MindEd - elearning for healthcare
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This programme is in partnership with...
  • The Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • BPS
  • Royal College of Nursing
  • Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Royal College of General Pracitioners
  • RPS_logo

About the MindEd programme

MindEd_Boy_LadderWith three-quarters of adult mental disorders in evidence by the age of 21, effective early intervention can be essential in preventing the development of ill health and disability. MindEd provides accessible, engaging online training in emotional and behavioural ‘first aid’ and essential therapeutic skills for all those involved in the mental wellbeing and care of children and young people in the UK. The education and knowledge provided is instrumental in breaking down stigma and maximising the life chances for all children and young people.

MindEd offers free, completely open access, online education in over 300 topics. Our elearning is applicable to a wide range of learners across the health, social care, education, criminal justice and community settings.

Minded was developed by a consortium of partner organisations and funding by the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Health Education England. The elearning content has been written and edited by leading experts from the UK and internationally. We are confident that the learning materials represent the very best advice and knowledge, presented in an easily digested, engaging and practical way.

Our aim is to provide simple, clear guidance on children and young people’s mental health, wellbeing and development to any adult working with children, young people and families, to help them support the development of young healthy minds.

The elearning content is written to be suitable for all types of users, from healthcare and non-healthcare workforces, such as teachers or GPs, through to the general public.

Who and What is it for?

MindEd_who_and_what_is_it_forMindEd will help you become informed and better equipped when dealing with children and young people.

It is aimed at anyone working or volunteering regularly with children or young people, 0-18 years of age. There are a range of materials extending from the general level to more specialised levels. The majority of children develop healthy minds and bodies, but it helps us to help them if we understand better what is healthy, how to support good health and what needs closer attention.

All of the elearning topics in MindEd can be completed as a ‘one off’ or ‘stand-alone’ learning experience. Alternatively, you can sign up to the MindEd learning community and complete several sessions or begin a learning path. Creating an account means that your activity will be recorded in a personal learning account.

It also means you have the option to print certificates to evidence your learning.

The more actively you reflect on the cases and different learning materials in MindEd, the better equipped you will become to support the development of young healthy minds.

If you are aware of a child or young person at serious risk of harm you should contact your local support services immediately.

Top 10 benefits for learners

  • Increased awareness and understanding of child mental health;
  • Confidence to tackle challenging situations positively by identifying and using creative problem solving skills and techniques;
  • Developed by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts in the field of child mental health;
  • Credible, high quality learning resources to challenge and inspire;
  • Supported by a consortium of well-respected partner organisations;
  • Easy to use: with stand-alone modules that can be grouped for their relevance to you and your situation;
  • A range of real life case studies are used to inform your learning;
  • Flexible approach, learn at your pace when and where you like;
  • Free to register and learn;
  • Certificates can be printed as proof of completion.

Testimonials

MindEd

  • “I like the way MindEd is set up. I am not great on a computer but found the system easy to use. I have completed my foundation levels and increased my understanding of how mental health has an effect on children and young people. It has made me change my way of questioning students. I can’t wait to do some more reading at a higher level.”

Safeguarding

  • “I have completed four of your courses online already….they are brilliant and I have recommended them to colleagues and fellow students and even my lecturer!!”

MindEd for Families

  • “The MindEd for Families online resource has proven invaluable to our CAMHS One Stop service. We are in contact with hundreds of families every week who are in need of practical advice about how to support their child’s mental health and to be able to signpost them to one easy to use and accessible resource is extremely helpful. I would (and do!) recommend this resource to all parents who use our service to help bridge the gap between initial referral and access to face to face treatment or support.”

Self-harm and Risky Behaviour

  • “Really thorough course. Very informative and it seemed designed for practitioners like myself who need to be able to understand prevalence and what to do when we suspect a young person is self-harming.”

Programme content

  • MindEd Universal (Core) Content
  • Healthy School Child Programme
  • Targeted and Specialist CAMHS
  • MindEd e-Therapies Evidence Review

MindEd Counselling will be retired on 30 September 2024

Following a lengthy review process with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the decision has been taken to retire and archive the Counselling MindEd sessions as they are now considered to be out-of-date.

