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The Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model.
A foundational 'Scaffolding-like' support which you can shape, and personalise, into a 'Container' to fill with the detail of who you are and what you want to do, which can then become the material to create your own individual Real Recovery process and approach.
Realcovery is a registered trademark, and all content on this website, including The Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model, is the property of Sue Bird. The usual copyright permissions apply.
Sue is very happy to have conversation with anyone who would like to know more, and who feels the model may support them.
Training is essential before use xxx
Email: [email protected]
Coming soon!
The Realcovery Taster - An introduction to the Realcovery Approach and The Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model by Sue Bird.
Who is this book for?
I’m going to make a big claim.
The Realcovery Approach and The Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model, are for, and I believe, will fit…You! Everyone! Anyone!
This book is for anyone who has a ‘real’ to recover from and I think we all have one of those, in one form or another.
This book is also for those who want a real recovery - there's two sides to everything!
So, this book is a ‘hello’ and a general overview, a ‘for all’ book which introduces the concept of Realcovery, the first book of many.
I will soon be launching a series of books aimed at adults, hopefully I’ll hit one!
Realcovery means Real Recovery.
Read on, to find out more...
What is Real Recovery?!
'Living 'alive', not just functioning. Working with what I have right now - my assets, and with what is my real, instead of placing myself on hold and waiting to live my life when I am better.'
#livingwithnotgettingrid
So, who are we and what do we do?!
Our statement, which was co-produced
‘Creative action for wellness and significant cultural change’
The Realcovery Lounge is a community, and peer support network, offering space for a holistic, creative, and individually designed approach to empowered self-shaping and growth.
It is for anybody that is going through big life changes such as long covid, breakdown, illness, addiction, and identity formation, who needs support to rebuild and regrow.
Supporting people to develop the skills, over time, for self-actualisation through the Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model framework, and to pay it forward as powerful voices of proactive cultural change
What is Peer Support?
It is the difference between 'doing to' someone, and working with them, side-by-side, as equals.
A teaching approach is really useful when someone wants to 'upskill' - for example, when learning to drive, it helps to have an instructor who can guide you through the steps of moving the vehicle, maintaining it, and of reading the road. Teaching is great when learning to 'do' things.
The teaching approach, when used alone, however, can feel like being 'done to' for those in recovery.
Peer Support is the balance to that and is how people can be supported to explore and discover how to 'be' themselves, through the sharing of experience, stories, creative expression, and reflections of the trial and error process of a Real Recovery
'Doing' things, and 'Being' who you wish to grow to be, are both needed when in an experience of Real Recovery.
We invite you to walk and wander with us......to set your personal goals and create your story.
Find us in The Realcovery Zine group, on Facebook and come and join our community, support network, and conversation.
Our group also makes a self-published magazine, known as a Zine, which is where our name comes from. This is a space for your voice to be heard if you wish to contribute, although there is no pressure to do so.
Group members share the stories of their Real Recovery experiences, through poetry, artwork, observations, lyrics, cartoons, photos and so much more.
Find and download our 'Exhibition Issue' Realcovery Zine on the Gallery Page.
Some words from the Community
We asked people to describe what Realcovery was for them...
‘Going through/ been through difficult times/ feeling stuck in the past? Realcovery is a DIY 'real not perfect' approach to managing your life’.
Jane Slack, living life in her seventies.
Our Facebook group, called 'The Realcovery Zine', has been a source of comfort for people...
“Realcovery has been a great place to find out more about long covid - I’ve been worried about how people I care for may be effected by this and how I can help. It’s also been a source of comfort when I have felt stressed and under pressure also”
DiElle Singer-Songwriter
We shared our Realcovery Model Framework and it helped Ruby, an autistic, 10 year old...
‘Just wanted to let you know that Ruby is tons better! The turning point really was after me following your guidance, so thank you so much. She’s on day 3 of being able to go out, and she played with her friend yesterday. Today my cousin is looking after her, so all of this happened just in time!’
