Schools’ Mental Health Ambassadors
About the programme
Associate Development Solutions (ADS) and the Midlands Young Advisors will be conducting an NHS England-funded pilot programme, designed to train students to become Mental Health Ambassadors (MHAs) within their schools.
Eligibility and selection criteria
The pilot will be conducted within one MHST and three schools they are working with in the Midlands region. There will be an application process to identify the successful partnership, followed by an application process for students interested in joining the programme.
The partnership will be expected to provide:
- a designated MHA lead within each participating school;
- a designated MHA lead representing the MHST as a whole; and
- EMHP mentors.
Around five to eight Year 9 students will be recruited from each participating school during the 2023 summer term.
Format and timetable
The programme – developed and delivered by young people for young people – will consist of two parts:
- core training sessions to equip students with the basics for undertaking the MHA role; and
- attendance on the ILM Level 2 Young Leaders Award programme.
Training will take place during Year 10 and students will be awarded both an MHA certificate and a certificate from the Institute of Leadership and Management upon successful completion of the programme.
Support
Participating MHAs, schools and the MHST will receive ongoing support from ADS and the Young Advisors team for 6 months following the programme, consisting of:
- regular online support sessions for the MHAs; and
- regular programme reviews with schools and MHA leads.
Benefits
The programme is expected to offer the following benefits:
- increased emotional wellbeing and confidence of the young people involved;
- increased knowledge of mental health and support for young people along with decreased stigma;
- establishment of a ‘whole-school’ approach in relation to mental health;
- development of young people’s skills, leading to improved employability; and
- a raised awareness of children’s and young people’s mental health as a career option.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How were the participating schools chosen?
We looked at the application forms to identify whether the project requirements were met.
How do we access the application form?
The application for MHSTs and schools to join the project has now closed.
Will the Saturday face-to-face sessions take place close to the schools?
We aim to chose a venue near to the schools that are chosen, with the intention of allowing students from the different schools to meet other students who are involved in the project. Once we know the areas of the schools, we will be able to get a better idea of how this will work.
Will travel expenses be covered if necessary?
This is something that we are hoping to avoid by considering the areas which we will be working with but we will cover travel expenses if required.
How will my personal data be used during the project?
All personal data that we use during the project will be handled in accordance with our privacy policy.
Key events
30th Jan 2023
Online information event (Microsoft Teams).
Event registration via eventbrite.
Feb 2023
MHST and school applications open.
31st Mar 2023
MHST and school applications close.
Apr 2023
Successful MHST and schools notified
Inception meeting (27th)May 2023
Young Advisor team and EMHP visit schools to promote the project
Student applications openJun 2023
Student applications close (w/e 9th)
Successful students notified (16th)
Induction session for trainee MHAs, school + MHST leads and EMHPs (28th)Sep 2023
ILM training session 1 – in person (16th)
Core training session 1 – online (25th)Oct 2023
Core training session 2 – online (2nd)
Core training session 3 – online (9th)
Core training session 4 – online (16th)Nov 2023
ILM training session 2 – in person (11th)
Dec 2023
ILM training session 3 – in person (2nd)
Jan – Jun 2024
3 x MHA online support sessions (two-month interval)