Education

We believe that all young people (aged 0-25) should have the opportunity to understand the importance of wellbeing and good mental health and have access to appropriate and timely support when they need help. We have been working in the University, College and Schools sectors to influence policy and hope that, through our work, more and more young people will have this opportunity.

Universities and Colleges

We believe that every college and university should have wellbeing and mental health of all staff and all students at the centre of their strategy to help them perform well and fulfil their potential. 

This is why we support Universities UK, who launched their StepChange Project - a whole university approach to wellbeing and mental health in September 2017. The Trust is a core funder of this work and has been an early advisor and member of the Steering Group.

StepChange includes the publication of a Vision and Framework, which will encourage universities to position well-being and mental health at the centre of their strategy, culture, curriculum, policies and practice.

Student Led Activity

Our work with universities also includes supporting three outstanding charities from an early stage: Student Minds, Nightline and Students against Depression.

They work in over 100 UK universities increasing awareness about anxiety and depression, providing peer and online support and working closely with university professional services.

Alliances and Collaboration

In addition, we chair the Alliance for Student Led Wellbeing, which includes all the national bodies that represent university counselling (HUCS), student services (AMOSSHE), mental health advisors (UMHAN), the national union of students (NUS), and mental wellbeing in higher education (MWBHE).

Schools

We believe that teaching young people about the importance of wellbeing and good mental health from an early age is the most important change that could be introduced to create a generation of young people, who are better equipped to cope with life’s ups and downs. 

This would, in turn, develop a generation of future parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, carers and more, who understand mental health for themselves and for the people they employ or look after.

We believe that well-being and mental health should be part of the language of education and embedded into every aspect of the school experience from the academic curriculum to the sports field... and assemblies to extra curricula activities. 

This is why we support a whole school approach to wellbeing and mental health and funded and founded The Partnership for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools , which has the vision that ‘every school should have wellbeing and mental health at the centre of their culture and ethos to support academic achievement’.

This Partnership has developed some important resources for schools including:

• 'What works in promoting social and emotional wellbeing and responding to mental health problems in schools' developed by Professor Katherine Weare
• 'A whole school framework for emotional wellbeing and mental health'

Government Policy

In March 2017 we provided written evidence to the Health and Education Select Committee Inquiry into the role of education in children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health and a copy of Our Submission is available here. A copy of the Committee’s Report is available here. 

The Government published its Green Paper on children and young peoples' mental health on December 4th 2017 and is inviting responses by March 2nd 2018. We provided a response, which can be seen here.

Collaboration

We are also a member of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and collaborate with the Fair Education Alliance.