HIEDA Accredited Course – Train the Mental Health Leaders

Course outline

This course aims to give the holder an understanding of the role of the mental health lead in an educational setting. Under the first aid provision in the school setting 2022 each school is required to have a designated lead to identify and implement a whole school strategy for supporting mental health and wellbeing. Over 3 days we will look at establishing foundations, the whole school approach and managing change. Through sharing best practice and discussion, we will create ideas for our schools and on day 4 the course will culminate in presenting your strategy plan to the group.

Training topics will include:

• Establishing foundations
• Mental health core concepts (definitions, approaches, stigma)
• Warning signs of poor mental health
• Cultural awareness
• Risk and protective factors for mental health & vulnerable groups
• Supportive communication skills
• Trauma-informed approaches
• Effective signposting
• A whole school approach
• The role of leadership and strategy
• Impact of school climate
• Staff wellbeing and development
• Voices of students and support
• Voices of parents/carers and support
• Identifying needs, taking a proactive and joined-up approach and the role of local/specialist services
• Impact on curriculum, behaviour policies and pastoral support
• Introduction to whole school audit models and methodologies
• Introduction to strategic plans
• Action planning
• Change management (what to consider when introducing change)
• Theory of change model
• ‘We Make the Weather’ – Coaching principles and the power of appreciative enquiry
• Considering barriers to change and planning ahead (split group work with Jane and Veronika)
• Sharing best practice
• Further action planning for Day 4
• Presentations by delegates of audit findings and key strategic focus for the coming academic year

The learning outcomes are aligned with Public Health England and DfE’s ‘Promoting Children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing’.

Learning outcomes:

• To have an improved outline of this role
• To share good practice
• To create a whole school strategy plan for your school

Study Days for this Module Are

• Study Day 1:  March 1st 2024
• Study Day 2:  April 19th 2024
• Study Day 3 : May 3rd 2024
• Study Day 4 : June 7th 2024

Timings : 10:30-15:30

Cost

• Member rate: £700
• Non-member rate: £1400*

BOOK HERE

Cancellations

If cancelling four weeks before Day 1 of the course, a refund will be given.  Cancellation after this period and before Day 1, a charge of £120 will need to be made.

NB: Please be aware that it is crucial to remain on your assigned course path and tutor group to gain the very best out of your training. Of course, we understand some things are unavoidable however we cannot guarantee alternative placement days, and this may incur an admin charge

Trainers

Veronika Chidemo

Before Veronika’s career as a teacher, she worked in ChildProtection for the Police, where her passion for Safeguarding and its role in Education was born. Veronika was the Assistant Head (Pastoral Care and Wellbeing), the Senior Mental Health Lead and a key member of the safeguarding team at an Independent Day and Boarding School.

With a strong focus on a holistic, values-led and integrated approach to student development, wellbeing and safe learning environments, Veronika has led on multiple whole school mental health and wellbeing initiatives. Veronika’s passion for a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing and proactive pastoral care enabled a non-judgemental and supportive culture amongst staff, students and parents. As a result of these initiatives and wellbeing strategies, staff, students and parents were able to access early support and interventions promoting positive mental health outcomes.

Veronika’s passion for prevention rather than intervention and bringing a common language of wellbeing to schools has driven her to author a whole school Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy that informed the school’s approach to re-integrating students back into the physical school environment in September 2020.

Veronika is now a School Mental Health Leadership Consultant who delivers Mental HealthFirst Aid Training to staff, students, governors and parents, and advises leadership teams on whole school strategies to mental health and wellbeing. Veronika is also a trainer on the Senior Mental Health Lead training programme.

Veronika is inspired by the work of Viv Grant on Ethical Leadership, Mike Armiger on the work of Wellbeing in Education and the Regulation Framework, Bill Roger’s holistic approach to Behaviour for Learning and the PACE approach, developed by Dr Dan Hughes, to bring asustainable whole child approach to teacher-student dynamics into the classroom.

Lee Glaser, Director, HIEDA

Lee has extensive experience in pastoral care. Prior to becoming Headmaster and CEO at Taunton School in Somerset he was the School’s Deputy Head which involved leading the pastoral team and being the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Outstanding support for student and staff wellbeing has always been at the heart of his approach and the School was recently shortlisted for a TES Award for excellence in this area.

Lee has always worked closely with the School’s medical team which provided excellent support to the community, particularly during the COVID pandemic. He is excited to be supporting HIEDA members in delivering the highest quality of care in their own environments.