Promoting Learner Health and Wellbeing Policy

Policy Statement:

SB Skills Solutions is committed to ensuring, as far as reasonably practicable, a planned approach to learners’ personal health and wellbeing. It will positively promote the health and wellbeing of all learners through information and support, maximising opportunities for learners to participate in accessible health and wellbeing initiatives or programmes. The purpose of this policy is to maximise the physical, mental and social wellbeing of all our learners and promote a safe and healthy environment in which teaching and learning can take place.

To promote student health and wellbeing through our policies, support services, information networks and regular health promotion campaigns (including alcohol awareness, diet, exercise, self-management, drug awareness, mental health awareness), and by liaising appropriately with external agencies.

To prevent, as far as is practicable, those circumstances detrimental to physical and mental health and wellbeing.

To reinforce the role of SB Skills in contributing to local and national strategies. The policy will apply to all learners attending programmes and courses at SB Skills. This Policy will be communicated to all learners during their induction phase and a copy will be available at all other times on our intranet (smart Assessor). Staff will be expected to communicate programmes or initiatives at staff and learner reviews.

Procedures:

SB Skills Solutions recognises its responsibility to promote an emphasis toward good physical and mental health and wellbeing and therefore it aims to:

Promote good practice in both physical and mental health and wellbeing activities and share successes across the business

Provide training for key staff to enable them to implement the health and wellbeing policy

Provide central support and guidance for individuals and groups

Take advantage of training and information sources and actively build relationships with external agencies

Recognise the limits of what key staff can do and seek advice at the earliest opportunity

Provide confidential counselling for learners whose wellbeing is affected by either qualification work or external factors

Promote health and wellbeing through its policies, support services, information networks and health promotions, including alcohol awareness, diet, exercise, self-management, and by liaising with external agencies

Encourage students to take more personal responsibility for their health and wellbeing and providing opportunities for them to do so

Choose some themed weeks and days throughout the year to promote within the business, suggested themes could include:

⦁ British Heart Foundation – Healthy Heart Month
⦁ Think Pink Week – Breast Cancer Awareness
⦁ Mental Health Week – MIND
⦁ Jeans for Genes day
⦁ World Aids Day
⦁ Green Awareness Day
⦁ Testicular Cancer

Drug, Alcohol and Substance Misuse

SB Skills Solutions has a zero tolerance on drugs, alcohol and substance misuse. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Safe centre Policy. If there are reasonable grounds to believe a learner may have drugs on them or are under the influence, the member of staff is to inform a member of the SMT immediately, in line with the policy. SB Skills recognises its duty to educate learners on alcohol and drug related issues in order to assist them to fulfil their legal, personal and social responsibilities. SB Skills will raise the learner’s awareness at induction and at identified times throughout the academic year, of the dangers of drugs, alcohol and substances misuse to their health, and where help can be sought. The legal and professional consequences of drug use will be made clear and learners will be made aware of the help and support available (within and outside the business) for those with alcohol and drug related problems. The abuse of drugs is always unacceptable to us, and the use of any illicit drug is a disciplinary offence as well as a criminal offence. We will ensure those who have drug, alcohol or substance misuse problems will be treated fairly and encouraged to seek assistance.

No one should attend for study in an unfit state because of alcohol or under the influence of drugs, with the exception of medically prescribed drugs. Any learner believed to be under the influence will be temporarily suspended and may be subject to the business’s Safe centre procedures. Incapacity to study through the consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs is a disciplinary offence.

Self-harm and Mental Health

The term “mental health difficulties” is one which encompasses a wide range of experiences which affect an individual’s ability to balance his/her life. The difficulties can range from stress and anxiety through to serious mental health conditions diagnosed and treated by the health services. Staff may identify learners with concerns such as:

Stress/ anxiety attack
Depression
Eating disorder

Changes in behaviour which cause concern SB Skills will support students through a range of services which may include internal counselling service and/or by referring to external organisations and encouraging the learner to seek support from their GP.

SB Skills Solutions will:

maintain a non-stigmatising community

ensure each learner with a mental health difficulty is seen as an individual, not a problem or a condition

uphold confidentiality (wherever safety is not at risk)

recognise the limits to what they can do

Stress

It is recognised that stress is a natural part of life, but when the physiological changes continue for a prolonged period, their effects become detrimental. Stress can be caused by a wide variety of factors and the effects of possible sources of stress will vary with each Learner. People react differently to work pressures, and deadlines that may motivate one learner may be a source of severe stress to another. Learners may be subject to pressure both inside and outside of our centres, and sometimes it may be a combination of these pressures that results in harmful levels of stress. Staff will be made aware of stress and its effects on individuals, in order for them to improve their personal effectiveness and that of their students. Progression Mentors / Personal Tutors will provide support to help develop learners academic and personal skills such as organisation skills and time management. When required, all staff will refer as required to external counselling service or external agencies.

Self-Harm

SB Skills Solutions will raise awareness of self-harm and any concerns should be referred to the Progression Mentor / Personal Tutor in the first instance. Progression Mentors / Personal Tutors will consult with appropriate bodies/agencies and refer as required to the Safeguarding Team and external agencies as required. Staff have an important role in monitoring and reducing the impact of mental health difficulties on the learners ability to study.

Eating Disorders

SB Skills is aware that many learners could become aware of their body shape and weight during their teens and as young adults and in some instances this can lead to an eating disorder. Staff must also be aware that learners may be suffering from other conditions such as autism which may affect their eating habits. Some learners may fast for religious reasons. Staff who have any concerns about a learner should refer to the Progression Mentor / Personal Tutor in the first instance. The Progression Mentors / Personal Tutors will refer as required to the Safeguarding Team and external agencies as required.

