(June, 2006)
The Trust entered into an arrangement with Young Minds in May 2006 to help fund the employment of a Schools’ Outreach Worker for a period of two years starting in late 2006. The commitment is £20,000 in Year 1 and £21,000 in Year 2 representing approximately 50% of the cost.
The main duties of the Schools Outreach Worker will be to:
- Facilitate early identification and treatment of mental health disorders by training key staff in the educational sector to recognise the symptoms of such disorders. The target in Year 1 is to train at least 1000 key staff.
- Reduce stigma and raise awareness of depression and other mental health issues by visiting schools, colleges, youth clubs and other establishments; by providing relevant publications and by signposting local and national sources of information and advice.
- The target in Year 1 is to conduct at least 40 such visits.
- Increase accessibility of information to young people by developing new child-friendly publications and leaflets to directly support this work
- Ensure that all Young Minds activities meet the needs and aspirations of young people by involving them in the design of new publications and the planning of services
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Improve child and adolescent mental health services by organising a national conference programme to highlight and disseminate information on emerging trends. At least one such conference is to be organised in Year 1.
In particular it is intended to integrate Waller Fellows into this programme (time allowing) by providing them with additional training to ensure a uniform approach when accessing key staff in schools and young people.
The monitoring and evaluation of the Schools Outreach Service will be conducted by Young Minds’ Parents’ Information Service Manager and overseen by a Steering Group including representation from CWMT. This is an exciting project which links CWMT with the acknowledged experts in the field of children’s mental health.
(February, 2007)
The recruitment process has been delayed. We continue to encourage Young Minds to take the necessary action.
(July 2007)
We are pleased to report that Laura Stancevic has been appointed as the Schools Outreach Officer and that she started work at Young Minds on 18th June, 2007. Laura graduated from the Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge in 2003 having read Health, Welfare and Social Policy. She is currently completing a dissertation for her award of a Master's Degree from Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
(October, 2007)
Laura Stancevic has made a most encouraging start.. She has met our Trustees, the Waller MH Trainers and has established contact with the DCSF and The Samaritans as well as about 30 schools, colleges and other agencies involved with young people.
The links between the Waller MH Trainers and the Schools Outreach Officer are a pivotal part of the Trust's strategy.
(July 2008)
Laura has been most successful in consolidating and expanding her outreach work to the extent that the Directors of CWMT have agreed in principle to continue funding into a third year. Young Minds hosted the first coordinating meeting of Waller MH Trainers,the Schools Outreach Officer and Young Minds staff on 11 June 2008. These meetings will be held regularly.
