Empowering the workforce: Over 3,600 enrolments in HEIW's mental health training
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is proud to be upskilling the healthcare workforce across Wales through its mental health training programmes. With over 3,600 enrolments to date, HEIW is helping to build a more skilled and confident workforce, strengthening the quality of mental health care provided across the country.
As part of its commitment to delivering high quality education and training, HEIW has developed a range of mental health courses available on Y Ty Dysgu, the national e-learning platform for NHS Wales. The courses are designed to support staff across health boards, social care, the third sector and volunteers, helping them to better understand mental health issues and provide improved care for patients across Wales.
Wide range of training to support mental health care
HEIW’s mental health training covers key areas, including:
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Perinatal Mental Health
- Children’s rights (NEST)
- Dementia diagnosis (DiADeM Cymru)
- Learning disabilities
- Mental health foundation literacy
- Trauma awareness
- Clozapine and Lithium courses
- Introduction eating disorders
- The Parent Infant Relationship & Infant Mental Health
Since January 2024, over 3,600 enrolments have been recorded across these courses. This demonstrates strong engagement and commitment to improving understanding of mental health and delivering quality care in mental health across Wales.
HEIW has partnered with Welsh Government, Wales’ health boards, Social Care Wales and the third sector to deliver the most up to date training. This ensures users have access to the most relevant and accurate information to support them in delivering quality care.
How the training benefits the workforce and patient care
The training enables colleagues at all levels to deepen their understanding of mental health conditions, recognise signs and symptoms, and confidently signpost individuals to appropriate support. For example, the eating disorders course helps staff spot the signs and respond appropriately, while the Clozapine and Lithium modules strengthen clinical guidance for medication management. Learners have reported feeling more knowledgeable and comfortable discussing mental health and wellbeing with patients and better equipped to support those in need.
Feedback from participants highlights the value of these courses:
- “I now have a better understanding of how to handle this subject when speaking to patients.”
- “I now have a greater understanding of the many different eating disorders and how they can present in practice.”
- “Course was perfectly pitched and gave me a good understanding of the challenges and struggles of those with mental health problems and how to support them and have conversations that support them. I have a good level of awareness that I did not have before.”
- “Very interactive, easy to follow and digest the information provided.”
- “It provides essential information about Clozapine as it is a critical antipsychotic drug. The course provides information for clinical guidance to ensure health care providers are aware of what to do when a patient is initiated on clozapine.”
Supporting HEIW’s strategic priorities
This work directly supports HEIW’s strategic priority of delivering high quality education and training, as well as the Strategic Mental Health Workforce Plan and A Healthier Wales. By providing targeted national continuing professional development programmes, HEIW is helping to build a skilled, confident workforce that can deliver safe, effective and compassionate care to patients across Wales.
More to come
Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of our refreshed Learning Disabilities Tier 2 (Enhanced) course, with 2 new modules, as well as our newly developed Outcome Measures and Substance Use Awareness courses, coming soon.
For further information about HEIW’s mental health training, email HEIW’s team or visit Y Ty Dysgu.