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Guidance: Senior mental health lead training

Department For Education

October 6
11:00 2023

Overview

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering a grant of 1,200 for eligible state-funded schools and colleges in England to train a senior mental health lead to develop and implement a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. This training is not compulsory, but it is part of the governments commitment to offer this training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025.

Eligible settings can apply for a senior mental health lead training grant to commence training by 31 March 2024.

Second grants can be claimed by eligible schools and colleges if the senior mental health lead they previously trained left their setting before embedding a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Grants will be provided to cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality assured course, and may also be used to hire supply staff while leads are engaged in learning.

There are 2 forms you must fill out to complete your application and receive your grant:

  • Form 1 the initial application form to check your eligibility and reserve your grant
  • Form 2 the second stage of the application process, where you upload evidence of having booked a DfE quality assured training course so we can pay your grant

What the training covers

The learning outcomes for senior mental health lead training (PDF, 172 KB, 9 pages) are aligned with the principles of Public Health England (PHE) and DfEs promoting children and young peoples emotional health and wellbeing.

Research indicates that taking a coordinated and evidence-informed approach to mental health and wellbeing leads to improved emotional health and wellbeing in children and young people, and greater readiness to learn. Schools and colleges that have taken this approach often report improved attendance, attention, behaviour and attainment.

You can reflect on your settings existing approach to mental health and wellbeing using the following:

Who the training is for

State-funded schools and colleges in England, including those in receipt of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) pre-16 revenue, high needs block, or 16 to 19 programme funding are eligible to apply for a grant. Further information and a list of eligible setting types is available in the conditions of grant.

Independent settings with fee-paying pupils and students are not eligible for a grant but may access DfE quality assured training independently.

Apprenticeship providers are not eligible to claim a grant but they too may access DfE quality assured training independently.

All eligible education settings can benefit from senior mental health lead training. Courses are available to meet the learning needs and preferences of senior leads, whatever their level of experience, type of setting or location.

Identifying a senior mental health lead

Schools and colleges can decide who is best placed to take on the role of senior mental health lead and undertake the training, as every settings circumstances are different. Training could be for your:

  • headteacher
  • deputy headteacher
  • member of the senior leadership team (SLT)
  • if not a senior leader, an appropriate member of staff, working with colleagues, who is empowered to develop and oversee your settings whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing

If your senior lead is not a member of your school or college SLT, you will need to consider whether the individual has the authority, capacity and support to influence and lead strategic change within the setting.

Eligible settings are able to claim only one grant, so, when choosing a senior mental health lead you should take into account succession-planning and career development plans. This will help ensure your senior lead has sufficient time and capacity to meet the conditions of the grant, including completing training and implementing a sustained whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Existing mental health leads

Existing mental health leads, or someone who has undertaken other mental health and wellbeing training, can still be nominated for this training.

The grant must be used on DfE quality assured training to help develop or introduce your whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. Existing senior leads might wish to:

  • develop or refresh their knowledge and skills in specific priority areas
  • get more advanced training
  • get a relevant qualification

Mental health support teams (MHSTs)

If you are already working with an MHST, your nominated senior lead can also be your MHST coordinator, responsible for liaising with the team, or can be a different member of staff.

Before you apply for a training grant

Before you apply for a training grant, you should check you meet all the eligibility criteria and terms for the training grant, including that you have:

  • committed to develop or implement a whole school or college approach to mental health
  • identified a senior mental health lead to oversee your whole school or college approach, and confirmed that they are available to commence training by 31 March 2024

Applying for a grant

You can apply for a senior mental health lead training grant following these steps:

  1. Eligible settings should complete the first stage of the application process to reserve a grant. In this form, your eligibility will be checked and you will be asked to make a series of declarations as described in the conditions of grant.

  2. You will receive confirmation that we have successfully received your application. This will tell you to book a DfE quality assured training course, to start by 31 March 2024. Keep evidence of your booking, as you will need this to claim your grant.

  3. You must submit

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