See Me Empower Change pilot
Over the last year, See Me, Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination, and Think Positive, entered a partnership to adapt See Me See Change. The aim was to take a whole school approach to addressing mental health stigma and discrimination, for colleges and universities.
Reducing stigma associated with mental health is a common priority for colleges and universities across Scotland and central to strategies and Student Mental Health Agreements (SMHAs). This is further evidenced from recent research and case studies.
However, despite this, we know from research and our learning from student and staff feedback groups that stigma and discrimination remains a barrier to disclosure, to seeking help and accessing services and support across colleges and university settings.
This pilot aims to develop and test two upskilling interventions for staff across colleges and universities, addressing three main areas:
- Support university and college staff (regardless of role or profession) to have supportive conversations with students regarding their mental health.
- Support college and university staff to better understand their duties under the Equality Act (2010) and the Public Sector Equality Duty, and develop knowledge and understanding, skills and confidence to have conversations around support with students and/or staff living with a mental health condition or illness.
- Build capacity of key roles within institutions to take a whole systems anti-stigma approach across their setting, ensuring that their college or university is inclusive of people living with a mental health condition or illness.
See Me and Think Positive recognise the varied and diverse nature of colleges and universities, so want to ensure that the pilot aims to reach a range of different beneficiaries. The Mental Health Foundation will be supporting to evaluate this pilot.
We are looking to hear back from interested colleges and universities by Monday 3rd March 2025. If you are interested to learn more or have any questions about this pilot, please get in touch with Claire Jennings at claire.jennings@seemescotland.org. There is a pilot overview document that can be shared with more details and more information on the evidence base.