A Space to Think for Inpatient Ward Staff
Supporting the development of more recovery-focused, trauma-informed adult acute inpatient admission wards in Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust
Rachel Perkins and Stacy Cooper with Caroline Osborne, Tracey Franklin, Eleni Theodosi and Amanda McIntosh
This paper explores a new approach to developing more trauma-informed, recovery-focused, and safer care within acute inpatient wards at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, in partnership with Imroc. This initiative aimed to empower and engage staff, encouraging them to work alongside the people they serve to drive meaningful change.
At Imroc, we believe that real transformation happens when values-based approaches are embedded within systems. This work was guided by the Imroc Acute Care briefing paper, which provided a structured framework for innovation. Through our Sharing Experiences papers, we aim to bring forward practical examples of how recovery-oriented approaches can be implemented within large systems, offering insights that inspire change beyond individual organisations.
This project has been shaped by the contributions of key individuals, including Stacy Cooper, Rachel Perkins, Caroline Osborne, Tracey Franklin, and Amanda McIntosh, alongside the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust.
About the Contributors
Stacy Cooper is the Recovery Lead at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT). With over 20 years of experience in adult mental health, Stacy is a qualified Occupational Therapist, Coach, and Coach Supervisor. She leads CWPT’s lived experience workforce, following the development of the Coventry and Warwickshire Recovery & Wellbeing Academy. Passionate about co-production, recovery, and partnership working, Stacy has built strong relationships across voluntary, public, and private sector organisations to drive forward recovery-focused practices.
Her work has been instrumental in implementing and training peer support workers, ensuring that those with lived experience have meaningful roles in service transformation. Stacy believes that we are all unique individuals on our own journey to becoming our best selves, and her contributions to this work reflect that commitment.
Dr. Rachel Perkins is a Senior Consultant at Imroc, committed to embedding recovery principles within mental health services. She co-facilitates the International Recovery College Learning Set, supporting over 50 Recovery Colleges worldwide. Rachel has played a key role in shaping recovery-focused, trauma-informed, and neuro-inclusive approaches through her work and publications. She has co-authored several key Imroc papers, including:
"Creating a Recovery-Focused Culture: Changing the Nature of Conversations from the Bottom Up"
"Recovering Adult Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Wards: Creating Recovery-Focused, Trauma-Informed and Neuro-Inclusive Culture, Relationships and Practice"
Her work is focused on ensuring co-produced, values-based approaches are embedded in mental health systems to create meaningful and sustainable change.