Here are some key updates around the training grant from Leigh Bratley, the Regional Lead for Mental Health Delivery for the South West in the Department for Education:
1. Some eligible schools and colleges in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly area have not yet claimed the £1,200 grant to train a Senior Mental Health Lead.
2. If you hadn’t already heard the announcement on World Mental Health Day 2023, eligible schools and colleges may now apply for a 2nd grant if they previously claimed a grant and their trained lead has since left.
The latest data for the take-up of the DfE’s senior mental health lead training grant has now been published. The latest figures show take-up across Cornwall is 72%, and Isles of Scilly is 100%, compared to 67% across the south west, and approximately 60% nationally.
'We are keen to encourage further take up of the grant across the county, as having a trained senior mental health lead in a setting plays an important role in the whole school/college approach and therefore the mental health and wellbeing support available to children and young people. This is a great opportunity for schools and colleges to access funded training which offers full flexibility to meet the needs of the individual setting.
Some settings have previously completed form 1 to secure the grant but have not yet claimed it. To claim the grant, they must sign up to their chosen course and then complete form 2 to confirm this. It may be that some schools/colleges are unaware that they need to complete this final step and there may be some schools/colleges that completed form 1 before this financial year. They will have had their application reset so will need to reapply following the same process.'
The DFE will alert you to do this but CAPH also have the details of those schools who previously completed form 1 to apply for the grant, but have not completed the process by submitting form 2 (uploading evidence of their course booking). These particular schools and colleges have shown interest in the training and some may well have completed the training but not be aware that they have not triggered the payment of £1,200 to their setting. Please contact the DFE or CAPH if you are unsure of your current status. There is a list of settings that have received the grant available publicly at the bottom of this link Coronavirus (COVID-19) data on funding claims by institutions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Link to form 1 to confirm eligibility and reserve the grant
Link to form 2 to upload evidence of course booking and trigger grant payment
*NEW* Opportunity to claim a second grant if the trained lead has left
We are pleased to announce that schools and colleges that have already claimed a DfE grant are now eligible for a second grant if their trained senior mental health lead has left the post. This is in recognition that the previous lead may not have had the opportunity to implement their learning and embed a whole school/college approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing.
The application process remains the same as the first-time round with one additional step: when completing the online form, the applicant needs to tick the declaration to confirm the previously trained senior mental health lead at the setting has now moved on from the role.
The attached flyer has been updated to reflect this change to the DfE grant offer.
Full details of the grant and how to apply can be found here.
Here is a blog post written by a trained senior mental health lead from a North London primary school: Supporting mental health and wellbeing at our school - Teaching (blog.gov.uk)
Leigh Bratley
Regional Lead for Mental Health Delivery – South West