Mental Health First Aid Training
New Horizons (NW) provides residential care for vulnerable children and young people.
As part of our induction process for new staff, we offer a two-week training program that covers a variety of topics, including mental health first aid.
Mental health first aid is identifying, understanding and responding to signs of mental health issues. It is not a replacement for professional help, but it can provide support and resources to someone who is struggling.
Our mental health first aid training is delivered by Lewis Dixon, our training coordinator.
Lewis is a qualified mental health first aider and has extensive experience working with children and young people.
Having worked his way up through our staff progression programme, starting as relief staff to a full-time support worker, team leader and management roles, he now shares that knowledge as our training coordinator.
To get the best from the new members of the New Horizons family, he creates a safe and supportive space for participants to learn and share their experiences.
The training covers a range of topics, including:
- The signs and symptoms of mental illness
- How to talk to someone who is struggling
- How to provide support and resources
- How to manage your own stress and anxiety
The training is interactive and engaging, and participants have the opportunity to share their own experiences. This helps to create a sense of community and support, which is essential for providing effective mental health care.
We believe that mental health first aid is an essential skill for anyone who works with children and young people. It can help us to identify and support those who are struggling, and it can help us to create a more supportive and inclusive environment.
We are committed to providing our staff with the training and resources they need to support the mental health of our children and young people. We believe that this is essential for providing the best possible care.
Mental Health Awareness Week
This week, Monday 15th to Sunday 21st May 2023, is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. The theme for this year is “Anxiety”.
It is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues and to encourage people to be kind to themselves and others.
There are many things you can do to support mental health awareness. You can:
- Talk to your friends and family about mental health
- Share information about mental health on social media
- Volunteer your time to a mental health charity
- Donate to a mental health charity
- Challenge stigma and discrimination around mental health
By taking these steps, you can help to create a more supportive and inclusive environment for everyone.
How to Support Children and Young People with Mental Health Challenges
If you are concerned about the mental health of a child or young person, there are a few things you can do to help. You can:
- Talk to the child or young person about how they are feeling
- Encourage them to seek professional help
- Offer your support and understanding
- Be patient and understanding
It is important to remember that you are not alone. There are many resources available to help children and young people with mental health challenges. If you need help, please reach out to a mental health professional or a trusted adult.
New Horizons Mental Health First Aid Training in Action
This week, our training coordinator Lewis is delivering mental health first aid training. The session is filled with lots of shared experiences, group discussion, lived experiences and tabletop tasks to effectively learn new skills on how best ways to support our young people with their mental well-being.
We are grateful to Lewis for his dedication to providing our staff with the training they need to support the mental health of our children and young people. We believe that this training is essential for providing the best possible care.
Working with and caring for children and young people is ‘more than just a job!’
At New Horizons (NW) we are passionate about ‘creating positive outcomes’ for all our children and young people, so staff support and development is crucial to providing the care that our children and young people need.
As an expanding business we are always seeking to recruit enthusiastic, driven and empathetic people who are looking to make a significant difference to the lives of children and young people living in residential care.
If you’d like to know more about a career in caring at New Horizons (NW) visit our website > Careers
If you’d like to see the latest jobs available at New Horizons (NW) visit our website > Latest Jobs
