Adult learning and mental health Kathryn James NIACE

“Yesterday I looked in the mirror and I smiled at myself for the first time in four years.” “A light at the end of the tunnel I could aim for: There was some hope. I’ve been suicidal thinking I was going nowhere.” “I was made to believe I was worth something and had a lot to offer.”

Social Exclusion Unit Report – June 2004 Mental Health and Social Exclusion Mental health problems can be both a cause and a consequence of social exclusion –High levels of unemployment –Double the risk of losing your job –Social isolation –Physical ill-health

Link between mental health and education Low educational achievement tends to lead to low income and to poorer health. Participation in learning leads to new skills, better jobs, increased confidence and sense of purpose, being viewed more positively by others and developing new friendships.

Learning and Skills Council – Annual Statement of Priorities “Will respond to the Social Exclusion Unit’s report on meeting the needs of people with mental health difficulties.” and that it would “Publish proposals to improve services to learners with mental health difficulties.”

NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) and NIMHE (National Institute of Mental Health in England) and Learning and Skills Council formed a Partnership Project

Improving services to learners with mental health difficulties 9 Regional Networks –Supported by a Regional Project Officer –Membership of learners/service users, adult learning practitioners, health and social care providers, voluntary and community groups. –4 learning events per year –Develop a Regional Action plan –Overseen by a National Task Group

4 Aims 1.Build capacity of the sectors –Listening to the learner voice and ensuring service user/learners involvement. –Staff in adult education are trained and supported. –Health and social providers are ‘education aware’. –Share good practice and learn from each other.

2.Boosting demand for learning –Promotional resources and events to encourage more people with mental health difficulties to access learning that reflect the learner experience. –Appropriate and effective Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) –Different groups – Older people, people from black and minority ethnic groups, families, adults on Care Programme Approach. –Different services – Primary Care Services, Forensic Services and Secure Units, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Job Centres.

3.Ensure quality –Promote healthy, non-stigmatising learning environments. –Develop appropriate performance bench marks. –Better procedures for encouraging disclosure, undertaking risk assessment etc. –Meet the needs of different groups – people with learning difficulties and mental health difficulties, people with a diagnosis of personality disorder. –Make better use of the learner ‘expert by experience’.

4.Raise achievement levels –Increase the number of learners achieving accreditation. –Support transition from Adult and Community Learning to Further Education, from Further Education to Higher Education. –Increase the number of people going from education to employment. –Capture and record where learning supports recovery, improves quality of life and social participation.

Underpinning themes –Importance of involving and consulting learners with mental health difficulties and service users. –The need to challenge low expectations and to promote achievement and success. –Develop healthy learning environments. –Ensure partnership working. –Effective use of all funding streams.

“ you are so down, all of a sudden you are given this opportunity – it’s there. It was like being given a gift…..a special present.” “Illness for me is like being in a dark room, but getting involved in learning is like having a window that lets the light in.”