National Rural Mental Health Forum

Next online National Rural Mental Health Forum shall hear about the The Skills for Life programmes – experiences of promoting children’s mental health and resilience in Dumfries and Galloway Primary Schools plus Scottish Government’s Supporting Mentally Healthy Workplaces programme, where you will learn about the employer platform, which signposts employers to a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing resources and information. A really valuable session.

Full Agenda;

11:00 - Welcome and Introduction, Jim Hume, Convenor

1105 - The Skills for Life programmes – experiences of promoting children’s mental health and resilience in Dumfries and Galloway Primary Schools.

Zippy’s Friends (ages 5-7), Apple’s Friends (ages 7-9) and Passport (ages 9-11) are social and emotional learning programmes taught as part of PSHE, which are proven to improve children’s coping and social skills. The Spark Resilience programme (10-12) draws on mindfulness, positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to give children skills to boost their strengths, control strong emotions and reframe habitual ways of thinking.

Between August 2020 – July 2023, these programmes were rolled out across Dumfries and Galloway primary schools, with 8 schools taking part in a robust qualitative evaluation of both the delivery experience of staff, and experiences and outcomes for children.

This session will provide participants with:

1. an overview of the programmes (powerpoint)
2. a summary of the evaluation findings from Dumfries and Galloway (powerpoint)
3. an opportunity to hear about the experiences of one of the delivery schools. (video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRGPv3ORow )
4. The chance to ask questions to key members of the project team including:

o Liz Bowles – Project Manager – Partnership for Children

o Jayne Carter – Project Manager - Partnership for Children

o Grace Cardozo – Managing Director – Sleeping Giants

o Dr Lorna Bell – Lead Evaluator – Lorna Bell Research

o Laura Farrell – Teacher – Amisfield Primary School

12:05 Supporting Mentally Healthy Workplaces – Overview from the Scottish Government. Stewart Reid, Mental Health Directorate, Scottish Government

We know that creating workplaces which support and promote good mental health benefits both individuals and employers. Stewart Reid from Scottish Government’s Mental Health Directorate will provide an overview of the work being taken forward by the Scottish Government and partners to support employers to promote good mental health at work.

This includes the Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace employer platform, which signposts employers to a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing resources and information; and the Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace: National Learning Network for employers, which brings together employers of all sizes, and from a range of sectors, to share learning and experiences of supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

12:55 - Any other business and date of next meeting

13:00 - Close