A new online course has been launched to help those working with children and young people recognise psychological trauma. As a result of the covid-19 lockdowns many children have been adversely affected and anyone working with people 0-25 can have training to recognise the signs of trauma or psychological issues.
The online course, developed by Public Health England (PHE), offers training on how to provide practical and emotional support to children and young people affected by emergencies or crisis situations. Having training to help people get the right support early on can help prevent issues from reoccurring or worsening.
Those completing the training will be equipped to better identify those children that are in distress and provide support to help them feel safe, connected and able to take steps to help themselves during the pandemic or other crisis situations.
The training course is available for all frontline workers such as teachers, health and social workers, charity and community volunteers and anyone who cares for or is regularly in contact with children and young people aged up to 25, including parents and caregivers.
The course will take around 3 hours to complete and this can be split into 3 hour-long manageable sections and no previous qualifications are required.
Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries said:
‘’Children and young people have been uniquely challenged by the events of the last year. I remain absolutely committed to supporting them through this pandemic and beyond, ensuring we equip them with the tools and support they need to stay mentally well.
This training will ensure those who work with children and young people – including parents and caregivers – can support their wellbeing by identifying signs of distress and helping them access the support they need.
We know that while children can be very resilient, crises or emergencies can have a huge impact on their mental health and we must continue to ensure they can access the support they need.’’
The course is free to complete but a certificate can be purchased for £32 once the course has been completed.
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