It is recommended counsellors working in the field access their various professional membership bodies’ guidance for working with children and young people (CYP).

For BACP members it is recommended that you view the following.

  • The Competences for work with children and young people (4–18 years) framework. The BACP framework is for those already trained in an adult counselling modality who plan to access a top-up course for CYP counselling or, alternatively, extend their CPD to enable them to work safely and ethically with CYP. A supervisor specialising in CYP work is essential to guide counsellors through this process.
  • The Learning centre, an online learning platform with a catalogue of resources to support professional learning. The Learning centre hosts complimentary resources for BACP members, along with a dedicated area for CPD planning and logging, to record, review and reflect on learning. Members can also access the CPD hub, which contains an expanded selection of resources.
  • The Essential guide for leaders providing school-based counselling provision. This is a useful guide for the CYP counselling profession linked to best practice in schools.
  • The Good Practice in Action resources provide further information for BACP members on a range of topics to support implementation of the Ethical Framework. They are based on current research and evidence and reviewed by member-led focus groups and experts in the field.

Digital risk resources

Digital Risk and Resilience Resources

This resource provides information and support for all professionals who work with children and young people. The content has been co-produced by XenZone and young people from their online counselling and support service, Kooth.

Young people’s understanding and experience of the digital world often exceeds that of adults and professionals. To help young people navigate the digital world we require more nuanced discussions and conversations about digital resilience.

This resource aims to provide the tools to begin to explore digital resilience with young people by providing information on key concepts, new ideas and links for further information. For more exploration of theoretical underpinnings and deeper learning on this topic, come and try our elearning session on digital risk and resilience, there are also sessions available specifically on risk elements:

This resource does not claim to have all the answers.  Through each of these pages we have links to vital information on each topic.  For general information in this area, we recommend:

 

 

Young_Minds_Cropped

 

 

Rationale for a resilience building approach

Parent

Digital resilience building is everyone’s responsibility

  • E-Safety
  • Digital Footprint
  • Identity
  • Self esteem
  • Personal skills
  • Boundaries
  • Social & Universal Impact On Social Skills
  • Cyberbullying
  • Pornography
  • Online gaming
  • Radicalisation
  • Access to information
  • Online CSE

General resources

MindEd_teenage boy thinkingMindEd elearning sessions include links to external references and related information. This section includes additional information, general resources and useful links.

  • E-Therapies review
  • The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition
  • Youth Wellbeing Directory
  • Place2Be
  • Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
  • Your unborn baby and you
  • Kidstime: Who Cares?
  • External references
  • Background reading
  • Promoting the MindEd programme
  • Evaluation of MindEd

Contact us and keep in touch

If you would like to know more about MindEd, or offer feedback on the programme we would love to hear from you!

Please email us: minded@rcpsych.ac.uk.

If you are having problems either creating an account or logging on to the platform please email the technical support team: minded.enquiries@e-lfh.org.uk.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is MindEd?

     

    MindEd is a free online elearning resource for everyone with a duty of care for children and young people, whether this be through their work or outside it in a voluntary or charitable capacity. This could be as a counsellor, teacher or police officer or equally as an athletics or football coach or through involvement with the Scouts or Guides.

    At its heart, MindEd is about providing practical knowledge that gives adults confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

    Our free online mental health courses can help you be prepared to deal with an issue before it arises or, equally, it can provide much needed guidance to handle an issue of which you’re already aware. It also covers a range of behaviours that can be present in children and young people which do not signify a mental health issue, but about which you may want some advice.

    MindEd contains some specialised sections  for those joining or working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and for students studying Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) at University.
    MindEd also contains a curriculum called MindEd Counselling, an elearning programme to support training of school and youth counsellors and supervisors working in primary, secondary, tertiary and community settings, as well as the independent sector.

     

    All of these sessions are also open and free to any user.

  • How does it work?

    It offers short (no more than 20-30 minutes) online learning sessions to help adults identify mental health problems (looking at how problems manifest themselves through particular feelings or behaviours, for example) and demonstrate what action to take in the best interests of the child or young person.

    These sessions can be completed as a ‘one off’. Alternatively, visitors can sign up as MindEd members and complete several sessions which they can record on their personal page and print as a certificate for their learning record.

