Sustainability Planning - Community Learning
In the document Adult Community Learning Priorities 2016-18 a key area is adult health, particularly mental health. The document states that 10% of Sheffield adults have mental health problems. The following suggestions would help to address this challenge having supportive evidence to sustain the systems/provision in the next academic year
Goal / Impact / Funding / Supporting evidence- Progression – Progression into the general Community Learning/Family Learning offer will be promoted on week 6 of all courses included in the Learn Well, Live Well project. We have already identified the need for courses such as Yoga to be continued in different areas of the city and this has been requested by the learners. We have identified that there are two key groups Asylum seekers/Refugees and none native English speakers that have a high level of need (moderate to severe mental health) in the central area of the city. We would work to address this need by using successful LWLW courses in those areas.
- We would like to commission courses through the summer months to trial this approach with the groups mentioned and the elderly.The Learning Champions (Health) would use the SWEMWBS wellbeing questionnaire to evidence impact of the courses and support learners/tutors through the courses.
- The Learning Champions would also work with SAVTE, ACT and ESOL tutors to provide support around mental health services that would be available aiding signposting and tutor well being
What works wellbeing publication
- Curriculum development – courses that have been successful in their outcomes as part of the LWLW project would be mainstreamed where appropriate to ensure continued engagement of those people within the City who have mild to moderate mental health issues further the positive impact across the city.
- We would commission
Managing stress through Yoga – 2 courses, We can do it – 2 courses, Art for wellbeing- 1 course, MOT -1 course. The Learning Champion would support a provider around the needs of the group. / Community Learning / The Five Year Forward View For Mental Health (pages 7,13,31) and The Government’s response to the five year forward view of mental health (Recommendation No 12)
Devolved areas are mentioned in the publication and this would support the direction for Sheffield
- Online survey – FACES will explore the use of online enrolments based on the successful data collection that has been conducted as part of the LWLW project. The level of consent (in line with data protection) will be explored with the Data Support Manager. Ipads and Mifi’s that have been gifted as part of the project would be used for this purpose and the Cisco Meraki security system would be used. There is a potential for this online method of enrolment to be used for all FACES programmes. This could revolutionise enrolment in FACES classes.
- Sourcing an individual to develop an online enrolment based on the survey used as part of the mental health project, the impact of this would be to save costs on paper based documents, MIS time as the survey would be live and assessable in real time
- Health advice and support – During the project Placement Officers/Learning Champions (Health) have supported the learners with a range of mental health issues such as self-harm, bereavement, suicidal thoughts and caring for others. The level of knowledge and support in these situations has been a valuable asset to the project and learners involved in Sheffield. We would like to explore retaining this expertise so that a support mechanism can be used to aid tutors with these difficult situations. The impact of this would be less safeguarding incidents, better signposting to relevant health services, appropriate self-help strategies to keep safe and improved tutor wellbeing.
- Better use of mental health services for all communities. Tutor wellbeing as they have a support system and can arrange one to one advice sessions for learners to get the help and support.