Personalised training delivered in your school or college

No two educational settings are the same, so  your in-house training and INSET sessions should meet your own needs

Our in-house bespoke training services encompass:

  • mental health
  • wellbeing
  • stress management
  • resilience 
  • application of positive psychology approaches

This modular approach allows for as much flexibility as you need, whether you’re looking to have an established course delivered, such as  Resilience Training, or Mental Health First Aid, for example, or whether you want a completely customised session(s).

You may wish to choose one of our existing modules and tailor one or more of them to meet your needs. So, your training can be on a topic of your choice, and focussed on either meeting the needs of pupils, or addressing the needs of the staff – or a combination of the two .

This approach allows you to train groups of staff on important topics cost effectively and at a single timepoint in the academic year.

This practically focussed session takes a pragmatic approach to the challenges faced by teachers every day in the classroom and explores tools and techniques for positive action.

Sample topics:

  • Assessment tools, including stress scales
  • Selected new resources for wellbeing
  • Approaches to supporting developement of emotional literacy
  • Addressing social media challenges, and digital hyperconnectivity
  • When to refer on, and who to refer to….

Teacher Wellbeing – the challenges, and exploring solutions

  • A review of the current body of evidence on teacher wellbeing
  • Identifying the “stress signature” in self and colleagues
  • Group activities and exercises (by role/ key stage, for example)
  • Introduction to approaches for optimising self-management
  • Recognising more serious warning signs

Outputs can generate important insights, including for the Senior Management Team and may be used to inform the formulation of ongoing strategy.

Self-Harm and Eating Disorders – Providing Positive Support in the School Setting

How to identify and support students

A supportive school can play a key role in detecting and appropriately signposting struggling students – safely.

Strategies to effectively manage such difficult and potentially dangerous behaviour patterns in the school setting can not only assist the distressed pupil, but can have a positive effect on the broader friendship groups and school community.

This workshop presents a wide range of concepts and strategies, designed to instill renewed confidence in school staff’s ability to support students causing concern.

  • What self-harm?
  • Review of eating disorders
  • What are the similarities, differences, and the overlap between these challenging areas
  • Who is at risk – and the predisposing factors
  • What are the early warning signs?
  • Young people’s lived experiences (videos)
  • How to handle difficult conversations with students – sensitively
  • Responding appropriately to self-harm incidents at school
  • What does a good self harm policy look like in your school?
  • How to work with parents and peers to support student recovery
  • Practical strategies to support students in school
  • How to make referrals to primary care, CAMHS and third sector care providors when escalation is appropriate
  • Case Studies

Anxiety and Depression  – Supporting Pupils With Emotional Difficulties

Poor mental health can have a major impact on a child’s education, with poor attendance and lower attainment common among students with mental health disorders.

Mental health disorders are surprisingly common, and we know that half of all mental health conditions are established before the age of fourteen and three- quarters by the age of eighteen.

The most common of these diagnosable disorders are mood disorders – depression, anxiety and sometimes a combination of the two.

Teachers and other school staff, such as Teaching Assistants and others are well placed to notice the changes caused by anxiety and depression which will be picked up through their understanding of student’s responses. Teaching professionals, depending on their relationship with the student, are also more likely to be a probable first port of call either by the student concerned or, more often, by their friends.

Anxiety is probably the most common problem that teachers encounter. This may present as anxiety about being at school, school refusal, exam anxiety, avoidance of eating at school, fear of getting things wrong etc depending on the age of the child. Having a discussion with the student, engaging the parents to seek help for their child and implementing a management plan in the classroom can be very beneficial.

  • Recognise the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders
  • Young people’s testimony (video)
  • The place of screening tools in differentiating minor problems and more serious conditions.
  • Panic attacks – what they are and what you can do to help
  • Techniques for mood monitoring and mood self-management
  • Identify students in need of support
  • Work with parents and carers to support their child effectively
  • Have a clear and effective system to support a student who presents with an anxiety or mood disorder.
  • Allocate a named teacher and peer supporter from a core team of trained staff to be available should help be needed.
  • Establish links with local services and know what the referral pathways are.
  • When appropriate, enlist a professional to help assess and make recommendations
  • Case Studies
  • Promote positive wellbeing through the curriculum

From Bullying to Bulimia to Bereavement – Supporting Distressed Pupils

Promoting a culture of acceptance and emotional  well-being in your school

This module will enable you to understand and support pupils who may having a tough time in school.

