Highbury College
...AND BEYOND
The road to recovery:
a new approach
Back on Track is an innovative
education project that focuses on the
recovery of young people and adults with
mental health issues.
The scheme, which is now in its third
year, was developed at Highbury College
in collaboration with Headspace, an
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service in
Portsmouth working with 14-35 year olds,
and aims to encourage young people and
adults with mental health issues back into
education, training and employment.
‘Mental health problems are more
common than many people think and can
affect anyone,’ says Pam Ringland, Senior
Occupational Therapist at Headspace.
‘The onset of mental health problems,
especially in adolescence and early
adulthood, greatly increases the risk of
young people dropping out of education.
Re-entering education can play a big part
in a young person’s recovery.
Back on Track was introduced after
the National Institute of Adult Continuing
Education (NIACE) and the National
Institute for Mental Health in England
(NIMHE) identified a gap in specialist
provision for young people experiencing
mental health issues in the Hampshire
area.
Sue Ward, Head of Centre,
Skills for Life and Work
Working in close partnership, Highbury
and Headspace designed a flexible,
programme that consisted of three
main strands: Self Development through
Learning (Learnpower), Key Skills and
a vocational element based on each
student’s interests and ambitions.
A custom-designed room was made
available at Highbury to provide a ‘safe
haven’ for Back on Track students and
sessions were afternoon-only to assist
those who had difficulty attending earlier
in the day.
From the outset, the Back on Track
project proved to be highly successful.
The monitoring of therapeutic outcomes
by Headspace reveals that at the
beginning of their course most Back
on Track students have extremely high
levels of social anxiety. Within one term,
most students are comfortable in the
classroom.
The originality of Back on Track has not
gone unnoticed. The project has received
local news and TV coverage and in 2009
Back on Track was launched as a national
pilot by the Learning and Skills Council
(LSC) and NIACE.
‘The success of Back on Track is a
matter of great pride for everyone who
has worked so hard to make it a reality,’
says Sue Ward, Head of Centre, Skills for
Life and Work, who manages the Back on
Track project for Highbury, and along with
Pam Ringland, sat on the oversight group
of Back on Track 2.
‘However, above and beyond the
success of Back on Track, we are most
proud of the achievements of individual
students.
‘Young people and adults who saw
themselves as mental health patients
gradually come to think of themselves
as students. This is a major shift in self-
image.
‘As well as helping students to learn
how to take care of themselves and
manage their symptoms, Back on Track
enables them to develop social and study
skills and improve their self esteem. Most
importantly, it gives them hope for the
future, which is crucial to their long-term
recovery.’
Pam Ringland, Senior Occupational
Therapist, Headspace
Skills for Life & Work
The College’s Skills for Life & Work
strategy aims to ensure that all students
at Highbury have the tools they need to
succeed, including the hardest to reach
learners, such as those on Back on
Track.
An important part of the strategy is to
improve students’ literacy and numeracy
abilities, while developing their vocational
skills to prepare them for work.
Other groups of learners who benefit
from the College’s provision in this area
are students with learning difficulties or
disabilities, young parents and parents
to be, and people who do not speak
English as their first language for whom
the College provides English language
classes.
‘Many of our students may come
to us feeling vulnerable or lacking in
confidence,’ says Sue Ward, Head of
Centre, Skills for Life and Work. ‘Keeping
them motivated and engaged is crucial in
building up their confidence.
‘For example, the courses we offer
for people with learning difficulties and
disabilities (LDD) help students improve
National one-day
their social skills and get out and about
in the community. We maintain strong
links with local employers so that
LDD students can learn through work
placements and progress wherever
possible to employment.
‘We have also developed a travel
training programme to help students feel
more confident about traveling to and
from their place of work independently.
‘Skills for Life & Work is a “virtual
centre” and operates throughout the
College in a wide variety of contexts. What
unites our activities is a determination to
offer a flexible and responsive service
so that all students at the College can
succeed and move on to employment or
further study.’
To learn more about courses
at Highbury College
please call (023) 9238 3131
or email info@highbury.ac.uk.
