Trust joins 'We Can Talk' mental health programme

The Trust now has access to the unique 'We Can Talk' core curriculum, which can help develop your knowledge and skills when supporting children and young people in mental health crisis. The programme has been introduced with the aim of helping people struggling with mental health crisis.

Would you know how to support a children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis? It's something anyone of us can encounter as part of our role, whether that's the nursing or medical teams, allied health professionals, security, porters, reception or even hospitality staff.

Evidence shows too many children and young people report negative experiences of presenting to hospital due to their mental health. In addition to this, hospital staff report a lack of confidence and competency in caring for children and young people with mental health needs.

We Can Talk, co-produced with hospital staff, young people and mental health experts, is an educational framework and one-day training programme designed to support sustainable changes in practice, hospital culture, and relationships between acute hospitals and mental health services to improve patient experience, reduce risk and improve outcomes for children, young people and their parents/carers.

Natalie Gough, Paediatric Clinical Educator and lead for the project at the Trust, said: “We have decided to work with We Can Talk to improve the experiences of children and young people who attend hospital due to their mental health and

All partners have signed up to a common statement of intent which declares: “The partners agree to collaborate to deliver improved health and well-being via a programme of initiatives and regeneration projects which will lead to improved life chances and a consequential reduction in inequality for our respective populations”.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This is a truly exciting development with a forward thinking vision that brings together health, education and the arts all in one place. The acute hospital building will sit alongside a university campus and accessible outdoor public spaces hosting wellbeing activities will complement a substantial arts programme that is already underway. By working together in this innovative and cross-sector manner, we will be able to change the lives of local people for the better in the months and years ahead. I cannot wait to see this project come to fruition and make a real difference.” the staff who support them.

“The programme’s training has evidence to improve the knowledge and confidence of acute hospital staff in understanding and supporting children and young people’s mental health.

“More than two thousand acute hospital staff across forty hospital sites have completed the We Can Talk core curriculum, with 99% reporting it would make a difference to the way they do their job.

“I would encourage all staff who work with children and young people to sign up to the free training. Together we can make a difference.”

To get involved, you can access the training by going to: www.wecantalk.online.