    To learn more about using MindEd and the five components which make up the portal, work through the Introduction to MindEd Core Content session .

    At its heart, MindEd is about providing practical knowledge that gives confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

  • Aren't there already resources out there like this – what makes MindEd any different?

    There are many sources of advice on the internet. MindEd is unique in that it is comprehensive, written by experts, free for everyone to access and structured around short elearning that makes it easy to use. It provides trusted, reliable, advice and support, available anytime and anywhere.

  • Who is it for?

    MindEd is for everyone who cares for, or about, children and young people’s health and development.

    When we say ‘everyone’ we mean everyone who regularly comes into contact with children and young people through their work or outside of work. This could be as a counsellor, teacher or police officer or equally as an athletics or football coach or through involvement with the Scouts or Brownies.

    MindEd also has a special section designed for parents, carers and families (MindEd for Families). These topics are shorter and more closely interlinked. The topics work really well on mobile devices and they can also be really useful as an introduction to main MindEd site.

    MindEd has something for everyone.

  • Who is behind it?

    MindEd is developed and supported by a group of multi-disciplinary organisations, known as the consortium. Its members are: the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; the Royal College of Psychiatrists; the Royal College of Nursing; the Royal College of General Practitioners; the British Psychological Society; the National Children’s Bureau and YoungMinds.

    The content on the site was written by a number of recognised leaders in the field of children and young people’s health and mental health.

    MindEd is an NHS resource funded through, and working closely with, Health Education England and NHS England.

  • Who is funding it?

    MindEd is an NHS resource funded through, and working closely with, Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England. Through HEE MindEd receives grants from several different government departments, primarily the Department of Health and Department for Education.

  • I am having technical problems using the site. How do I contact a site administrator?

    If you are experiencing any technical problems with the site or any of the sessions, please contact the site administrator at minded.enquiries@e-lfh.org.uk.

  • I'm not desk-based. Can I still use MindEd?

    Because it’s available online – MindEd is available anywhere at any time of the day. You could take part in a session during your lunch break, on the train home, or once you’ve put the kids to bed on your laptop or tablet.

    MindEd for Families is specifically designed to work well on mobile devices like tablets and even phones.

  • I live outside of the UK. Can I access MindEd?

    MindEd is available to anyone, at any time, wherever you are. For a limited period, MindEd will also be free to access for users outside the UK. In due course users outside the UK will need to buy a licence to access the MindEd website. Please email the MindEd team at minded@rcpsych.ac.uk for further information.

  • What are the benefits of registering?

    Registered users are able to save their work mid- session, returning to complete it whenever is convenient. Registered users are also invited to provide detailed feedback on sessions as they complete them.

    As a registered user, a log of sessions you have completed is stored on your personal page. You can print certificates for completed sessions and keep a detailed track of your learning record.

  • Do I have to pay to use MindEd?

    No. All the content available on MindEd is free to access.

    It is free to register with MindEd, and as a registered user you can save your work mid-session, picking up where you left off. You can also print certificates for completed sessions and keep a detailed track of your learning record.

  • What will MindEd help me to do?

    MindEd helps adults to spot mental health problems (looking at how problems reveal themselves through particular feelings or behaviours, for example). It demonstrates the best course of action and provides guidance in communicating and engaging with children and young people involved.

    At its heart, MindEd is about providing practical knowledge that gives adults confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

    It can help you be prepared to deal with an issue before it arises or equally, it can provide much needed guidance to handle an issue of which you’re already aware.

    It also covers a range of behaviours present in children and young people which do not signify a mental health issue.

  • I don't have a lot of time. Will it be time consuming?

    No. Sessions take a maximum of 20-30 minutes to complete and you can dip in and dip out of them as you wish – saving a session as you go. This enables you to return and complete it whenever is convenient. You can also browse and save session titles that you would like to complete at a later date.

    We’re sure that you’ll be able to find the time for something this important, and because MindEd is available online – you can make the most of any spare time you have, participating in a session whenever and wherever you are – be it on the train, on a lunch-break or at home.

  • This isn't for me, I don't do mental health. Why is it relevant to me?