Person with long covid
(We always respect people's right to anonymity)
"My pain used to cause such panic, the Realcovery resources around listening to my body, and managing physical pain, have helped me so much"
Carer
'Realcovery is a space where my voice is as important as the person I care for.
It is somewhere that I can share my experiences, and others can share their experiences with me, and through this shared knowledge, I can grow within my unpaid Carer role, and gain knowledge of how to really look after myself too'
Jess!
Contact Us
If you have any questions about The Realcovery Lounge, please feel free to contact us via this form and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Please also be aware that we will soon have an FAQ section where you may be able to find answers to your questions quicker and easier.
Finally, please do enter into the enquiry box if you require a specific format of reply. These could be anything from Large font size in emails, specific background and text colour, audio format, or any other accessibility requirements.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you.
Sue & The Realcovery Team.
Update!
Things that are currently in development.
We are working on a portal of Realcovery Resources...
You are a whole person, made up of parts:
Physical, Emotional and Mental health based parts - and so we are creating resources to work with the whole lot!
Physical health
Examples of resources, and the sharing of experiences, all about physical health, will soon be here.
Emotional health
Examples of resources, and the sharing of experiences, all about emotional health, will soon be here.
Mental health
Examples of resources, and the sharing of experiences, all about mental health, will soon be here.
We're creating things related to Long Covid, and other specific 'big life change' circumstances, come and share your stories with us in our Facebook group...
For people this is happening to...
Your support will help us fill our online portal with resources for people with Long Covid, or who have experienced a big life change and wish to rebuild, created from the experiences of people who have been there, and done that, in real life, resources that will grow as more people share .....
For those supporting others, in a Carer role...
Your support will help us to fill our online portal with resources for Carers of those with Long Covid, or for those who are going through a huge life change.....resources created by the real voices of people who are caring for others right now, resources that will grow as more people share.
For those who work with, or employ others...
Your support will help us to continue working with industry professionals, in the beautiful 'knitting' together of experience and skill, to develop Realcovery support for Professionals and Employers. All developed through The Realcovery Scaffolding and Container Model, which can act as a bridge.
We're creating a membership for access to the Realcovery Resources which will include free, paid for, and referral options...
A Membership will be...
£10/m
Our most popular plan - others will be available.
Register your interest hereMembership means Unlimited Access
The Realcovery Lounge is about using creative action for wellness, peer support, an asset based realcovery approach, and the igniting of cultural change, to support people who have experienced a huge life change such as long covid, a breakdown, change in identity/role/status, and many other things, to get back on their feet and then to grow into living a full and beautiful self-actualised life, in a system that is accessible, and built around the real of the individual.
This currently happens through conversation in our Facebook group, the Zines that we self publish, and our events.
We are partnered with Touchstone loves the Arts and are now raising funds to develop into a service that offers people a framework to build their personal realcovery system, using ‘ingredients’ that they can combine to make it truly fit them.
The ingredients being created currently include, but are not exclusive to, courses, workshops, experience days, exhibitions, performances, peer support groups, public speaking and presentations promoting cultural change, and many more things both face-to-face and online…….they can be anything that you want to make, create, develop, or find that works for you.......and excitingly our library of resources will only grow and become more like an infinite rainbow as more people contribute through living the realcovery experience.
If you'd like to share ideas please join our Facebook Group - The Realcovery Zine, or email us at [email protected]
All of this will soon be accessible for a membership fee of £10, or free, through a referral from an existing service.
We will let you know, as soon as we are good to go, and the portal is ready for members.
Please register your interest using the button above, and we will contact you as soon as we go live.
Please please help us become this......if you can donate, go to paypal.me/realcovery
Crisis Support
The Realcovery Lounge, and Community, are not a crisis support network, however we realise that sometimes someone may be looking for these important services.
Please find a list below of just some of the available crisis support services that may be able to help you out in your hour of need.
Samaritans
We have found the to be approachable, patient, and there, in moments of emotional pain and darkness.
Text SHOUT
'Sometimes I am so shut down I can't speak. A text service I have found really helpful, they are there in the early hours' - Sue
Check out the NHS 'Urgent Help' page.
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/
