Training programme helps Thurso High School with mental health support
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Pupils at Thurso High School are among those who have been benefiting from a UK-wide preventative education programme that seeks to ensure no-one has to face mental ill health alone.
Known as Bloom, it provides school staff with the opportunity to develop skills and have open conversations about mental health while training people about mental health awareness.
The team behind Bloom delivered the programme to staff and pupils at Thurso recently, outlining how to access services and identify support.
It aims to help those aged 14 to 18 develop the knowledge to manage their mental health "through current and future transitions in life".
One pupil, aged 15, explained: “We were given toolkits that included lots of solutions that gave me the options to decide which one fits best. I also appreciated the templates made that allowed us to create our own step-by-step walk-throughs on how we would solve our own problems.”
The charity Support in Mind Scotland runs the Scottish arm of Bloom, funded by Mental Health UK and backed by the fundraising of Lloyds Banking Group staff.
Arlene McCloskey, service manager for Bloom at Support in Mind Scotland, said: “As a result of this programme, there will be an increased student participation on the topic of mental health and an increased ability to identify mental health needs earlier.
“Funding for additional staff training is limited and accessing training has been made more difficult since the pandemic. Sourcing effective online training has required extensive research.
“Bloom provides training to designated teachers by developing their knowledge and progressing their skills in delivering mental health lessons with the correct resources. The programme covers a range of topics, including delivery, collaborative working and safeguarding.”
Anne Nicoll, deputy head teacher at Thurso High, said: “Early intervention is everything. Building that self-care and resilience and being able to use a programme like Bloom is one of the ways in which we can try to tackle mental health support in an education setting without having that clinical expertise support.”
Dr Tim Allison, NHS Highland’s director of public health, said: “There are a number of fantastic initiatives that focus on prevention and early intervention as well as providing practical support for individuals and their families. This work is essential in tackling this issue and support for this work must be a priority.”
