Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are aligned with the eight principles outlined by Public Health England (PHE) and the Department for Education (DfE) in their Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: A whole-school or college approach publication.

After completing the programme, leads will be able to:

1. Champion efforts to promote and support mental health and wellbeing, bringing about strategic change to deliver a practical whole-school approach.

2. Understand and plan appropriate responses to pupils’ mental health and wellbeing needs.

3. Ensure children and young people can get timely and appropriate support.

4. Support their own mental health and wellbeing, and that of their pupils.

5. Promote respect and value diversity.

6. Ensure the voice of every pupil is heard and valued, and influence decisions.

7. Ensure everyone works as a team around the pupils, with a consistent approach and shared aims and strategies.

8. Promote resilience and support social and emotional learning.

You can find out more about the principles of a whole-school approach and how we implement it in our partner schools.

Benefits

The benefits of our SMHL training programme include having:

• free access to Place2Be’s Mental Health Champions Foundation programme for your wider team to develop your whole-school approach
• personalised learning that considers your school’s needs and priorities
• expert support from qualified clinicians with experience working in schools
• the opportunity to build a network of peer support
• ongoing support for alumni with free access to additional resources, tips, learning and networking opportunities.

Why choose us?

With almost 30 years experience providing mental health support in schools, we’re acknowledged specialists in our field. Over 1,000 Senior Mental Health Leads have trusted us to successfully deliver their training.

Accreditation

Our Senior Mental Health Leads Training programme has been CPD-certified and is Department for Education quality-assured.

• The training has been accredited against the CPD’s A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D. Framework.
• This accreditation demonstrates that the learning we deliver is of the best quality.
• Our programme is listed on the CPD Register, and our participants can collect CPD credits upon course completion.

Who is it for?

To be successful in the programme, you'll want to prioritise this part of your role. You'll need to work with your wider school community so that promoting positive mental health is part of your school’s culture.

Our programme is suitable for Senior Mental Health Leads at primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in England. It’s for those who have the support of their Senior Leadership Team to meet the requirements of the programme.

The training is ideal for:

• headteachers
• deputy headteachers
• mental health leads
• pastoral leads
• safeguarding leads
• Special Educational Needs Counsellors (SENCOs)
• other roles in school leadership.

Please get in touch with us directly by emailing mhc@place2be.org.uk to discuss whether this programme will meet your needs if you:

• hold a different role
• are applying from a Further Education (FE) college or Special School
• are based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You might also find our frequently asked questions about our SMHL programme helpful.

Funding eligibility

Course fee 

The fee for our SMHL programme is £880. 

You can pay via: 

1. Credit or debit card. We offer a £20 discount per booking if you pay online using the code 20SMHL. Please note that you will not receive an invoice if you pay this way. 
2. Offline payment. If you choose this payment method, we will send your school finance officer an invoice of £880 using the details you provide in your registration form.

Department for Education Grants 

Department for Education grants are available for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Eligible schools and colleges can now claim a second grant if a previously trained senior mental health lead left their setting before embedding a whole school or college approach to mental health.

You are likely to be eligible for a grant if you: 

• are a state-funded school or college that has not previously applied for SMHL funding 
• have appointed an SMHL that's being supported by the senior leadership team to implement a whole school approach to mental health. 

If you'd like to apply for a DfE grant to book our SMHL course, you'll need to:

1. check your eligibility on the DfE's website
2. reserve your grant by completing the DfE application service form 
3. book your place on an intake using the our registration form.

The DfE will contact you by email requesting evidence of your Place2Be course booking.

Self-funding 

We accept self-funding applications for our Senior Mental Health Leads programme.

Have a question?

Read our frequently asked questions to find out more about our Senior Mental Health Leads programme.

If you require more information, please email mhc@place2be.org.uk and one of our team will be able to help you.