Healthy Eating

SB Skills Solutions wishes to promote healthy eating habits for all learners, as part of general health awareness. Opportunities will be made available for learners, through health promoting activities including Wellbeing Week. We will encourage learners to eat appropriately and the food outlets of the area that offer a choice of food which will assist learners in sustaining healthy eating habits, as well as having fresh fruit bowls daily within our centres.

Smoking

SB Skills aims to develop a non-smoking culture but recognises that some learners are smokers. We therefore provide designated smoking areas at centres. Smoking in non-smoking areas is in breach of the learner disciplinary policy and there is a total ban on smoking in all SB Skills buildings. We recognise that smoking is an addiction and aims to provide a supportive environment for those wishing to stop. Reasonable support will be offered to learners to help them to stop smoking. We aim to support those who wish to give up smoking through the Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group. SB Skills will also run ‘No Smoking Day events’ to raise awareness. Advice and counselling can be obtained from Occupational Health providers, GPs, local NHS cessation advisers and through the Progression Mentor / Personal Tutor.

Information on stopping smoking with support from local cessation services will be provided for smokers. Those wishing to use e-cigarettes will be required to follow the smoking policy and only use them in the designated areas

Physical Exercise

Sb Skills Solutions wishes to promote regular physical exercise for all learners, as part of general health awareness. Opportunities will be made available for learners through their qualification and awareness of the benefits of regular physical exercise. Links will be provided to local community clubs. Opportunities will be made available to learners to participate in various forms of physical exercise with taster events during induction, Wellbeing Week and throughout the academic year. Learners are to be notified and given the option to join local gyms with discounted rate for our learners negotiated by SB Skills solutions.

Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health

With reference to ‘A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England March 2013’ SB Skills Solutions aims to support the sexual health needs of its learners by providing support through external agencies and the NHS sexual health nurses. We recognise its responsibilities in raising awareness of the key important issues that still need to be addressed in young adults and all learners and our role in working with local agencies in the prevention of the following:

Inappropriate relationships

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including Chlamydia testing and diagnoses

Teenage pregnancy through under-18 conceptions, by ensuring that people have access to the full range of contraception
HIV, through prevention strategies and increased access to testing to enable early diagnosis and treatment

SB Skills Solutions aims to build a sexual health culture that prioritises prevention and supports behaviour change by:

Ensuring that learners know how to ask for help, and are able to access confidential advice and support about wellbeing, relationships and sexual health, being sourced by our external partners

Ensuring that Learners have rapid and easy access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health services by working with our external partner agencies when required.

Ensuring that learners are able to access support to enable them to make informed and responsible decisions, understand issues around consent and the benefits of stable relationships, and are aware of the risks of unprotected sex

Ensuring that learners understand, where needed, the need to practise safer sex, including using contraception and condoms

Sexual Health Education for Vulnerable Groups

SB Skills Solutions is committed to ensuring that accessible information and support is made available for young people with learning disabilities and for their parents, including information about sexuality, abuse and consent and practical information about contraception and safer sex where appropriate. Evidence within government reports indicates that homeless people are at increased risk of STIs and unwanted pregnancies and can come under pressure to exchange sex for food, shelter, drugs and money. Therefore, we will have a particular focus on this and other vulnerable learner groups through the Progression Mentors / Personal Tutors and the Safeguarding Officer and lead to ensure early identification of need and support is available.

It is essential that all staff are alert to signs to look out for and the individual triggers to be aware of when considering the risks of potential safeguarding concerns such as travelling to conflict zones, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. Further details are available in our Safeguarding Policy.

Appendix
Useful Contacts
Non-Smoking
NHS support website: www.gosmokefree.nhs.uk
To find out more about the health and wellbeing benefits of quitting smoking visit: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/smoking/Pages/Betterlives.aspx
Call the Stop Smoking Service now on 0800 849 4444 or text QUIT to 87023.
For further help to quit, visit www.wequit.co.uk or www.nhs.uk to find out which services are available near you.
QUIT – independent charity website: www.quit.org.uk Helpline: 0800 00 22 55
Drugs & Alcohol Advice
NHS Choices – http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/studenthealth/Pages/Smoking,alcoholanddrugs.aspx
KCA – http://www.kca.org.uk
Change, Grow, Live https://www.changegrowlive.org
Other addiction
https://www.addictionhelper.com/legal-highs
Tel: 0800 9159401
Video Games
http://www.videogameaddiction.co.uk/help
Tel: 08000 886686
Mental Health
Samaritans – 365 days a year/24 hours a day
0845 7909090
www.samaritans.org
Safeline- 365 days a year – 12noon to 11pm weekdays- 12noon to 6pm weekends
0845 7678000
www.sane.org.uk
MIND Mental health charity for England & Wales 0845 766 0163
http://www.mind.org.uk
Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Helpline- 7 days a week. 24 hours a day 0808 2000247
www.refuge.org.uk
Sexual Health
Terrance Higgins Trust
http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/Get-help-now
Tel: 0808 802 1221
Eating Disorders
beat – Beating Eating Disorders Telephone helplines and email services for people affected by eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Youth helpline for people aged under 25. Provide a listening ear, information and literature. Run a network of support groups, postal and telephone contacts throughout the UK. Formerly known as Eating Disorders Association. How to contact: Phone: 0845 634 1414 adult, 0845 634 7650 youth; youth line open Mon-Fri 4.30pm-8.30pm, Sat 1pm-4.30pm. Email: help@b-eat.co.uk
Website: www.b-eat.co.uk