In an age when it is estimated that one in ten young people experience a mental health issue at any one time, and record numbers of people are struggling due to social media, bullying, and academic or work pressures – we believe that Scouts has a place in giving young people and adults skills for life; practice the five ways to well-being and help young people and adults to access further support.
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic we know that many people will be suffering after a pre-longed period of social isolation and we know Scouts will have a huge role to play in the recovery of young people and our local community with Mental Health and physical wellbeing being two of the biggest issues society will face in the next few years. To combat this we are embarking on a project to equip more of our volunteers with the skills to identify issues with mental health and help young people to overcome these issues. We also plan on organising a year of wellbeing activities and challenges to encourage young people and volunteers to Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Learn and Give – things which we already do as part of a balanced Scout programme but will highlight their importance.
The District plan for mental health and wellbeing is being spearheaded by our District Youth Commissioner and has been led by team of young people aged 14-18, supported by the District Team.
Mental Health Training
One of the aspirations of the Mental Health and Wellbeing plan is to be able to offer volunteers some supplementary accredited training in Mental Health Awareness / First Aid. Volunteers will be taught how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis. In the same way as learning physical first aid, MHFA teaches people how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health and feel confident to guide someone to appropriate support.
To do this we have funded the training of two Mental Health First Aid Instructors to provide this in house at no cost to leaders or groups. We will be able to offer three levels of course to suit those in different roles / different time commitments.
- Mental Health Aware – 4 hours
- Mental Health First Aid – 1 day
- Supervising First Aid for Mental Health – 2 day
Our aim and initial priority is to have at least one leader in every one of our 60 sections trained as a Mental Health First Aiders so there is a good level of support and awareness of mental health issues for all our young people in all levels of Scouts. We would also like those in a key line management positions e.g. GSLs and Commissioners trained in “Supervising First Aid for Mental Health”, to encourage a positive mental health culture and understand their responsibility and role they can play in supporting their teams.
However, the training will be open to all and we are not expecting this to become a role for one person, if there are multiple people in a section who would like to attend then empty places on the courses will be offered to those who want them. Courses will be repeated in the future and it is hoped that eventually everyone will have participated in some form of the training. Those with slightly less time available or roles with less direct responsibility e.g. Section Assistants or Exec Members who would like to learn more about Mental health, may be more inclined to attend the shorter Mental Health Aware courses.
We will also be offering specific training to young leaders who wish to participate in Mental Health awareness training.
Additional help for adult volunteers
Samaritans: Samaritans offer a free service any time 24/7. If you need someone to talk to, they listen. They won’t judge or tell you what to do.
Phone: 116 123
Website: samaritans.org
NHS 111: For urgent medical advice out of hours you can contact NHS 111. They can help if you have an urgent problem and don’t know what to do.
Phone: 111
Website: 111.nhs.uk
MIND: Mind Infoline is open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. We’re closed outside of those hours
Call: 0300 123 3393
Website: mind.org.uk
How the courses will be delivered…
Learning takes place through a mix of group activities, presentations and discussions. Our intention is to offer the course virtually, face to face indoors and face face to face outdoors to appeal to different learning styles. Fundamentally all three courses focus on practical skills and awareness designed to give you:
- A better understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect people’s wellbeing, including your own
- Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to appropriate support
Course learning outcomes:
- Provide initial help to someone experiencing mental distress
- Guide the person towards appropriate professional help
- Be mindful of own wellbeing
- Understand the difference between mental health and mental illness
- Understand the consequences of stigma
- Understand the consequences of stress on mental health and how to manage stress
- Recognise the symptoms of mental ill health
More information
Additional help for young people
NSPCC’s Childline: 1-to-1 chat support and 24-hour helpline for young people.
Phone: 0800 1111
Website: childline.org.uk
HOPELineUK: A specialist telephone service that gives non-judgemental support, practical advice and information to young people.
Phone: 0800 068 4141
Website: papyrus-uk.org
On My Mind: Information for young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing.
Website: annafreud.org/on-my-mind
YoungMinds: Crisis Messenger textline for free 24/7 support in the UK if a child or young person is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Text: YM to 85258
Website: youngminds.org.uk
NHS Go: NHS confidential health advice and support for young people under 25. Download the app to your phone.
Website: nhsgo.uk
