How to apply for the DfE Senior Mental Health Lead grant

24th June 2024 | Blogs

The government strongly recommends that all schools appoint a Senior Mental Health Lead by next year, and to facilitate this, they are offering eligible settings in England a £1,200 grant for DfE quality-assured training. To ensure you don’t miss out on your grant, you must apply for funding by 31st December 2024 and book training by 31st March 2025.

Senior Mental Health Lead Funding Details

The grant provides £1,200, with Thrive's course costing from £880, leaving at least £320 to use in your setting.

What schools are eligible?

State-funded schools and colleges in England, including those in receipt of ESFA pre-16 revenue, high needs block, or 16 to 19 programme funding. Second grants are also available to settings if the person who previously trained has left.

Who can be a Mental Health Lead in schools?

Schools and colleges can decide who is best placed to take on the role of SMHL and undertake the training. Training could be for the headteacher, a member of the senior leadership team, or if not a senior leader an appropriate member of staff who is empowered to develop and oversee your setting’s whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

More information on who the training is for can be found here.

SMHL funding application process

To secure a funded spot on Thrive's training, follow these steps:

  • Check that you meet the eligibility criteria and terms for the DfE training grant.
  • Complete Form 1 on the government website to check your eligibility and reserve your grant.
  • Wait to hear confirmation of your eligibility.
  • Book a place on one of Thrive's DfE assured Senior Mental Health Lead Courses and retain confirmation.
  • Get reimbursed for the course fee and the remaining £320 for your setting, by submitting evidence of course booking via Form 2 on the government website by 31st March 2025.

Apply now

For further details and application, visit the UK Government website. The reference code for our course is SMHL068 - you will need this as part of your grant application.  .

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance mental health support in your school or college community. Apply now and make a difference!

How Thrive meets the DfE's funding criteria

Thrive is a DfE quality assured provider of Senior Mental Health Lead training for schools and colleges looking to embed a whole-setting approach to emotional health and wellbeing for all children and young people. 

In feedback from the DfE, Thrive was praised for its sessions being 'clearly underpinned by relevant evidence and theory' and providing 'appropriate strategies that senior leaders are able to use to help overcome the challenges faced in leading a whole school or college approach'.

Thrive's Mental Health Lead training has been designed to align with Public Health England’s eight principles for promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing.

Thrive's Mental Health Lead training will enable you to:

  • Learn why mental health & wellbeing are critical to school success
  • Accurately identify need, provide support & make referrals
  • Better understand & respond to the challenges young people face today
  • Benchmark, develop action plans & evidence your impact.

Learn more about Thrive's Senior Mental Health lead training and book your place.

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