The Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network (GMLPN), in partnership with the Association of Colleges (AoC), and funding from the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, have embarked on a project over the past year to research into and improve Mental Health support for Training Providers, their learners and the employers they work with.
Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership
‘It’s impressive to see how learning providers across Greater Manchester were able to adapt and continue to offer training and education throughout the pandemic.
However, the necessary changes and need to follow coronavirus guidance have been stressful for everyone involved.
That’s why we welcome the launch of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit, helping learning providers to offer the best possible support to their staff, students and learners during these challenging times and beyond.’
Professor Sandeep Ranote, Interim Greater Manchester Medical Executive Lead for Mental Health
During the project GMLPN have:
- Developed a Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit aimed at Training Providers, the learners they train and the employers they work with
- Recruited a network of 27 Mental Health Champions from a range of Training Providers
- Building on the AoC’s Mental Health Charter for Colleges, developed a Charter for Training Providers and signed up 13 Training Providers as supporters
- Hosted four Mental Health Professional Exchanges with over 136 attendees in total covering topics such as, digital wellbeing and managing anxiety
- Facilitated various different training sessions focused on issues such as Employer Good Practice and Mental Health & Change
As part of the toolkit GMLPN have developed a self-assessment tool for training providers and gathered resources, good news stories and best practice from across the Mental Health Champions group and Mental Health Professional Exchanges attendees over the past year. GMLPN would like to offer gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the development of this toolkit.
‘We are excited to launch the Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit that we have been developing over the past year. We believe it is a good tool for Training Providers to best support their learners, staff and employers they work with.’
Anne Gornall | Executive Director | GMLPN
Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit
You can download the Mental Health & Wellbeing Toolkit here.
Association of Colleges
‘The Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network toolkit is another resource developed through the important work funded by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and delivered through the Association of Colleges. This is part of the Greater Manchester mental health in education programme.
The toolkit adapts the hugely successful Association of Colleges toolkit for colleges and makes it appropriate for the independent training providers who deliver apprenticeship programmes to the young people of Greater Manchester.
It also enables the Greater Manchester mental health in further education colleges programme to reach all 16-18 year old across Greater Manchester by equipping the education and training organisations with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate support and signposting for young people struggling with their mental health.
By using this toolkit independent training providers can identify gaps in their provision, develop and improve how they support employee mental health and celebrate what they do well. In addition, we are helping deliver on the Greater Manchester Young Persons Guarantee by keeping young people connected, to stay well, and to support transition into the workplace, as well as helping reduce economic inequality across GM.
We look forward to continuing our work with the Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network toolkit and their members, to increase our reach of the overall programme, and to develop the tools and resources that support the positive mental health and wellbeing of all our young people across Greater Manchester.
You can find out more about the Greater Manchester Young Persons Guarantee here and the Greater Manchester mental health in further education colleges programme here.’
Richard Caulfield | Area Director (NW) and National Lead Mental Health | AoC
