Blog

Mental Health First aid support for young people

Would you know how to help?

One in ten young people experience a mental health issue at any one time. Suicide is the leading cause of death for those aged 5-19.

In an average group of 30 15-year-olds:

• Seven are likely to have been bullied
• Six may be self-harming
• One could have experienced the death of a parent

Record levels of young people are struggling. Academic pressure, social media, bullying, poverty, lack of availability of professional mental health support – all have been named by various sources as contributing to this epidemic of poor mental health in our young people.

It’s clear that young people are not getting the support they need. Key figures in a young person’s life – parents, family members, teachers, tutors, carers, youth workers – can often spot when a young person is struggling but may not know how best to help.

At Somerford Youth and Community Centre, we are trained to deliver Mental Health First Aid to young people aged 8 – 18. This means we have the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need. In doing so, we can speed up a young person’s recovery and stop a mental health issue from getting worse. This has created an environment where we have the information and tools to look after our own mental health so that we can set an example for young people. By acquiring these tools to have these conversations, we have created a mentally healthy, supportive environment in our community.

We are also qualified under Mental Health First Aid England to train other s in Youth Mental Health First Aid and run the training courses to train others to become Youth Mental Health First Aiders.

The courses won’t teach you to be a therapist, but they will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.

If you are a young person in need of mental health support then please get in touch with us. If you know of a young person who is struggling with their mental health and don’t know where to turn, please contact us.

If you are an adult, organisation or professional who would like to know more about the Youth MHFA training we offer, please Contact Us.

Youth Achievement and Duke of Edinburgh Award

We run the Duke of Edinburgh Award:

The Scheme creates a life-changing experience;  a fun time with friends; an opportunity to discover new interests and talents. It is a tool to develop essential skills for life and work and a recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.

The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate adult life.

14-24 year-olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.

Any young person can do their DofE – regardless of ability, gender, background or location. Achieving an Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s all about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries.

Through a DofE programme young people have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and uni and job applications. Top employers recognise the work-ready skills Award holders bring to their business.

As a Licenced Organisation (LO) we are the only non-school community-based centre operating the scheme locally. Our focus is to support and encourage those young people who may not have the means nor the self-belief to undertake the Award.

The Youth Achievement Award

The UK Youth Achievement Awards (UKYAAs) champion a variety of learning methods to provide a unique framework that can be tailored to almost any activity, helping to engage a range of young people. The aim of the Award is to provide an accredited, flexible award framework to celebrate the achievements of all young people.

The UKYAAs, which are accredited by ASDAN, offer five levels. Young people can work their way up or enter at the most relevant point:

• Challenge – entry level introduction to the UKYAAs
• Bronze – taking part and getting involved
• Silver – helping to organise
• Gold – planning and leading
• Platinum – taking a full leadership role, with an element of training

Each level of the award connects to a different point on the UK Youth Social Development Journey and represents different levels of participation. Through the UKYAAs, young people will gain vital life skills and become motivated, self-aware, receptive, resilient, responsible, confident and good communicators.

Please Contact Us if you require any further information on these Awards.

Youth Club and Activity Sessions