Barking & Dagenham College marks #WorldMentalHealthDay
Barking & Dagenham College marked World Mental Health Day by reaffirming their commitment to staff and students by signing up to a brand new national mental health and wellbeing charter.
The charter was created by the Association of Colleges in conjunction with mental health experts.
The 11-point document includes commitments to:
- Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and challenging mental health stigma
- Providing appropriate mental health training for staff
- Providing targeted individual mental health support where appropriate
Colleges across England teach and train 2.2 million people each year – including 685,000 young people. Every year, 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem and 1 in 5 young people aged 16-24 experience a common mental illness such as anxiety or depression at any one time. Add to these facts, 75% of adults with a diagnosable mental health problem experience their first symptoms before the age of 24 means Barking & Dagenham College plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its 12,500 students and 450 staff.
Janet Curtis-Broni, Executive Director – People and Organisational Development signed the charter on World Mental Health Day 10 October 2019 and said: “Our students and staff are always at the centre of what we do and today we marked our commitment to supporting students and staff with their mental health and wellbeing.”
Richard Caulfield, Mental Health lead at the Association of Colleges, said: “Every single day colleges like Barking & Dagenham College provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people. This includes providing support for both staff and student wellbeing at the right time, in the right place. This charter gives colleges the chance to publicly state their commitment to the mental health agenda.”
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