Do you work with areas of the community with an elevated risk of ill mental health?

If you do, you may be able to access a suite of funded training courses delivered by Oxfordshire Mind.

Oxfordshire County Council have commissioned Oxfordshire Mind to deliver a suite of needs led, comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention training across the county.

The idea is to train up those with regular contact with groups in the community that have a high risk of ill mental health or suicide. Working with data from the JSNA and MWNA, we have identified pockets of the community that could make use of more robust provision around mental health. We aim to equip people with the knowledge and skills they need to help their families, friends and individuals that they work or volunteer with, within these key groups.

We are offering the following training as part of the funded suite:

Mental Health Aware:

A fantastic half day course, covering the basic knowledge behind some common mental health issues. This course looks at elements of self care, as well as how you can confidently support others in distress or who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

Suicide First Aid Lite:

Suicide is one of the most common and preventable deaths, yet many people do not know how to support someone who is at risk of suicide.

This half day suicide prevention course aims to give learners the knowledge and skills needed to prevent deaths from suicide, in workplaces, their personal lives or community settings. You will learn how to identify the signs someone is at risk of suicide and how to talk about suicide in a safe and confident way, as well as where to signpost someone at risk of suicide for further support.

You will gain the skills to develop a safety plan with someone who is having suicidal thoughts.

Youth Mental Health First Aid:

This two day course trains you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider, giving you an in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and factors that affect wellbeing. You will learn practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues and gain confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress.

You will also learn enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening and gain the knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS, or a mix – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate

You will come away with the ability to support a young person with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive and, importantly, the tools to look after your own mental wellbeing.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Champion:

This one day course trains you as a Youth MHFA Champion, giving you an understanding of common mental health issues and how they can affect young people; and the ability to spot signs of mental ill health in young people and guide them to a place of support.

You will gain the knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness and learn some key skills to support positive wellbeing.

SPEAK Suicide Prevention Training:

A half day course aimed at those working with under 18s who might be at risk of suicide. This course addresses the attitudes, myths and stigma around suicide. Delegates learn to recognise and explore the signs that may indicate someone is having suicidal ideation.

The course enables delegates to have open, safe and sensitive conversations about suicide with people who may behaving thoughts of suicide.

You will also learn to support a safety plan with someone thinking of suicide.

We are offering all of these courses online or in person, and will work with you to overcome any barriers you might have to accessing the material. None of the courses require prior knowledge of the subject matter, and all are extremely comprehensive.

If you work with any of the areas listed below, or think you should be able to access free Mental Health and Suicide Prevention training, please email trainingcourses@oxfordshiremind.org.uk

• LGBTQIA+ People
• Carers
• Transgender people
• MSK Sufferers
• People with Chronic Health Conditions
• People with Substance Dependency
• Single Parent Households
• Problem Gamblers
• SEN Pupils
• People experiencing homelessness
• People in contact with the justice system
• Physically Disabled People
• Those experiencing Loneliness
• Care Leavers
• Children living in relative poverty
• People experiencing unemployment
• Recently Bereaved People
• New Parents
• People with pre-existing Severe Mental Illness
• People who self harm
• Neurodiverse people
• Those Who have Experience with Domestic Abuse
• Parent Carers

Marcus Hills

Wellbeing Partnerships Manager | Oxfordshire Mind