Through the launch of the new cooking academy, the 63-bed mental health hospital, on Gidds Pond Way, Maidstone, has so far supported six service users to gain not only valuable cooking skills but an accredited AQA qualification in Food Hygiene Awareness and Safety.
The five-week course sees the service users learn how to safely prepare and cook five different dishes which includes meals such as soup, pizza, fajitas and curry.
All the dishes are not only nutritious but budget-friendly, with the aim that service users can then cook these dishes for themselves when they are living independently in the community. The dishes are ‘inter-changeable’, where meat can be substituted for a meat-free option.
The sessions are held at the nearby Fusion Healthy Living Centre, which includes a 45-minute prep session, with nutritional education from the specialist hospital dietician, who talks about the meal they are going to make and the impact of food on the body.
A meal is also prepared by a head chef, allowing the service users to see and taste the completed meal before they make it themselves.
After the one-hour cooking session, service users get to sit down in the café to enjoy the meal they have prepared. This is followed by a theory session to consolidate the skills the students have learned while they are cooking.
Nicola Sevenoaks, Recovery College Lead at Cygnet Hospital Maidstone, said cooking is a valuable skill that can empower individuals to take charge of their nutrition and overall well-being, promoting independence and self-sufficiency beyond their stay at the hospital.
She said: “The programme not only supports their recovery but also fosters long-term success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The first course began in January and we set out to build cooking skills for independence, but there’s so much more that has come out of these sessions.
“We have watched the confidence of the participants grow enormously. We have been amazed at how well the groups have interacted and how they have worked together and built friendships. It’s been brilliant.”
One service user who has benefitted from the cooking academy is Rosie, who was admitted to the hospital over one year ago and is currently on Roseacre Ward.
She said: “I really enjoyed the course. I wasn’t very confident in the kitchen and I wanted to learn some basic recipes so I could become more independent.
“Everyone has been really nice and helpful and I’m now confident cooking the recipes on my own. My favourite is the katsu curry, making the curry from scratch, because there are quite a few steps involved.
“I’ve never been very good at cooking and the course has improved my confidence and independence, it’s been really helpful. I’m now cooking most nights and eating more healthily. I would definitely recommend the course to others.”
Cygnet Hospital Maidstone’s General Manager Alison McCulloch said she hopes more service users will benefit from the academy in the future.
She added: “When patients arrive in the hospital we start planning their safe discharge back into the community.
“Cooking is an aspect that hasn’t been given much thought before and it’s helping those who have taken part by giving them the skills for independence, it’s making a positive difference in their lives.”
Sue Maidens, CEO of Fusion HLC, said she “truly values” the partnership Fusion has formed with Cygnet Hospital Maidstone.
She added: “Fusion offers opportunities to patients as a safe progression in their recovery and rehabilitation journey. We have offered volunteer opportunities which have aided with softer skill development such as communication, building confidence, building self-esteem, developing and maintaining positive relationships. We offer a warm welcoming environment which is outside the clinical setting of the hospital but which is equally fully safeguarded.
“Fusion acts as a gentle, neutering introduction to society. Interacting with the community is a large part of what Fusion offers so again this is beneficial as this community engagement takes place in a protected way as it is fully supported by trained, experienced, skilled staff.”