Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, Networks and Forums for staff and Sixth Form
The expectations of young people today are ever increasing, bringing with them various forms of anxiety. Teachers/ support staff are not always adequately equipped to best manage the issues they encounter and we feel that this training provides practical tools to spot early warning signs, like a change in mood of a child, which might otherwise go unnoticed, and then intervene. The idea behind physical first aid is to act quickly and effectively and if done properly could save a life. Similarly, MHFA could be the difference between a good recovery or prolonged mental illness. Every three years Bradfield's teachers get training in physical first aid to help save lives so we think the same attention should be given to mental health. We think that extending the training to partner schools would be really beneficial for everyone involved.
The course also covers fear of mental illness and gives practical training on handling difficult conversations, debriefing and protecting yourself and working through the effects that this emotionally charged job can have on the wellbeing of a teacher. Vicki (Director of Wellbeing) is an accredited MHFA trainer and you’ll get a workbook/ signposting, certification and, we hope, a support network in the community.
Aims
Multiple staff and pupil training sessions have now taken place, bringing together staff from Kennet, Theale Green and Little Heath and sixth form pupils from Little Heath and Bradfield. As these pupils embark upon adult life and enter the working world or go to university this course aims to prepare them for the pressures and challenges ahead. We also think that Little Heath and Bradfield working together on this could have huge benefits in creating links/ partnerships and building resilience.
Results and benefits
Disciplinary issues reduced: trained teachers are more likely to work through issues with pupils and support, rather than punish. Conflicts between teachers and pupils happen less.
Tutors feel more confident in being able to respond to mental health issues and less like they have been thrown in the deep end.
Accredited course for CPD.
Addressing mental health is expected by most organisations. Employers put more resource into looking after their employees’ mental wellbeing, reaping the economic rewards of more productivity.
Teaching, as we know, is about so much more than just academic results, and this can be a small step in equipping staff to look after the wellbeing of their students to be as successful as they can be.
Resources
Director of Wellbeing is an accredited MHFA trainer.
School facilities
Training materials
Catering
Impact
It was so lovely to see you all on Wednesday. Thank you so much for all your organization and positivity. Your students were fabulous and so incredibly polite. Our students and staff thoroughly enjoyed working with you all.
Your courses have transformed the mental health journey that our staff are on.
The staff who attended the Mental Health First Aid training were as impressed and inspired as I was when I attended earlier in the year. This has created a greater capacity for us to support students with mental health issues at our school. Hayley probably already told you that we now have a Mental Health Team that acts as a strategic driving force for mental health and wellbeing through curriculum developments, partnerships with parents and staff training. We cascading our training in part to all staff in March and form tutors feel more confident in holding those important conversations with young people and signposting them to support where required.
The Sixth Form Mental Health Ambassadors that we have appointed and who received the training here at Little heath with Bradfield students are also busy at work. They helped the staff to plan a mental health whole school project where the timetable was suspended for an hour to focus on the issue. They are also poised to go into some of our partner primary schools and deliver transition and wellbeing session there.
Pupil Involvement
Sixth Form
Frequency
Termly