Sally has been working as Safeguarding and Welfare officer at Hill View Primary School since September 2023. After taking our free Mental Health Champions – Foundation programme, she not only feels more confident in her role but also says it has made a big impact on her personal mental health and wellbeing.

"The programme has taught me to take a moment to stop and pause before speaking to a child, and consider what might be going on. This way I can work out the right questions to ask as to why something might be happening. There’s always a reason for behaviour, so it’s important to work out what that might be.

"I found the part where you reflect on your own mental health really helpful, as often you don’t stop as a practitioner and think about yourself. Taking the time to learn coping strategies for myself was so valuable.

"What I enjoyed most about the course was the section about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). I have a copy of the ACES in my office. I have used knowledge gained from this course about the impact of long-term health implications and how it is important to intervene as early as possible in my role.

"The programme has had a big impact on my personal mental health and wellbeing. I use the strategies to stay calm daily. Also, the strategies learned on my course are in my mind constantly when I’m dealing with different situations. It’s made my practice better because I have that background knowledge I didn’t have before, and I feel more confident promoting mental health in my school.

"I found the learning style really flexible. I did the programme during the Christmas holidays, and I liked the fact that you could do it whenever you wanted."

Place2Be's Mental Health Champions - Foundation programme is our free, online mental health training for anyone who works with children and young people.