Pioneering Mental Health College Set to Transform Lives of Oxfordshire’s Youth

In the week of World Mental Health Day 2019, the first college in the county to support children and young people with mental health issues is set to officially launch today.

Nationally, rates of young people with mental health problems are on the rise, with one in eight experiencing a mental health problem. Oxfordshire is no exception. World Mental Health Day falls annually on 10 October, and this year’s focus is on suicide prevention. 

Mental health services nationally and county-wide are stretched to breaking point for children and young people. The Oxfordshire Discovery College is a brand-new initiative that fills gaps in services which young people routinely fall through. Supported by Oxfordshire mental health charity Elmore Community Services, the ‘energiser’ of the College, the new Discovery College will be the first to give children and young people the critical tools to be happier and healthier and understand themselves. Prevention of mental ill health at all ages is crucial.

Oxfordshire Discovery College is for children and young people who might be struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. But, it’s also for their friends from school or anywhere else, for their parents, carers, siblings, wider family, and for the staff and volunteers helping them to get better or stay well. The College is a physical place where young people can be with those who understand them, where they can learn about what they’re feeling and what they can do to make things feel a bit better.

Oxfordshire Discovery College and the University of Oxford Micro-Internship Scheme worked together earlier in 2019 to complete a report, which found that in Oxfordshire referrals to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have rocketed by 80% between 2011-2017. Together, the agencies mapped the services currently available, and explored whether a Discovery College was needed to fill the gaps and could help local families to improve their mental health. The answer was a resounding yes!

The Discovery College will provide tools and support to children, their families and friends, and staff who work with them, through workshops and enjoyable activities. Groups will explore topics such as resilience building, understanding particular diagnoses, and DIY wellbeing strategies through play and age-appropriate activity. Oxfordshire Discovery College will also be a place where young people can share their experiences and learn together. Tutors will have both professional training and lived experience of their own, and so create a space where young people can share without stigma or judgement.

Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Service, said: “Elmore is seeing large numbers of children and young people fall through the gaps in services. We’re thrilled to be a good friend to the Discovery College, playing our part and sharing our strengths. The Discovery College may seem new kids on the block, but they’re working hard and fast to open their doors to people who desperately need their expertise and care.”

Laura Harte, Oxfordshire Discovery College Founder, said: “Local services are already doing great work with young people in this area, but are stretched to capacity. The Discovery College will sit alongside these other services and support young people in all stages of their experience and recovery. The peer support model really helps to normalise what the young people are going through and gives them positive role models to look up to.”