Ensuring the mental and emotional wellbeing of students is a major priority of mine as Minister. My Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social. The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Schools also engage in a wide range of sport and cultural co-curricular activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth.
Wellbeing Guidelines for Post-Primary (2013) and Primary Schools (2015) have been developed by my Department in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and wellbeing in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.
The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE , Health Promoting Schools process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services. In addition Wellbeing Guidelines to support the introduction in September 2017 of the Junior Cycle Wellbeing Programme have been developed. These include a focus on mental health promotion. Professional development is currently being provided for schools in anticipation of this.
Training in relation to suicide prevention is provided by the HSE , and various voluntary groups. My department is not, therefore, in a position to provide details on attendance at suicide prevention training courses.
My Department is liaising with the National Office for Suicide Prevention to introduce a training model for the delivery of the SafeTalk suicide programme through the Education Centre network commencing in the 2017/18 school year.
