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Carnegie Education

Meet Our Senior Mental Health Lead Coaches

The coaching team on our Senior Mental Health Lead course help educators at all experience levels to develop the knowledge and skills to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in their setting. Find out more about our coaches' backgrounds, skills and experiences on the course.

Written By

School Updates

Published on 31 Mar 2023

Andrew Cowley - Coach at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels

What is your current role?

I'm a retired Teacher and Deputy Head, now engaged in coaching for Senior Mental Health Lead and School Mental Health Award and speaking and writing about wellbeing.

How did come to work as a Coach for the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools?

After I left my teaching position, I was approached by Rachel Bostwick with a view to supporting the School Mental Health Award, which I accepted. When the SMHL opportunity arose, I was only too happy to offer my services in this regard too.

What have you learned from speaking to SMHL Training Delegates?

I have learned just how extensive the need to support MH in our schools is; previously I had been limited to my own experience and the local position where I live and worked. I have learned just how much expertise there is in our schools, but also the level of challenge colleagues face, in terms of the quality and quantity of MH support where they are and also how the challenge particularly around the pandemic has impacted anxiety among young people, and how issues such as social skills have been affected. I have particularly learned how colleagues are using resources to track the needs and interventions they have in place and how many schools have taken a reflective look at their culture around mental health.

Do you feel your experiences have made you reflect on the challenges you face in your own role?

Though I am no longer in schools as a teacher, though I am involved as a governor, it made me realise what a vacuum of skills and knowledge I worked in, impeded also by budgetary restraint and lack of enthusiasm. It has made me reflect upon just how long cultural change takes, how it needs to be modelled and how there needs to be a very clear communication of our sense of 'why' which always leads me to quote Simon Sinek.

David Perkins - coach at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels

What is your current role?

I'm a Headteacher and Senior Mental Health Lead.

How did come to work as a Coach for the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools?

I was invited to join the team having first completed the School Mental Health Award on behalf of my school, Laureate Community Academy in Newmarket, Suffolk), and then working with Rachel Bostwick to successfully apply for our multi-academy trust, the Unity Schools Partnership, to become a strategic partner with the Carnegie Centre.

What have you learned from speaking to SMHL Training Delegates?

A lot! There is so much great practice in schools around the country that I had learned from. It's been particularly useful to facilitate discussions between colleagues in different localities and in different settings - primary, secondary, special and further education. Settings that have clear referral and triage procedures in place have really impressed me and have led to us establishing something similar in our school.

Do you feel your experiences have made you reflect on the challenges you face in your own role?

Definitely. The importance of having a cohesive, graduated approach to mental health and wellbeing is something that has become increasingly evident the more coaching sessions I have led. Common challenges such as funding, both internal and external capacity, and the need to support the mental health of staff and parents as well as children are ones that we are facing too, so listening and talking it through with like-minded colleagues has been invaluable.

Rebecca Raybould - Coach at Beginner and Intermediate Levels

What is your current role?

I'm an Educational Coach, Supervisor and Trainer.

How did come to work as a Coach for the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools?

I became involved by being a part of CollectiveEd.

What have you learned from speaking to SMHL Training Delegates?

I've learned about the value of giving the delegates the opportunity to collaboratively explore dilemmas in a safe, supportive reflective environment.
I've also gained a greater understanding of delegates' experiences of the connection between staff and pupil mental health and wellbeing.

Do you feel your experiences have made you reflect on the challenges you face in your own role?

It has brought mental health more to the forefront of my mind, brought a greater awareness of the value of collaborative work between colleagues from different settings and also reinforced the value of supervision.

Are you interested in finding out more about the programme?

Visit our Senior Mental Health Lead course page.

Mental Health

School Updates

We are a School that is seeking to redefine the education and professional development of the children and young people’s workforce. We offer distinctive and creative programmes that are responsive to the changes taking place in society, focusing on the diverse skills required of modern professionals.