Chamber and committees

The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Act (Scotland) 2007 places a number of duties on local education authorities including ensuring that schools are health promoting. This includes promoting physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing by supporting pupils to make positive lifestyle choices in relation to their health and wellbeing.

All adults who work in schools have a responsibility to support and develop mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. It is for the local authority and schools to decide how to develop their own approaches to ensure staff have the appropriate skills to implement Curriculum for Excellence, based on local needs and circumstances.

Education Scotland, in partnership with NHS Health Scotland, has developed a five year strategic plan which will roll out ‘Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid' training nationally in secondary school communities. This will complement the range of initiatives and approaches to support mental health and mental wellbeing that local authorities already have in place. The first five local authorities have completed training (West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire). The main objectives were as follows:

Those undertaking the training (identified members of secondary school staff and partners) will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required to approach and give initial help to children and young people experiencing mental health problems;

A greater number of pupils experiencing mental health problems will receive initial support when needed; and

Support for learners from the most deprived areas and from particular vulnerable groups. Local authorities will be able to target support to the school communities that need it most (support will be organised in such a way as to complement existing mental health and mental wellbeing training and initiatives within the local authority).