Department for Education - Senior Mental Health Lead Training

Objectives of Fund

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering grants for eligible state-funded schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead to develop and implement a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

This training is not compulsory, but it is part of the government’s commitment to offer this training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025.

Value Notes

Grants of £1,200 are available.

Who Can Apply

All state-funded education settings that are in receipt of ESFA pre-16 revenue, high needs block, or 16 to 19 programme funding are eligible for the grant, including:

• Mainstream academies and local-authority maintained schools
• Special academies and local authority maintained schools special schools (including alternative provision)
• Independent special schools whose pupils’ education is funded by their local authority
• Further education colleges attended by under 18-year-olds (one claim per campus ID)
• Sixth form colleges
• Special post-16 institutions
• Non-maintained special schools
• Local authorities
• Independent training providers

Eligible schools and colleges that claimed a grant in a previous financial year can claim a second £1,200 grant if the senior mental health lead they previously trained left their setting before embedding a whole school or college approach.

Location

England

Restrictions

Independent institutions (with fee-paying pupils and students) that do not receive the funding types outlined above are not eligible for a grant. The grant is also not available for leaders of early years settings.

Ineligible settings can still access DfE quality assured training courses independently.

Eligible Expenditure

The grants can cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality assured course and may also be used to hire supply staff whilst leads are engaged in training.

How To Apply

The deadline to submit form 1 for training to commence on 31 March 2025 is 31 December 2024.

The deadline to submit form 2 is 31 January 2025.

Applicants must complete two forms:

• Form 1 - the initial application form to check eligibility and reserve a grant
• Form 2 - the second stage of the application process, where applicants upload evidence of having booked a DfE quality assured training course so they can pay the grant.

Both forms can be found on the GOV.UK website.