Mental Health in Education Training Course

Participants can recognise common mental health presentations while avoiding assumptions and stereotypes.

• Developmental milestones shape age-appropriate expectations for emotional regulation and behaviour
• Common presentations of anxiety, depression, trauma and self-harm concerns
• Observe changes in attendance, participation, sleep, mood and peer relationships
• Neurodiversity-affirming language prevents deficit assumptions during support conversations
• Culture, gender and disability considered without stereotyping learner experiences
• Separate behavioural incidents from possible underlying emotional distress

Participants can document concerns and conduct structured initial wellbeing conversations.

• Use ABC observation records to document antecedents, behaviour and consequences
• Screening questionnaires support referral decisions but never replace clinical diagnosis
• Apply SOLER attending behaviours during planned wellbeing check-in conversations
• Open questions, reflections and summaries structure supportive listening conversations
• Document factual observations, direct statements and agreed next actions
• Recognise warning signs requiring same-day escalation under local procedures

Participants can plan preventive practices that strengthen belonging, emotional literacy and help-seeking.

• WHO Health Promoting Schools framework links policy, environment and partnerships
• Tier 1 universal supports promote belonging, routines and emotional literacy
• CASEL competencies integrated into teaching, routines and student leadership
• Anti-bullying prevention combines reporting routes, supervision and restorative follow-up
• Sleep, physical activity and digital habits addressed without moralising
• Evaluate wellbeing initiatives using reach, participation and feedback measures

Participants can organise support provision using tiers, entry criteria and review cycles.

• MTSS tiers match universal provision, targeted support and specialist referral
• Define entry criteria, intervention intensity and review intervals for each tier
• Attendance, behaviour and wellbeing data triangulated before support allocation
• Graduated response cycles use assess, plan, do and review
• Small-group interventions selected against identified needs and available evidence
• Progress-monitoring measures distinguish improvement, deterioration and non-response

Participants can apply trauma-informed principles to learning environments, interactions and behaviour responses.

• SAMHSA six principles inform emotionally and physically safe learning spaces
• Trauma responses understood as adaptations rather than deliberate defiance
• Predictable routines, choice and co-regulation reduce avoidable triggers
• Staff language avoids re-traumatisation, coercion and unnecessary disclosure requests
• De-escalation uses calm tone, space, grounding and clear limits
• Restorative conversations follow regulation, safety checks and voluntary participation

Participants can respond appropriately to urgent mental health concerns within safeguarding procedures.

• Distinguish immediate danger, urgent concern and routine pastoral referral
• Suicide and self-harm disclosures receive direct, calm and non-judgmental responses
• Follow designated safeguarding lead procedures, recording requirements and escalation routes
• Safety plans identify warning signs, coping actions, contacts and restrictions
• Emergency services involvement follows local policy and imminent-risk thresholds
• Post-incident support protects privacy, continuity and staff wellbeing

Participants can coordinate appropriate support with families and external services.

• Consent, capacity, confidentiality and information-sharing boundaries explained clearly
• Family meetings use strengths-based agendas and agreed communication channels
• Referral pathways map school, health, social care and community services
• Warm handovers reduce missed appointments and repeated disclosure burdens
• Multi-agency meetings clarify roles, actions, ownership and review dates
• Record sharing follows minimum-necessary principles and local data-protection requirements

Participants can strengthen staff capacity while maintaining safe professional boundaries.

• Staff wellbeing risks include workload, vicarious trauma and role ambiguity
• Psychological safety supports timely consultation, challenge and incident reporting
• Supervision arrangements distinguish reflective practice, management oversight and clinical supervision
• Boundary-setting scripts manage availability, disclosure and out-of-hours contact expectations
• Training matrices assign awareness, response and specialist responsibilities
• Wellbeing policies include absence support, adjustments and return-to-work planning

Participants can create a measurable plan for improving mental health provision in their setting.

• Baseline audit rates policy, practice, data, workforce and referral capacity
• RACI matrix assigns accountable owners for mental-health improvement actions
• SMART measures track implementation fidelity, reach, outcomes and unintended effects
• Equity review tests whether support reaches marginalised learner groups
• Termly governance reports combine trends, case themes and resource decisions
• Personal application plan schedules priorities, stakeholders and first review date