Young people who are struggling can present with a wide range of behaviours. They may be expressing hopelessness, sadness, irritability or anger, isolation, withdrawal and worthlessness. Young people do not often express their distress in a straightforward way and can show they are affected through passive or negative behaviours.

We can all have temporary, normal reaction to events that are stressful or upsetting. It is even more common for teenagers to be affected by a range of moods, particularly feeling ‘blue’. However, sometimes these feelings continue and become an illness, which will then start to affect a young person negatively and they may become diagnosably unwell.

The focus of this module is a range of strategies and techniques to help you support students dealing with grief, bullying, anger, stress, friendship and relationship issues and other  emotions they may find overwhelming.

The Step-wise Approach

Connecting with young people
  • Your resources – school-based provision of counselling and mentoring
  • Other accessible approaches/ self referral and third sector sources of help
  • When is distress an illness?
  • Relating to students’ feelings of grief, loss, anger and distress
  • Keeping yourself safe
  • Case Studies
Developing your skills
  • Key skill- empathetic connection
  • The power of communication: group exercise
  • Practical case studies
The emotionally intelligent school
  • Exploring the factors which can lead to distress and anger in the school community
  • Helping staff and students to recognise the signs of mounting  stress and distress
  • Consider how early intervention procedures may be used to prevent an escalation
  • The mechanisms of de-escalation in your environment

Ways to be, and stay, well.

  • The importance of a whole school approach to emotional well-being
  • The place of resilience skills
  • Getting everyone involved – pupils, staff, governors, parents
  • Developing and maintaining a positive support culture
  • The evolving role of the Mental Health Lead

Developing Resilience and Coping Skills in Your Students

Developing children’s resilience is now being seen as important as academic learning. This course will look at practical approaches to embed resilience across the school; train staff and pupils, and provide a bank of practical strategies.

  • Embed resilience across the school – an ongoing sustainable programme that has real impact
  • Develop engaging active learning techniques and an effective ‘toolkit’ for building resilience
  • Create effective staff and student coaching programmes and support networks
  • Evaluate, monitor and assess the impact on all students
  • Develop links with the wide context
Introduction and Orientation
  • What is resilience and why is it important to ?
  • Characteristics of resilient pupils and non-resilient pupils
  • The current situation
Strategies and toolkit approach to building resilience
  • Techniques to explore consequences and alternatives
  • Developing emotional literacy, aspirations and confidence
  • Activities for cooperative learning and awareness of perceptions
Engaging Staff and student coaching to build resilience
  • Getting the staff and students involved
  • Training for staff and pupils
  • Developing coaching for resilience
Evaluate, monitor and assess impact
  • Can we measure resilience?
  • If so, what can we measure and how?
  • What do I want in a perfect world?
  • Next steps planning

Mental Health: An Introduction to Enhance Understanding, Skills and Confidence

This module is a practical introduction for staff working with young people who want to gain an overview of common mental health issues in their students and understand how to recognise, respond and support effectively.

Mental health disorders are surprisingly common, and we know that half of all mental health conditions are established before the age of fourteen and three quarters by the age of eighteen.

The prevalence of mental health disorders varies by age, with nearly 8% of 5-10 year olds having a diagnosable mental health disorder, compared to nearly 12% of 11-15 year olds.

Poor mental health can have a major impact on a child’s education, with poor attendance and lower attainment common among students with mental health disorders.

Schools have a key role to play in supporting these young people to achieve their potential and improve their emotional wellbeing. This was made clear in the Green Paper Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision.

The government  have made it clear that schools for one of the three pillars of their ongoing mental health strategy, with all schools required to identify and train a Designated Senior Lead for Mental Health. These leads and staff  will be required to deliver whole school approaches to promoting better mental health.

For those staff facing day to day interactions with pupils who may exhibit some features of distress, and potentially signs of mental illness it is helpful to:

  • Understand different types of mental health and mental ill health and why it is relevant to all in the school setting
  • Recognise the signs and symptoms of some of the most common mental health disorders
  • Identify when pupils may be in need of support
  • Spotting the warning signs and having a safe and sensitive first conversation
  • Work with parents and carers to support their child effectively
  • Establish when to involve external agencies
  • Promote positive wellbeing through the curriculum
  • Providing support to vulnerable students and promoting the wellbeing of every child

Full two day course, qualifying participants to be Certified Youth Mental Health First Aiders.

