DfE approved Whole School Approach (WSA) training

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering a grant for a senior member of school or college staff to access quality assured training to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in your setting.

The ROAR Whole School Approach (WSA) training suite has been developed to support the professional development of mental health leads in primary and secondary schools. The training has been developed in partnership with colleagues from Education to give senior leaders an overview of key principles (based on the PHE model) to promoting emotional health and wellbeing across education. The training has grown out of Liverpool’s long-standing multi-agency city-wide WSA and the development of mental health support teams in schools.

The Liverpool Learning Partnership, Merseyside Youth Association’s RAISE Team and Alder Hey’s Mental Health Support Teams will deliver the ROAR Whole School Approach to schools in Liverpool and UK-wide.

The course works in synergy with the ROAR WSA assessment tool, which gives senior leaders a baseline report to develop and implement an action plan to see mental health and emotional wellbeing considered in all aspects of school life. Supported by ten stand-alone modules, the course will support senior leads to develop each principle of their WSA, using resources, further training and support whilst maximising the role of local mental health support teams.

Participants can also access further ROAR Training (ROAR primary/secondary, Early Years, ROAR SEN, ROAR Culture and ROAR supervision training) to develop specific principles such as recognising need.

Senior MHLs are encouraged to bring along additional staff to specific modules to build their mental health team in school.

Find out more information and how to book on the ROAR training website