    While your role may not specifically detail a responsibility to address a child or young person’s mental health problems, having a duty of care means ensuring that they are safe from harm – regardless of whether that harm is physical or mental.

    When there is an opportunity to intervene, tackle harm and improve outcomes for a child or young person – as responsible adults, we should take it.

    However, before we can take an opportunity – we need to be able to spot one and know what action to take. Otherwise we feel uncertain, without confidence that what we’re doing is right. We probably feel it’s safer to do nothing.

    MindEd provides knowledge and confidence to do the right thing at the right time.

    It offers short (no more than 20-30 minutes) online learning sessions to help adults identify mental health problems (looking at how problems manifest themselves through particular feelings or behaviours, for example) and demonstrates what action to take in the best interests of the child or young person. It also covers a range of behaviours to be expected in children and young people which do not signify a mental health issue.

  • This isn't for me, I'm a healthcare professional and the content's too basic. Why is this relevant to me?

    As you’ll no doubt agree, children and young people’s mental health is something that all health workers need to be aware of. As you know, there’s a requirement to treat the whole person – not just physical symptoms. If you’re confident that you already know how to identify mental health issues in a child or young person and know the appropriate next steps to take – that is great, and you’re probably correct that this isn’t for you.

    However, if you feel there may be gaps in your knowledge – then why not have a quick look to see if there is something new for you to learn? The content on MindEd has been developed by leading experts in children and young people’s mental health and may contribute towards your continuing professional development.

    MindEd contains some specialised sections of elearning for those joining or working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and for students studying Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) at University. Learners can access this learning path via the MindEd home page.

    MindEd also contains a curriculum called MindEd Counselling, an elearning programme to support training of school and youth counsellors and supervisors working in primary, secondary, tertiary and community settings, as well as the independent sector. Learners can access this curriculum directly via the MindEd home page.

    MindEd also has a special section designed for parents, carers and families (MindEd for Families). These topics are shorter and more closely interlinked. The topics work really well on mobile devices and they can also be really useful as an introduction to main MindEd site. As a healthcare professional you should make yourself familiar with this material as it could prove very valuable in referring worried parents, or even some adolescents, for support and advice.

  • Is it compulsory?

    No, but we think that if you have a duty of care for children and young people that this is the wrong question to be asking. We feel that you should instead be interested in whether MindEd will help you do a better job and improve outcomes for those in your care.

    MindEd helps adults to spot mental health problems (looking at how problems show themselves through particular feelings or behaviours, for example) and demonstrate action to take in the best interests of the child or young person.

    At its heart, MindEd is about providing practical knowledge that gives adults confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

    It can help you be prepared to deal with an issue before it arises or equally, it can provide much needed guidance to handle an issue of which you’re already aware.

  • I'm already learning about this. Will MindEd add value?

    The MindEd content has been written by leading experts in the field of children and young people’s mental health. We’re certain that it will add value – either by teaching you something new, inspiring you to do more, or simply reinforcing what you already know. You can also print certificates for sessions completed for your personal learning record.

  • Will it contradict what I'm learning?

    No. The MindEd content has been written by leading experts in the field of children and young people’s mental health and is based on best practice. It should complement any teaching from other reliable, accredited sources.

  • Will it teach me all I need to know?

    No, MindEd wasn’t created to replace other forms of learning. It is for everyone with a duty of care for children and young people, whether this be through their work or outside it in a voluntary or charitable capacity. It provides practical knowledge that gives adults confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

  • What is a 'Learning Management System' (LMS)?

    MindEd is based around a Learning Management System (LMS). When you register and sign in to MindEd you are signing into an LMS. Registered users can manage their learning in the ‘My MindEd’ section of the site.

    You do not need to register with MindEd to access the elearning resources, however, by signing in to the LMS you will be given access to a learning path, specifically created to suit your individual learning requirements. The LMS keeps a track of your learning by recording completed sessions and tracking your progress through sessions (if you do not have time to complete a session, the next time you visit that session, you will be asked if you would like to start where you last finished). It also allows you generate certificates and offers the opportunity to feedback on any specific session.

    When you have finished an elearning session you will be prompted to mark the session as complete. If you are signed in, this will mark the session as complete on your learning record. You will also be provided with a link to print a completion certificate.