Headspace
Portsmouth’s Early Intervention
in Psychosis Service
Headspace is an Early Intervention in
Psychosis Service that works with people
who have or may be developing a first
episode of psychosis. Headspace is an
NHS service that has a dedicated team of
professionals who work with people who
are experiencing psychosis, or may be at
risk of developing psychosis.
Research has shown that getting help
early gives people a better chance of
getting better faster and staying well.
‘We can make sure that young people
with psychosis and their families get
help quickly,’ says Pam Ringland, Senior
Occupational Therapist at Headspace.
‘We provide support that is responsive to
the person’s needs and on their terms.’
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is a condition that affects
the mind when there has been some
loss of contact with reality. About 3 in
100 people suffer from psychosis at
some time in their life.
People may experience symptoms
such as hearing voices that no-one
else hears, believing that you are being
watched, followed or persecuted by
others or thinking in a confused way.
Early signs of psychosis include:
• Reduced drive and motivation
• Isolating self from family and
friends
• Sleep disturbance
• Depressed mood
• Suspiciousness
• Imagining things
The service can maintain contact
during the first three years of psychotic
illness and monitor the mental health of
those at risk of developing psychosis for
up to 12 months.
Headspace operates Monday-Friday,
9am-5pm with facilities for appointments
outside these hours when required,
either at Headspace or local health
centres. The service is available to people
registered as a permanent patient with a
Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust GP.
To contact Headspace
phone (023) 9273 7106
or visit their website at
www.headspaceportsmouth.com.
What causes psychosis?
No single cause has been identified.
Psychosis can affect anyone. People
from all walks of life and all levels of
intelligence can develop psychosis.
Some people seem more at risk
of developing psychosis than others
and these people can have their first
episodes triggered by factors such as
illicit drugs (for example cannabis and
amphetamines) or stress. The risk is also
increased if there is a family history of
mental illness.
Is there a cure?
Yes! Many people affected by psychosis
can lose hope. However, people can and
do recover from mental health problems.
Each person’s recovery journey is likely
to be different, but getting help early
gives people the best chance of getting
better faster.
conference
Would you like to understand more Speakers include Rick Fraser, Lead
about how to recognise the early Consultant Psychiatrist, Sussex Early
symptoms of psychosis or other mental
health problems in learners?
Intervention in Psychosis Service, and
Beverley Burgess, Head of Specialist
Do you know how to support learners
with mental health issues to succeed in
Learning at the Young People’s Learning
Agency.
the classroom or training environment? Talks and workshops will also be
Would you like to understand more delivered by Highbury and Headspace
about the role of education and training staff who have been involved in the Back
in improving people’s wellbeing, recovery on Track initiative.
and access to work/life goals? The conference will include sessions
A national one-day conference is being on teaching students with mental
health issues, the links between health,
held at Highbury College Portsmouth
education and vocation, and a ‘how-to’
on Wednesday 27 October to raise
guide to partnership working.
awareness of the significance of mental
health issues in education and training. The Back on Track conference should
be of interest to education and training
The conference should also improve
providers, healthcare practitioners,
links and partnership working between
mental health organisations and post-16 educational psychologists, employment
learning and skills providers. and voluntary sector professionals and
The Back on Track conference will
anyone with an interest in training and
include presentations and workshops
education.
delivered by national speakers who have
a wealth of personal and professional
experience in this area.
Wednesday 27 October 2010, 10am-5pm
Highbury College, Portsmouth, Hants PO6 2SA
National one-day conference
...AND BEYOND
Breaking down the barriers to education,
employment and training for people with
mental health needs
A national one-day conference to raise awareness of the
significance of mental health issues in education and training
• Learn about the role of education in improving
people’s wellbeing
• Appreciate the importance of early intervention
in the recovery process
• Recognise the early symptoms of psychosis
and mental health problems
• Find out what you should do if a learner develops
a mental health problem
• Develop strategies to support learners with
mental health issues
To book your place
email karen.eggleton@highbury.ac.uk
or telephone (023) 9232 8878