Well-being charter, signed, sealed and delivered.

Hartlepool College of Further Education has reaffirmed their commitment to staff and students by signing up to a brand new national mental health and wellbeing charter - created by the Association of Colleges in conjunction with mental health experts.

The 11-point document includes commitments to:

· Promoting equality of opportunity and challenging mental health stigma
· Providing appropriate mental health training for staff
· Providing targeted individual mental health support where appropriate

Colleges across England teach and train 2.2 million people each year - including 685,000 young people. Every year, 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem and 1 in 5 young people aged 16-24 experience a common mental illness such as anxiety or depression at any one time. Add to these facts, 75% of adults with a diagnosable mental health problem experience their first symptoms before the age of 24 means Hartlepool College plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its 4000 students and 300 staff.

Darren Hankey, Principal at Hartlepool College said, “some of the statistics related to mental health are alarming and, in the recent past, we’ve supported good causes in this field. Signing this charter is the right and proper thing for us to do as a responsible employer and further education college.”

Richard Caulfield, Mental Health Lead at the Association of Colleges, said: “Every single day colleges like Hartlepool College of Further Education provide a world-class education and transform the lives of millions of people. This includes providing support for both staff and student wellbeing at the right time, in the right place. This charter gives colleges the chance to publicly state their commitment to the mental health agenda.”

Clare Stafford, CEO of the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, “We passionately believe that mental health support of the highest standard should be available to all young people and college staff. The launch of the Charter further enhances the Association of College’s long-standing commitment to this. As a charity, the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust is delighted to be working in collaboration with AoC and fully endorses the principles and intentions of this important new Charter”