  • I want to tell my colleagues / members about MindEd. Are there any promotional materials I can use?

    A range of materials has been created to help you to encourage your colleagues or members to access the MindEd elearning programme and improve the knowledge and understanding of child and adolescent mental health in your organisation.

    You can download a poster, infographic, leaflet, and web banners from the Promoting the MindEd programme part of the General resources section above.

  • What is a Learning Path?

    MindEd contains over 350 sessions and topics, but not all of these will be appropriate for all users. As well as providing the sessions, we also provide suggested Learning Paths, grouped by sectors such as Education, or Health, identifying those sessions which are most relevant to you, so that you can quickly access them.

    MindEd is working with many professional organisations to develop Learning Paths. Where a Learning Path has not yet been developed for your profession or role, a Foundation Learning Path is suggested as an introduction. Why not speak to your own organisation about a Learning Path for you and your colleagues, or contact us at minded@rcpsych.ac.uk

  • I am interested in creating a Learning Path for professionals in my sector. What is involved and who do I contact?

    Creating a Learning Path is a partnership. It involves identifying those sessions which are most appropriate for your user group and deciding what order you would like these to be presented in. The MindEd team will help any professional organisation interested in creating a Learning Path through the process.

  • Is MindEd evidence based?

    MindEd is based on evidence of best practice and has been written by leading experts in child and young person’s mental health. Every session includes a resources section which lists references and further reading. Our General resources section contains links to additional evidence based research to enable further reading.

  • How will you ensure that it reflects all the latest research?

    MindEd has been written by leading experts in child and young person’s mental health. It is managed and maintained by Health Education England. Content will be reviewed regularly and new evidence represented. Our General resources section contains links to additional evidence based research to enable further reading.

  • Won't MindEd encourage harmful 'vigilante' counselling which creates undue distress for children, young people and their families?

    No. We’re certainly not suggesting that non specialists attempt the diagnosis, counselling or treatment of children and young people. MindEd will certainly not equip non specialists to do so.

    MindEd is for everyone with a duty of care for children and young people, whether this be through their work or outside it in a voluntary or charitable capacity. It provides practical knowledge that gives adults confidence to identify a mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved. This may include talking to that child or their parent, or suggesting referral to a GP or counsellor.

  • Won't it lead to a host of misdiagnosis and 'worried well' and an extra burden on an already over-stretched service?

    In reality, we know that up to three-quarters of mental health problems in children and young people go undetected and undiagnosed. This is not good for the wellbeing, now or in the future, of our children, young people and their families. It’s clear that action is wanted and needed to turn the tide and that is why MindEd has been developed.

    Importantly, we’re certainly not suggesting non specialists attempt the diagnosis, counselling or treatment of children and young people. MindEd will certainly not equip non specialists to do so.

    At its heart, MindEd is about providing practical knowledge that gives adults the confidence to identify a potential mental health issue and act swiftly, meaning better outcomes for the child or young person involved.

Programme team

  • Dr Raphael Kelvin, MindEd National Clinical Lead, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
  • Dr Alistair Thomson, MindEd Consortium Executive
  • Harry Weber-Brown, Programme Manager, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
  • Jen Van Iwaarden, Senior Project Manager, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
  • Isadora Abrahamson, Project Officer, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England
  • Bob Smith, Platform Delivery Lead, Technology Enhanced Learning, NHS England

Thank you to our whole team

  • MindEd is an enormous undertaking and would have not been possible without the support and enthusiasm of many, many people, to whom we say...Thank You!

How to access

MindEd_Image_91x136Available to all

All MindEd content is freely available to access here.
Please note your progress and completion of sessions will not be recorded and you will not be able to generate a record of completion. If you require evidence of learning, please register and then log in to access this programme on the elfh Hub.

If you already have an account with elfh, then you can enrol on to the MindEd programme by logging in to the elfh Hub, selecting My Account > Enrolment and selecting the programme. You can then access the programme immediately in the My elearning section.

Register >

To view the MindEd programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.

View >

Registering large numbers of users

If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the MindEd  programme, please contact elfh directly.

Organisations wishing to use their own LMS

For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.

More information

Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.

elfh is a NHS England programme in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies