Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) is a free national programme delivered by the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, a mental health charity.
Taking place between September 2019 and February 2020 in over 130 locations, the training is available for two members of staff and is open to all schools and colleges who have not already received it. A full list of schools and colleges is available on the Anna Freud Centre website.
Grounded on a rigorous evidence base, MHAT aims to provide staff working in secondary schools with the knowledge, skills and practical tools needed to promote and integrate mental health and wellbeing across the whole school community. Secondary teachers will receive training on how to recognise the warning signs for depression and anxiety as part of a government-funded mental health drive. The training will also cover:
- what the evidence tells us about mental health difficulties in schools
- spotting the early signs of a mental health problem
- positive approaches to promoting mental health and wellbeing in the whole school community
Davina Metters, head of programming in mental health in the school's team at the Anna Freud Centre says,
“It’s about ensuring that you have a robust mental health and wellbeing policy in place, and giving teachers skills to go back to their settings and set that up.”
Governors and trustees can play a vital role in supporting pupil and staff wellbeing by upholding an ethos of mutual care, developing a shared vision for supporting a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing and establishing a strategy to make it happen.