We’ve partnered with Healthier Heroes!
We’ve joined teams with Healthier Heroes to give amazing hands-on experience in mental health care for our Nelson and Colne College students. Healthier Heroes is a Burnley based charity that supports military veterans who may be experiencing difficulties since leaving the forces. They provide help with housing as well as a range of mental health care services, from rehabilitation to social inclusion and counselling.
Mental Health issues have been heightened during the pandemic, but so has mental health awareness. Many of our students are now looking to join the mental health sector and provide support to those with mental illness.
Laura Barrowclough, Health and Social Care Lecturer and Industry Lead, said: “We are the only college in the whole of the North West that runs a mental health cadet programme. It will allow our learners to be at the forefront of mental health care, driving outstanding care among future professionals in areas of our local community that need our help. Usually, students can’t work in mental health until they’re 18 so it’s a great testament to the college that Healthier Heroes expressed such a willingness to work with us.”
For our students, the partnership with Healthier Heroes enables them to get a level of experience they’d struggle to get elsewhere at their age. The training our Health and Social Care students will get to become Mental Health Cadets will give them a boost when applying for jobs, university or Apprenticeships.
Andy Powell, Managing Director of Healthier Heroes and an ex-Army Colour Sergeant helped design the mental health cadet programme curriculum. He offers students an excellent insight into clinical interventions and procedures as well as a rare and bespoke opportunity to work alongside qualified experts and gain a broad perspective of mental health care.
