide group participants and leaders through the session.

Currently, there are three session workbooks available to download and use for free, and more sessions will be added over the coming months.

Download the workbooks

 
 

Groundswell’s Peer Advocates often deliver these workshops at health promotion in-reach sessions across London.

The need for the Building Resilience programme was identified, co-designed and piloted by those delivering and participating in our ‘in-reach’ sessions in London, as part of our Homeless Health Peer Advocacy programme.

They can be used by individuals or in group sessions at homelessness services, the sessions are designed to:

  • increase the knowledge and confidence of people experiencing homelessness to manage their own health
  • raise awareness of specific health issues
  • enable people with similar experiences to come together and reflect on how they can overcome challenges.

Crucially, the ‘advocacy’ element of in-reach means we do not tell people what they should do; we encourage autonomy to make safe and realistic choices based on their individual circumstances.

Why?

Good health creates a foundation to move out of homelessness.

Groundswell’s people focused health work and innovative services enable people who are homeless to access the healthcare they need – because everyone has a right to good health.

The Building Resilience sessions allow for personal reflections and practical advice on how the learning in the group sessions can be applied to people’s own situations, increasing people’s ability to self-advocate.

Building Resilience in practice

In a sleep and relaxation Building Resilience session, the group raised the sleeping challenges they were experiencing in their hostel. Together they worked through some suggested solutions and proposed them to staff.

As a result, the doors have been adjusted to prevent banging doors waking people up, and herbal teas rather than coffees are now supplied in the evening to help people wind down.

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