Children’s mental health charity Place2Be is to lead a new course based at Forth Valley College’s Alloa Campus to prepare teachers to understand and address mental health issues affecting their pupils.
Place2Be, a GTCS Professional Learning Award organisation, will run its ‘Mental Health Champions – Class Teacher programme’, designed to help teaching staff to develop their knowledge around children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing and how to work with this in the classroom.
The programme consists of four three-hour workshops supported by group consultation sessions. By the end of the programme, the course aims to give participants greater confidence in addressing mental health in the classroom, an understanding of attachment and recent developments in neuroscience, will feel more confident building resilience in children – with skills in solution focused and cognitive behavioural techniques and will be more self-aware and understanding of how to look after their own mental well-being.
Jackie Innes, Operations manager in FVC’s Department of Business and Communities, said: “We are looking forward to hosting the Mental Health Champions – Class Teacher programme with our partner Place2Be. Mental health awareness is increasingly important for teachers and lecturers and FVC staff will also be participating in the programme.”
Jonathan Wood, National Manager of Place2Be in Scotland, said: “We have been providing in-school mental health support for over 25 years, and are delighted to be able to extend our education programmes via our partnership with Forth Valley College. Our Mental Health Champions programmes empower school staff by equipping them with a deeper understanding of children and young people’s mental health issues and giving them the confidence to embed wellbeing into every aspect of school life.”
The course costs £450 and there are 18 places available. Workshops will be held on the following dates:
Friday 20 September
Friday 11 October
Friday 15 November
Monday 9 December
Further information can be obtained by calling 01324 403000 or visiting https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/care/mental-health-champions-class-teacher-programme