College nominated for mental health award

A PARTNERSHIP between Accrington and Rossendale College and the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust has been nominated for a mental health award.

The college has been working closely with the Mersey Care site in Whalley.

Now the partners have been nominated in the Specialist Services category in the National Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards 2017.

The Specialist Learning Disability Division at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust runs a recovery college called Our Shared College, teaching life skills to people with a learning disability who are detained under the Mental Health Act.

Paul Allen, the college’s vocational rehabilitation instructor, said: “Mersey Care supports some of the most complex and vulnerable individuals in the NHS.

“Often with a forensic history, we support people on a pathway towards taking their place in the community.

“We support people in partnership to enable improvements in life skills and I am proud of the partnership with the college.”

Together the college and the trust devised a programme to attract people to the Shared College project.

The programme emphasises areas such as organisation, homework, attendance on time and other experiences which are part of a conventional college environment.

The project then provides students with awards in English and maths and so far 20 learners have taken part.

Francesca Cairns, senior operational manager at the trust, said: “We already know how the people we care for benefit from the college courses as they progress towards returning to living in the community with accredited qualifications to support employment in the future.

“To be recognised by this national shortlisting is a great acknowledgement of their hard work and the close working of our colleagues and our friends at Accrington and Rossendale College.”

Charlotte Scheffmann, dean of education at Accrington and Rossendale College, added: “The skill of developing a course of this nature is entirely down to the real-life experience of our tutors.

“It is vitally important for young learners to gain real-life experiences which will help them excel in their chosen field. We are very proud of this nomination and it is testament to all the hard work which has gone into the programme.”

Judging of the nominations will take place at the Hilton Blackpool on October 12.