Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award

This module will benefit you and your setting in a wide variety of ways. Over the duration of the course, you will:

• Develop your understanding of the context, complexity and interactional nature of SEMH, including relevant theory applied to practice
• Draw on a range of leadership styles to hold the SMHL role with confidence and success
• Conceptualise and map your setting’s risk and resiliency factors, leading to action planning. Set up systems to engage stakeholder groups, including enabling student and carer voice
• Implement impactful plans and actions
• Deliver improved wellbeing for all students, including those with identified needs
• Have a greater whole school understanding on discrimination

Through completion of the assignments, you will collate evidence related to your role to help determine an action plan of next steps and help create your own mental health resource bank to assist with staff training. There will be five assignments to complete:

• Reading Critically. This is a short written piece (around 500-1000 words) critically analysing Meins’ article on attachment.
• Database of good practice. This is a practical, live document that details interventions and resources of relevance to your setting. It can be presented as a working spreadsheet / Word document.
• Training Pack OR 3000 word essay. The training pack involves preparation of two Powerpoints / sets of engaging training materials that you can use with staff in your school / college. The essay is 3000 words and the title is How do SEMH policy and theory inform whole school / college approaches to SEMH support, including practice in your own setting.
• SEMH Audit / Review Portfolio – A document summarising current SEMH provision in the setting, plus a Force Field Analysis (FFA) (1,000 words) and 500 word summary of the process and findings.
• SEMH Strategic Portfolio. A portfolio of planning documents, which includes:
  • The SEMH Action Plan – an action plan for leading change in the setting. (500 – 750 words)
  • A Project Overview: a 500 word summary of the planning process, including a ‘birds eye view’ flowchart or similar, mapping the project from audit to strategic plan.
  • My Reflections (250-500 words) on how the process of auditing and planning has been so far, and on how to sustain their learning and peer support beyond the course.

• Our courses are delivered through Campus Online, our unique provision for online learning.
• Campus Online allows you to study at your own pace, without the need to travel, or commit to particular dates or times. Log in to access your study materials, contact your personal tutor for support, connect and network with other delegates and make use of the extensive resource library.
• You can easily track your progress throughout the course and submit your work and evidence of assignments for feedback.

Included within the course is around six hours of tutoring and coaching from your Tutor Coach, who supports you on your journey as a leader, and provides tutoring and coaching around the five key assignments. This time often works best as flexibly delivered asynchronous communication and support using our model of supported professional development.

The Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award is aimed at SMHLs familiar with the role, intermediate practitioners and leaders that are looking to develop their skills with mental health practice. Delegates should be in a position where they are already leading on mental health in their setting, or due to step into such a role imminently. On this course, you will embed learning through practice in your setting, so will need the support of the Headteacher/Head of Centre

You will also need to have an undergraduate degree to enrol on this course.

Are you new to or aspiring to the Senior Mental Health Leadership (SMHL) role? Our Senior Mental Health Lead Certificate course may be a better fit. We also have general SMHL training guidance available.

Looking for a short online SEMH course for your staff? You may be interested in our Level 5 Emotionally Connected Classroom course offered by our sister company Dyslexia Action. The course offers high-quality CPD, is delivered online, requires 30 hours of study over a seven week period and runs four times a year. Please note DfE funding cannot be used for the cost of this course.

This course is available online and can therefore be completed anywhere in the world. The programme content is designed and written with both UK and international settings in mind.

Please click here for advice on payment options and other information relevant to those studying outside of the UK.

The Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award course costs £1,525 plus VAT. 

Grant funding may be available if you work in a school or college in England. View the latest information about grant funding.

To apply for the grant, eligible schools and colleges must:

• Complete application form 1 by 31 December 2024 to reserve a grant
• Book your DfE quality assured training course by 31 January 2025
• Start your training course by 31 March 2025.

Please see our guide to applying for funding for further information.

We can confirm that this course has achieved quality-assured status from the DfE, and will be eligible for grant funding according to the process outlined by the DfE.

Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award
DfE course reference number: SMHL039

If you do not receive an email, you can contact the DfE on MentalHealth.LeadTraining@education.gov.uk. Grant payments are then made once the evidence has been reviewed and approved.

To ensure grants do not go unclaimed, grants will be released to applicants on the waiting list if you do not complete this final stage of your application within 3 weeks from being asked to do so.

The grant funding amount is up to £1,200 per setting. You can still book a place on the course if you work in an international school or setting, which is not eligible for grant funding, assuming you meet the eligibility criteria and your school funds the cost of the course.

For further information please visit our payment FAQ page.

Speak to us on +44(0)1273 358080 or make a booking.

Cohorts begins in January, May, or September. The next Cohort begins on 15 January 2025. Book and enrol before 15 January 2025 to join our next cohort.

Our Advanced Award cohorts are eligible for DfE Funding! View the latest information about grant funding.

Please note: as it takes time to process your application and payment, we strongly recommend that you register as soon as possible so that you don’t miss the next intake.

The duration of the Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award course is up to one year and equates to 300 hours of study.

We do understand, however, that circumstances can arise that could prevent the course from being completed in this time period. If this is the case, an extension can be arranged in conjunction with the admin team and your tutor coach.

Many of the approved courses offered by other providers are short courses, to be completed by the end of the academic year. At Real Training, we believe that learning should be practice-led and completed over a longer period to ensure long-term retention and maximum impact. Therefore you can take up to 12 months to complete our Senior Mental Health Leadership Advanced Award and you will be making a difference in your setting straight away. We are happy to confirm that the DfE has approved this course duration.

We recently submitted our Senior Mental Health Lead Advanced Award to the DfE for a ‘deep-dive’ – an opportunity for our course to be rigorously reviewed to ensure that it meets the required learning outcomes and provide schools and colleges with high quality training.

The assessor commented the below about our course:

“The course offers a diverse array of effective methods and models designed to empower Senior Mental Health Leads in planning, implementing, and sustaining strategic change. It is structured to actively involve learners in these strategic processes, facilitating a comprehensive understanding. Learners are provided with opportunities to undergo a 360-degree review with a trusted colleague and engage in meaningful discourse with the course tutor regarding the practicalities of implementation within their specific contexts.”