Trust host community Mental Health First Aid training in Tooting Family Hub
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust took their innovative Mental health First Aid (MHFA) collaboration into the heart of the community with a bespoke training session delivered at Tooting Family Hub.
The session was organised in partnership with Wandsworth Borough Council’s Children’s Services Tooting Family Hub, creating a unique opportunity to facilitate knowledge learning, equip and inspire participants to de-stigmatise mental health across local communities. Providing a safe space for discussions, this course was targeted for local women from a g lobal majority background to share experiences, learn from others and the course content.
Mental Health First Aid is an internationally recognised training course delivered by MHFA England and is designed to teach people how to identify , understand, and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue on a first-aid basis.
The programme is a key part of the Trust’s work to raise mental health awareness, challenge stigma, improve mental health literacy and support community engagement. By equipping people with the skills and confidence to support their own and others’ mental health the Trust hopes to foster better understanding of mental health and mental ill health.
Urooj Khan, Senior PM, Integrated Care Support Services explained:
"The Mental Health First Aid Champion training has been incredibly eye-opening. It’s given me the confidence to recognise signs of mental ill health and have more open, supportive conversations. The training has also made me realise that we all have mental health and mental wellbeing, just like physical health and there is no health without mental health. Too often, people confuse mental health with mental ill health, but this course helps break that stigma. In South West London’s diverse communities, it’s more important than ever that we’re equipped to support and promote each other’s mental wellbeing."
Another attendee who heard about the training via Mushkil Asaan shared with the group:
‘ I am her e to learn how to look after my mental health hand those around me. When I heard about the training through Mushkil Asaan, my friend and I thought, ‘we would like to go – we should go.’
Susan Pieterse, Trust Apprenticeship and work based manager who delivered the training said:
‘ ‘ It was such a privilege to deliver the MHFA Champions training at the Tooting Family Hub and meet woman that care for each other and their community The Mental Health First Aid training gives us the skills to notice when someone is struggling and offer support, so no one has to face tough times alone"
Key support available for signposting in South West London includes the Trust’s 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line , walk-in Recovery Cafes (or Crisis Cafes) which provide a safe space out-of-hours, community services like NHS Talking Therapies , and where appropriate , self-help tools provided through resources like the NHS’s Every Mind Matters campaign.
The latest cohort of Champions take us over 210 trained Champions in the community.
