Wakefield College signs up to the AoC Mental Health and #Wellbeing Charter

Wakefield College has reaffirmed its commitment to staff and students by signing up to a brand new national mental health and wellbeing charter – created by the Association of Colleges in conjunction with mental health experts.

Principal Sam Wright signed the document as the first week of term begins for the new academic year.

The 11-point document includes commitments to:

• Promoting equality of opportunity 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. Adding to these facts, 75% of adults with a diagnosable mental health problem experience their first symptoms before the age of 24, which means Wakefield College plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its students and staff.

Sam Wright, Principal at Wakefield College said:

“Here at Wakefield College we want to demonstrate our commitment to promoting the wellbeing of all our staff and students and actively support their mental health through signing up to the AoC Mental Health and Wellbeing charter. We have evidence that mental health concerns have continued to rise for young people and intervention to support those young people is crucial. We also recognise the impact this has on our staff and we have an ethos to collectively and openly support wellbeing for all in our College environment”.

Richard Caulfield, Mental Health lead at the Association of Colleges, said:

“Every single day colleges like Wakefield 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.”