Mental Health First Aid Training provider.

BACKGROUND AND SPECIFICATION

The purpose of this Invitation to Tender exercise is to source an accredited provider of training to deliver “Mental Health First Aid” to frontline practitioners and supervisors that regularly work with children. Training is required to improve the competence and confidence of practitioners and their supervisors in recognising the signs and symptoms of poor emotional wellbeing in children.

The aim is to recognise these signs earlier and enable practitioners to intervene where appropriate, either directly by providing an early intervention or referring to appropriate mental health provision. Training will be based in appropriate evidence-led approaches and will take account of all safeguarding issues.

The training will involve approximately 90 practitioners across Sefton Council and school staff.

The outcomes required for this training are:

• Knowledge and understanding of how poor mental health can present in children
• Understanding common drivers and root causes of poor mental health in children
• Knowledge of tools and techniques to help children to describe their feelings and emotions
• Knowledge of appropriate early intervention techniques
• Ability to deliver an early intervention
• Ability to record and maintain notes when delivering a mental health intervention
• Understanding and recognising signs where referral to specialist agencies is required
• Awareness of the role of parents and carers in children’s mental health
• Develop approaches and strategies to manage difficult situations with parents and carers of children with mental health problems

It is anticipated that participants will be formally certified as “Mental Health First Aiders” by an appropriate professional body.

Sefton MBC will provide training facilities, with electronic multimedia functionality.



NATURE OF THE SERVICE

Sefton MBC values the ability to work collaboratively with providers and is keen to hear from providers who have previously undertaken this type of training with practitioners and supervisors who work with children. With this in mind, we encourage innovative methods and processes of training delivery.

The provider will be expected to demonstrate deep knowledge of children’s mental health and an understanding of the skills required to achieve prolonged behavioural change. The provider will also demonstrate frontline experience of delivering mental health interventions.

Practitioners and supervisors will be from a variety of Council services, mainstream and specialist schools. The provider will also demonstrate an understanding of inter-agency collaboration and how improved outcomes can be achieved through effective partnership working.


KEY OBJECTIVES

Provision of training to a minimum of 90 frontline workers that regularly work with children.

Training will cover issues such as:

• Mild depression and poor emotional wellbeing
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• The impact of bullying
• Emotional resilience
• Suicide and clinical depression
• Psychosis
• Reducing the stigma associated with poor mental health
• Recognising the impact on a child’s mental health following a diagnosis of conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.









• Sefton Council reserves the right to award the contract/agreement on the basis of a single supplier