FUNDED Designated Mental Health Lead Training

Schools may apply to a grant of £1200 for DfE quality assured training to help develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Announced 16 Oct 2023 – Additionally, if you have already received a grant, but your Mental Health Lead has left your organisation, you are now ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR AN ADDITIONAL GRANT to have a new Desigated Mental Health Lead trained.

For schools in Essex, this was referenced recently in the Education Weekly bulletin from Clare Kershaw.

Billericay Teaching Alliance are working with the National Network of Mental Health Leads as an approved provider of Department for Education (DfE) funded training (see link to download flyer below).

Information about accessing the DfE grant can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-mental-health-lead-training

We recommend reserving your place on a course before applying for the grant.

ALL STATE FUNDED EDUCATION SETTINGS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A GRANT!  DO NOT DELAY – DEADLINE APPLIES!!!

  • mainstream academies and maintained schools
  • alternative provision academies
  • pupil referral units
  • special academies and maintained schools
  • further education colleges (one application per campus ID)
  • sixth form colleges

As part of the delivery model, we are working as part of a consortium called the ‘Root of It’, which is backed by the British Psychological Society, the Society of Occupational Medicine and Open Awards. Both the Network and the ‘Root of It’ consortium have been approved to deliver funded Designated Mental Health Lead Training to the DfE specification for schools and colleges in England, using the grant available to schools.

We have trained a team of experienced and qualified people, both from senior colleagues within education, and expert mental health professionals to deliver the Designated Mental Health Leads courses for Essex, Southend and Thurrock schools and colleges.

The ‘Root of It’ consortium will host our courses on the National Network of Mental Health Leads website and will manage all the bookings for us.

Advanced Designated Mental Health Lead Programme 

This three-day face to face programme explores the multi faceted role of the Designated Mental Health Lead. It covers the requirements for the mental health lead training, but applies it broader to your ethos, culture and staff wellbeing, in addition to pupil mental health.

This programme covers the full DfE specification for the role. Participants download a digital attendance certificate or to become qualified complete a portfolio. This involves some self-study and keeping a portfolio to gain evidence meeting the requirements of a lead and become certified. Participants completing this will also earn a Level 4 Certificate in Mental Health Aware Leadership.

To apply for a DfE grant of £1200 to cover the cost of the training which also contributes towards staff costs please visit: https://onlinecollections.des.fasst.org.uk/fastform/senior-mental-health-leads

Courses and Dates

Please look out for the ‘Basildon – Billericay Teaching Alliance’ courses to book with us!

Dates:  27 Feb 2024, 26 March 2024 & 21 May 2024 (8.30am – 4.30pm)

Venue: The Billericay School, School Road, Billericay, CM12 9LH

To book please visit
https://mentalhealthlead.com/course/advanced-mental-health-lead-basildon-march-2024-smhl008/ 

Course Cost
£800 per participant per course (see ‘To Apply for a DfE grant’ above)

Schools may fund places / additional places outside of the Grant funding if they wish.

Please visit the National Network of Mental Health Leads website to take a look at what has been happening www.mentalhealthlead.com

If you have any further questions, please do contact Melanie Jones:

E: mjones@billericayschool.com   Tel: 01277 314420