Programme will help people to build resilience and confidence

Olivia Weight, South Devon HOPE Programme Coordinator at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, talks about how the HOPE Programme is helping people manage their conditions.

“We started off as strangers, but we leave as friends. You will realise that you are not alone”.

The HOPE (Help Overcoming Problems Effectively) Programme supports individuals to consider “what is important to me?” and to build the confidence and resilience to better manage their condition/s, symptoms and challenging experiences that may arise. 

HOPE was developed by the University of Coventry and is an evidence-based, accredited programme, which is delivered under licence from H4C.

The programme is very much person-centred, encouraging you to focus on you as an individual, not as your long-term condition. You are important, and you matter too. HOPE aims to boost your self-confidence and resilience, to help you cope better emotionally, psychologically, and practically. Although people who have completed the programme have commented that it is therapeutic, we must emphasise that it is not therapy!

We aim to bring groups of people together that are going through something similar. Shared experiences enable people to connect, empathise, and offer peer support to one another. Often groups start as strangers and leave as friends! “You will feel welcomed, understood and not out of place.”

Attending the HOPE Programme will support you to:

• feel more able to support and share your experiences with others to help you feel less isolated.

• feel reassured and able to recognise your own potential and enhance your happiness and quality of life.

• feel more confident in dealing with emotional issues such as: anxiety, anger, depression and uncertainty.

• increase your ability to handle stressful situations.

• discover how to use relaxation techniques to refresh your mind and body.

• learn how to make plans and achieve goals that can help you make changes for the better.

• use the skills from the course to improve and self-manage your life.

The course is free to attend and takes place at various times and locations across Devon, as well as online (via Microsoft Teams). A typical course is 6 weekly sessions, that lasts for 2 hours and 30 minutes. These are run by trained HOPE facilitators, which include health and social care professionals, as well as volunteers who have been through the programme themselves and have lived experience. Once you have completed the course you may wish to become a volunteer facilitator yourself.

We aim to have between 6 – 12 people on each course to ensure everyone’s contribution and feeling more of a group. Time on the course will be spent in discussions, fun group activities and sharing information. There will also be some suggestions and ideas to try between each session.

On each course you will find:

• A warm, friendly atmosphere

• Support when you need it

• General small group discussions on topics such as:

• Managing fatigue

• Getting more active

• Feeling good

• Goal setting

• Gratitude Diary

• Managing stress

• Communication

The easiest way to sign up to a HOPE Programme is on our website: http://bit.ly/hope_devon where you can complete a booking form for your desired HOPE course. If you can’t find a course on there that feels suitable for you, then we would recommend still completing the booking form to ‘register your interest’. Someone from the team will contact you and best advise you on how to progress, there may be a course coming up that isn’t on the website, or you might be added to a waiting list. If you would prefer to book via telephone or email, then that is no problem! Telephone: 01803 320600/ 01803 320696, Email: hope.devon@nhs.net 

If things feel tough right now and you’re struggling to cope, please know that you are not alone. The HOPE Programme is here to support you, including signposting you to other support services. Take that brave first step and sign up now!