Dr Matt Bowen, University of Chester — Mental Health Nurses' Forum

Dr Matt Bowen, Deputy Head of Mental Health and Learning Disability Department at the University of Chester describes his experience as a MECC for Mental Health Lead Trainer.

The University of Chester provides training for student nurses across all fields of nursing (Mental Health, Learning Disability, Child and Adult).

What made you decide to get involved?

I became aware of the opportunity through Health Education England, North West, as a drive to enhance support to student nurses in relation to their mental wellbeing.

As someone who has supported public mental health initiatives at a UK level, via Mental Health First Aid, and at an International level with the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool, which I have delivered in India, Uganda and Colombia, I was immediately drawn to the programme.

In your view what is the strategic case for MECC for Mental Health?

The need, at a population level, to support people around their mental wellbeing is great. And there is increased interest and awareness about its importance and a readiness by people to be involved. However, a lot of people are daunted by a lack of confidence about their ability to approach someone who they have concerns about their mental wellbeing. MECC for Mental Health is very well placed to support people to develop the skills and confidence to help address this gap.

How did you train to become a MECC for Mental Health trainer?

The training was delivered online to a small group. The trainers had been heavily involved in the development of the training and the roll-out of the programme so were able to share their depth of experience, not just of the material but also how other trainers had delivered it in different institutions. This generated a lively environment in which we could think together about how we could best utilise the MECC for Mental Health in different contexts, which was an invaluable aspect of the training.

How was the experience of organising and delivering MECC for Mental Health training?

We primarily organised the training within the University of Chester and have then co-ordinated with the MECC for Mental Health team, to keep them informed of our plans and let them know who has participated in the training as it has been rolled out.

Can you provide a brief description of the group/s you delivered the training to and briefly describe the training programme you delivered?

We are providing the training to all first year student nurses, across all fields of nursing. The training is being delivered as a one-day workshop, in person, in groups of 15-20 students. By the end of April, we will have delivered the training to over 400 student nurses. We see this as an invaluable aspect of the training for all students to help them to think about and develop skills to address their own mental wellbeing as well as others.

How do you think the training has been received by participants?

The students, on the whole, have a keen appetite for learning about mental health and wellbeing and to develop skills and build their confidence. The material has been adapted to speak to their particular situation of being a student nurse and this has helped them to see the relevance and applicability. The feedback has been very positive and the sessions typically have a lot of lively discussion.

What difference do you think MECC for Mental Health will bring to the people you trained?

Supporting student nurses at an early stage in their training will help them to establish skills around their own mental wellbeing, which will put them in good stead as they progress through the programme. It will also help them to build their confidence to engage with others who they have concerns about. This will be invaluable for the students who often feel that they want to help but, in relation to mental health, lack some confidence about how they can take that first step.