Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett University launches new courses to empower school mental health leads
Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, a collaboration between long-standing partners Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education and community interest company Minds Ahead, will offer beginner, intermediate and advanced level Senior Mental Health Lead Training Courses to cater for all levels of expertise and experience.
These courses have been quality assured by the Department for Education (DfE) and are a part of a framework of training courses to train and develop senior mental health leads in schools, with a view of creating a whole-school approach to mental health.
The DfE will also be making funding available to help senior mental health leads access this training.
Acting Dean of the Carnegie School of Education, Dr Steve Burton, said: “This recognition for our work from the Department for Education is proof positive of the national importance that is now rightly being placed on supporting the mental health of children and young people in schools.
“Our Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools ensures that school staff and leaders are supported by research-informed practice, and are able to identify appropriate strata of training and support relevant to their own needs and prior experiences.
“We are thrilled to be playing such a pivotal role in supporting the training of school staff, and in consequence supporting the mental health and wellbeing needs of children and young people both locally and further afield.”
Learning and Development Specialist at Minds Ahead Adam Gillett said: “As a practicing senior mental health lead, it has been a privilege to take the lead on the design and development of these new DfE approved courses with the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.
“I am a passionate advocated of service led training and ensuring we create a course which does not add more work on an already-stretched profession.
“Working with my colleagues, we have applied the key learning and insight from the sector to develop programmes that meet the needs of all Senior Mental Health leads, no matter what their stage of development.
“We are drawing our experience of running the masters in school leadership of mental health to ensure the latest thinking can be shared across the sector; and taking an innovative evidence-led but practice driven approach which means we make a real impact, conducting policy reviews, deep dives and action plan checking to ensure participants leave with the best provision possible.
“It is very much a national programme focused on an individual school impact. Change created by the profession, for the profession.”
All three levels will be delivered using blended learning, with a mix of online and in person learning and group coaching. Anyone interested in the course starting in mid-November should book their place before 25 October.
To find out more information about the courses, or to book your place, please visit: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/SMHLtraining