Mental Health Awareness: Senior Leadership Programme

New

This 3-hour session is a bespoke programme for staff in senior leadership roles at the University and Colleges on the topic of mental health and wellbeing in their workplace and the educational context.

The session offers:

• An opportunity for senior leaders to support a whole institution approach to mental health and wellbeing, promoting an informed and compassionate higher education community which is conducive to wellbeing and supports the full academic, occupational, and social potential of all staff and students.
• A brief overview of staff and student mental health in Higher Education.
• Best practice guidance on identifying and responding to staff and students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Context-specific case vignettes and scenarios to improve staff confidence in intervening and applying skills in discussions with staff and students, including those who may be experiencing poor wellbeing, mental ill-health and thoughts of suicide.
• Evidence-based and practical strategies for promoting wellbeing throughout the higher education community, including self-care for staff.
• Key resources and services in place to support mental health locally and nationally.

Please note these are stand-alone training sessions and participants should only attend one session.

This training is provided free of charge to College and University staff thanks to a philanthropic donation. The cost of providing the course is £25 per participant.

Senior leadership role holders at a Cambridge College, or Academic Faculty or Department at the University.

Target audiences include, but are not limited to College and Academic Faculty/Department roles such as:

• Senior Tutors and Deputy Senior Tutors, Bursars, Heads of House and their Deputies, Heads of HR
• Faculty and Department leadership roles such as Head of Department/Faculty and their Deputies, Directors of UG and PG Education.
• Heads of Department and their Deputies within key student-facing professional services at the University, e.g. within Education Services.

Trainees must hold a current position of leadership at a Cambridge College, or Academic Faculty or Department at the University.

Number of sessions: 1

• Enhanced or consolidated awareness of key mental health contexts within the UK Higher Education sector.
• Improved confidence in responding to mental health and wellbeing issues arising in the workplace as a senior leader.
• Opportunities for application of knowledge with peers in discussion of case studies.

Sarah Ashworth (The Charlie Waller Trust)

Prior to joining the Charlie Waller Trust, Sarah Ashworth worked in higher education for 12 years, leading a multidisciplinary team supporting students experiencing enduring mental health conditions, including students presenting in crisis. Sarah has extensive experience of developing and delivering mental health training and Mental Health First Aid courses to staff and students. Sarah is a Fellow the Higher Education Academy and continues to teach accredited modules to the University of Oxford and the University of Warwick.