Mental Health First Aid is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a young person who may be experiencing a mental health issue. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health.

In each section you’ll learn how to:

  • Spot the early signs of a mental health problem in young people
  • Feel confident helping a young person experiencing a problem
  • Provide help on a first aid basis
  • Help protect a young person who might be at risk of harm
  • Help prevent a mental health illness from getting worse
  • Help a young person recover faster
  • Guide a young person towards the right support
  • Reduce the stigma of mental health problems

How will I learn?

The Youth MHFA course takes place over two full days.

The sessions will be a mix of presentations, discussions, and group work activities. Our Education 4 Health  instructors provide a safe learning environment and are trained to support you throughout the whole course. If you don’t feel comfortable joining in certain parts, then there is no pressure to.

Due to some of the sensitive subjects of our courses, we limit numbers to 16 people. We want everyone to feel safe and our instructors can help if people find some parts particularly difficult.

Everyone who attends the course will receive a copy of the MHFA manual and workbook, which are both excellent support resources. When you have completed the course you will receive a certificate to confirm that you are a trained Youth Mental Health First Aider.

You can book a place online, or can request an invoice, if you prefer.

This 2 day course has a recommended price of £300 (as set by MHFA England).

We offer this at a subsidised cost of £250 including manuals, workbooks, lunches and refreshments, thanks to support from  the Education 4 Health Benevolent Fund.

To book online, click on the dates when you would like to attend.

If you prefer to be invoiced, please email hello@Ed4Health.co.uk, giving the name of the funding party, an email and any reference required by your systems.

We will then confirm your booking, and send you joining instructions about one week before the event.

We look forward to welcoming you to the course!

We also offer

  • One day
  •  or
  • Half day

courses on Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Adult Mental Health First Aid, plus the Higher Education one day programme.

If you are interested in an in house shorter MHFA course, please email hello@Ed4Health.co.uk

Despite much discussion concerning the nature of workplace stress, our jobs are getting more and not less stressful. While stress certainly isn’t unique to the teaching profession, working in schools does throw up a number of situations that are unique to education while the current climate of uncertainty and criticism further undermines the professionalism and confidence of many hard working teachers.

Ofsted inspections, changes to pay and conditions and new appraisal systems all add to the feeling that we are far from in control. Identifying those things that we can control and those that we cannot could help to prevent daily hassles from becoming major problems; but we may  not be able to do it on our own.

Stress with its specific combination of cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural response has positive and negative impacts. A result of a stressful experience can be a loss of health, but we can also feel more powerful, resilient and compassionate.

Stress management strategies are important protective factor for successful and satisfying work of teachers and other professions.

  • Understanding dynamics and characteristics of stress
  • Identifying our own “stress signature”- and that of others
  • Role of thoughts, feelings, body and behaviour in stress response
  • Exploring internal world in stressful conditions – understanding “my patterns”
  • Holistic stress management approach
  • Mindfulness: building self-awareness and frustration tolerance in stressful conditions
  • How to stay calm in classroom: noticing, accepting and letting go of negative thoughts
  • Practicing breathing and self-awareness techniques in classroom
  • Building sustainable stress management capabilities for students in classroom
  • Supporting students when dealing with transition, stressful events and traumatic experience
  • Using self-reflection as a protective factor
  • Maintaining newly learned skills in stress management
  • Personal action planning
  • Action plan for the classroom

Thank you again for the fantastic talk you gave our Upper Sixth students yesterday. I felt that the pace and content of your talk was spot on and the feedback from the boys has been very positive.

We were really appreciative of you time Jane on Friday. We have never instantly received so many positive comments before with many expressing a desire to do further training.

Thanks again, we are now all inspired to do better.

An excellent learning experience that addresses the minute aspects of mental health in youth that are often overlooked, even by professionals sometimes.

Jane’s knowledge was excellent and the content was delivered in a sensitive way. I feel a lot more confident about supporting young people with the issues discussed.

Practical suggestions and resources that we can put into effect.  These will have an impact on lots of students.

Excellent – food for thought – thank you.