Management Information Sheet

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering a grant for a senior member of school or college staff to access quality assured training to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in your setting. Grants of £1200 will be available to around a third of all state schools and colleges this financial year. A waiting list will be created and the DfE will confirm future grant funding in the spring of 2022.

The grant is provided to cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality assured course and may also be used to hire supply staff while leads are engaged in learning.

All state-funded schools and colleges are eligible to apply for a training grant.

Before you book your quality assured training course, you should check that you meet in full the eligibility criteria and terms for the training grant, including that you have:

• Committed to develop or implement a whole school or college approach to mental health
• Identified a senior mental health lead to oversee your whole school or college approach, and they are available to commence training before 31 March 2022

For further information and how to access the grant, please see Senior mental health lead training: grant application guidance on GOV.UK.

An up-to-date list of providers of DfE assured training can be found at Senior mental health lead training (Providers of training) also on GOV.UK.

We are pleased to confirm that EPSS, supported by Inclusion and SEND, is delivering a two-tiered opportunity of locally accessible training. Funding can be used for either course:

• National Educational Leaders in Mental Health from the National Network of Mental Health Leads is aimed at staff in a senior leadership position and leads to a Level 4 Certificate in Mental Health Aware Leadership and accreditation as a National Leader in Mental Health.
• Advanced Designated Mental Health Lead Course from the National Network of Mental Health Leads is aimed at experienced staff appointed as mental health leads, but who are not on the leadership team, and leads to a Level 4 Certificate in Mental Health Aware Leadership and accreditation as Designated Mental Health Lead (DfE code SMHL008).

Benefits of undertaking training with us:

• Part of a National Consortium delivering DfE funded and quality assured training
• Leading to a Level 4 qualification backed by Open Awards
• Embedded in Norfolk landscape of mental health offer to schools
• Delivered by local professionals
• Attended by Norfolk settings - opportunities to share local good practice

For further information about the Norfolk training, please email bianca.finger-berry@norfolk.gov.uk.