Deadline approaching: Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant

Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant

We are fast approaching the deadline for settings to claim a senior mental health lead training grant. We understand take up has been encouraging so far, and now stands at nearly three-quarters of eligible settings, including 8 in 10 secondary schools.

Senior mental health lead training grants remain available for schools and colleges that still want to benefit, including a 2nd grant if your previously trained lead has left – make sure you reserve your grant by 31 December 2024. You’ll still have until 31 January to book your training and complete your claim.

Senior mental health lead training has made a difference in thousands of schools and colleges, equipping leaders with evidence-based strategies to support the mental health & wellbeing of pupils, learners and staff.

Training helps develop the knowledge and practical skills of school and college leaders, and 89% say it has enabled them to plan or improve their whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Why is the training so important?

Poor mental health can be a barrier to opportunity and learning. Embedding practices that promote and support mental wellbeing is an important part of how schools and colleges can help pupils and learners attend, enjoy learning, achieve, and thrive. The training is intended to support your setting to develop and embed good practice and is a positive first step towards developing a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

The training will help your school or college to:

  • Identify need, and monitor impact, of mental health/wellbeing support
  • Achieve the best possible outcomes from your existing in-school provision
  • Develop approaches aligned with your DSL/SENCO’s work
  • Develop your universal and targeted support offer
  • Engage pupils and learners, and develop positive relationships with parents/carers

How do I apply? 

Click here to reserve your grant by 31 December 2024, including a 2nd grant if your previously trained lead has left. There are a range of courses available to suit your mental health lead, with start dates up to the end of Spring term 2025. You have until 31 January to book your training and complete your claim.

Practical resources and toolkit

  • resource hub is available to support you to embed and sustain your whole school/college approach to mental health and wellbeing, and has been updated with new, evidence-based resources for this academic year.
  • Access a targeted mental wellbeing support toolkit to help you develop and provide effective in-school/college targeted support.
  • Access a resource page for teachers, parents and carers to support children and young people experiencing difficulties with mental wellbeing and regular school or college attendance. 
To find out more about how we can support you with your safeguarding needs, please get in touch. Call 01274 752299 or email admin@safeguardingsupport.com.
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Rachel Priestley

Rach has a background in Business Development and Administration, gaining much of her knowledge and experience through her 19 year career with the NHS working within the executive office, community services and public health. 

Before moving on from the NHS, Rach supported the Chief Executive, the Chairman and the Trust Board of a local NHS Care Trust, which managed Children’s Services. Her responsibilities spanned across HR, Finance, Governance, Compliance, Risk, systems and processes, and internal training. Rach also supported the Children’s Safeguarding Lead with safeguarding investigations.

In 2017, she left the NHS to pursue a successful self-employed career supporting business to grow, with flexible business development and administration support, which she continues to do on a part-time basis.

Rach is in house trained, and is passionate about delivering outstanding services and enjoys working as part of the safeguarding team to achieve a common goal.

In her own time, she loves spending time outside, and long walks with the two family dogs. 

Shelley Armstrong

Shelley joined Safeguarding Support in 2020 as an experienced AET-qualified freelance trainer, and now enjoys working across the business, keeping clients as up to date as possible with the ever changing challenges facing safeguarding children in education.

Whilst we aim to simplify safeguarding, Shelley’s passion is to ensure engagement, pride and confidence through training and support. Shelley enjoys applying the competencies gained in different industries and environments to researching, designing, and developing materials for those with the responsibility to safeguard children, and in return has enormous respect for their commitment.

Her experience across the private business sector brings commercial skills to training and her background in psychology and counselling ensure courses are designed and delivered with the learner in mind.

Shelley lives in Yorkshire and enjoys walking her springer spaniels – come rain or shine!

Abigail Havon

Abigail is an experienced AET qualified trainer who began her safeguarding career in the charity sector.  There she was a regional manager and part of the safeguarding leadership team.  She was involved in writing policies and procedures, developing, and delivering training and supporting staff and volunteers to work 121 with children struggling with their literacy. 

She has worked in a variety of business environments gaining experience in different sectors. She has always chosen roles that call for collaboration and communication to bring the best out in people and projects to completion.  Abigail passionately believes that empowering educators to work together as part of a safeguarding team will lead to better outcomes for children and young people. 

As part of the SSL training team her role focuses mainly on delivering virtual training. 

Abigail lives near the Jurassic Coast and enjoys long walks and caring for her jungle of houseplants.  

Carol Stephenson

Carol has spent her entire career teaching in Bradford primary schools. Most recently she was Head Teacher of a large, outstanding, multi-academy trust, inner-city
school where she gained Local Leaders of Education (LLE) status.

Carol is a highly experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead and safeguarding Governor, with an extensive range of expertise, skills and knowledge. It was through this depth of experience that she became a dedicated representative of Bradford Children’s Safeguarding Board. In June 2019, Carol was awarded a Bradford Safeguarding Champions lifetime achievement award 2019 for her continued work in safeguarding the children of Bradford.

Carol is in-house trained and is NSPCC certified to deliver Child Protection and Safeguarding training.

In her spare time, Carol enjoys working on her allotment.