Greenhead College has been awarded the highest mental health support award schools can get.

The college has been awarded the gold standard Mental Health Award from the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools for its outstanding mental health and well-being provision.

The college has developed its own Mental Health and Well-being Framework over several years which includes a Mental and Physical Week each term where staff and students can access activities, information sessions and resources to support mental health and well-being both in and out of the classroom.

Activities are also offered to boost the well-being of students and staff throughout the academic year such as enrichment, sports and physical recreation, walking for wellness, a Cosy Café, mindfulness colouring and regular visits from therapy dogs.

The college also has a pioneering and well-established counselling service which makes 75 therapeutic hours available to the college’s student population each week and is a vital support in a time when statutory services can be so difficult to access.

Greenhead College principal Mo Bunter said: “We will continue to strive for excellence and share our best practices with others.”

Claire Parr, assistant principal for student support and welfare at Greenhead College, added: “Bringing mental health and well-being support together under one unified framework reflects our commitment to creating a safe, supportive environment where the well-being of students and staff is our top priority.

“The framework is the foundation to ensure we are recognising the mental health and well-being of all but will also enable us to adapt our well-being provision in response with the changing needs of our community.”

The award was established in 2017 by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – part of Leeds Beckett University – and social enterprise Minds Ahead.

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools aims to strengthen students’ mental health by supporting schools and colleges to make a positive change at all levels of the UK’s education system, improving students’ outcomes and life chances.

Rachel Boyle, dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said: “The achievement of the Mental Health Award is a demonstration of the college’s significant commitment to improving student and staff’s mental health and wellbeing.

“It is also a commitment to developing practices in college that seek to improve awareness and expertise in creating safe and secure learning environments in which all young people can truly fulfil their potential.”

Nationally, more than 1,400 schools and colleges have signed up to take part in the mental health award.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.