The new Mental Health Bill aims to enhance service user autonomy, reduce restrictive practices, ensure person-centred care, and allow individuals to choose their own advocates. Key changes include ending the use of police cells as ‘places of safety’ and limiting detention for those with learning disabilities and autism. Effective implementation will depend on significant investment in services and community support.

Imroc was founded in 2008 by a group of individuals with lived, life, and learned experiences. The initiative aimed to address the challenges faced by mental health organisations in embedding recovery-focused practices, conversations, and values into their services. 

On April 25th, 2024, we hosted our highly anticipated conference - it was an exhilarating experience and the energy in the room was palpable. Collaboratively, we engaged in inspiring and ground-breaking discussions, marking a thrilling step forward in shaping a brighter future for peer support.

Imroc developed the Recovery College Model, initially implemented in three demonstration sites: South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This model's implementation was detailed in Imroc’s first briefing paper. Today, there are over 220 Recovery Colleges across the UK and in 26 countries worldwide.

The Imroc initiative was developed to address the challenges faced by mental health organisations in embedding recovery-focused practices into their services. Recovery is about people with mental health problems living meaningful lives, and the principles of recovery have gained international recognition. Despite this, there were no established methodologies to shift organisational cultures towards recovery-oriented practices.

Imroc has been instrumental in defining and developing recovery-focused culture and practice at personal, team, organisational, and systemic levels, both nationally and internationally. Our extensive work and partnerships have solidified our reputation as thought leaders in the mental health sector.

Discover how Imroc's global impact is transforming recovery-focused mental health services. Learn about our innovative approaches, peer support initiatives, and international collaborations driving mental health system improvements. Explore case studies, insights, and our mission to inspire, empower, and transform mental health care worldwide.

Imroc has previously commented on the media exposure of appalling practice in inpatient units (Response to Dispatches – Imroc – Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change); coverage that vindicated the personal reports and cries for help from people in those services, patients, their families and staff.

As with much of the western world the early part of the 21st century has been a time of change in the Irish mental health services. A new Mental Health Act was put in place in 2001 which facilitated the move from institutionalised medically driven care to a more recovery, social and community based approach.

The conclusions and recommendations of the Hewitt review focus on enabling local systems to prioritise how they use their resources to meet the needs of their local populations. Of particular interest to us at Imroc are two of their recommendations: the emphasis placed on enabling and improving whole system working, and the priority placed on health promotion and prevention.

Imroc are co-producing a leadership programme in partnership with an international advisory board, and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to support the needs of peer and lived experience leaders. This programme will offer the opportunity for people with lived experience and their allies to develop the authority and skills to occupy leadership positions within Health and Social Care organisations.