The reason why
Understanding the challenges faced by young individuals with learning disabilities in attaining mental health diagnoses is critical. Often, symptoms are mistaken for inherent aspects of their disability, delaying essential interventions (Mind, 2021). An early intervention approach becomes paramount to prevent the need for more intensive and costly treatments later in life.
The COVID-19 pandemic, moreover, disproportionately impacted the mental health of vulnerable groups, including those with learning disabilities. Blackburn and Darwin’s Public Health reported staggering statistics indicating a stark rise in probable mental disorders among children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), underscoring the urgency for early intervention (Blackburn and Darwin’s Public Health).
Recognizing this urgent need, the Education through Engagement program was conceived and delivered by adults with learning disabilities and autism. Termed ‘Champions,’ these individuals utilized their lived experiences to engage young people facing similar challenges. The aim was to foster resilience, equip them with skills, and bolster their self-belief, facilitating a smoother transition to independent adulthood.
The program strategically coincided with a pivotal period in young people’s lives—transitioning from Children’s Services to Adults Services. Adding strength to this initiative, two prominent education charities, Education and Employers & Speakers for Schools, collaborated on a report that underscored the positive impact of external speakers in secondary schools (Percy, 2019). The findings highlighted substantial improvements in attitudes, motivation, and understanding among students who attended these sessions, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Education through Engagement Programme
Over a span of 12 weeks, our Champions underwent intensive training and development, leveraging their lived experiences to co-create valuable content focused on various aspects of mental health and emotional well-being. This content was designed to resonate with young individuals facing similar challenges.
The culmination of this collaborative effort resulted in a series of workshops conducted during school hours at Crosshill School in Blackburn with Darwen. These workshops were specifically tailored for young people aged 14-16, offering a safe space for open discussions on crucial mental health topics.
Moreover, the workshops featured guest speakers from local services, including the NHS Health Check, providing a platform for young people and their families or carers to gain insights into wider support networks and activity providers available within the borough. The impact was tangible, as expressed by one participant who shared, “It was good to learn the names of places and people we could go to for help and advice.”
The sessions proved to be transformative, not solely providing crucial information but also nurturing a sense of empowerment and resilience among the students. This was evident through students’ affirmations, such as, “. . . we understand more about anxiety now,” and their appreciation for learning new coping strategies during challenging times.
The experiences shared by the Champions had a profound impact on the students’ perspectives on transitioning to college and managing their mental health and well-being. Students expressed gratitude for gaining insights into others’ experiences, resonating with older individuals facing similar challenges, saying, “It was good to learn about other people’s experiences, especially seeing that older people had the same experiences as us and shared the same difficulties and disabilities.”
The sessions went beyond imparting knowledge; they sparked a deeper understanding and empathy among the students. By incorporating and embracing real-life, shared experiences and learning from the Champions, students felt more equipped to navigate their mental health journey and transitions to college will be easier, stating, “the Champions helped us to understand what transition to college will be like.”
The Champions
The feedback from the Champions involved in the project reflects their transformative journey, overcoming fears, embracing challenges, and gaining invaluable skills and insights. Here are the key highlights from their evaluation.
The filming process and speaking in front of a camera during the project added pressure, but proved to be a learning curve, elevating their resilience and confidence levels. They mentioned the fear they had not only of being filmed, but also towards the young people at first, stating, “it was scary,” and, “I was nervous that the kids were not going to be interested in my experiences.” Despite initial apprehensions and misconceptions of young people, the Champions were pleasantly surprised by the receptiveness of the students, altering their perceptions of young individuals, stating “the kids listened. . . were sensible and asked questions.” In addition, one champions experience, highlighted pushing past the initial fear and discomfort, showcasing resilience and determination, ” it was scary at first but I learnt to push past it and just do it. Speaking in front of a class, helped me grow my confidence.”
Regarding professional development, another champions experience emphasized the development of their professionalism, focusing on language and presentation skills, stating, “I had to be conscious of speaking, my language, and what words to say due to being watched by others.” This champion reported an increase in confidence, inspiring a potential career path in delivering peer sessions and presenting her lived experience to a wider audience in the future.
Overall, the champions valued the collaborative journey, contributing to an end goal that added value to themselves and others. Their communications skills were enhanced, through peer learning and the diverse perspectives and backgrounds among the Champions. Furthermore, they developed teamwork skills, supporting each other and collectively presenting to the class. Although, the coproduction process posed initial challenges in structuring presentations, but was seen as an integral part of the learning process.
In addition, the champions reported an increase in public speaking skills and learned to adapt language, and behaviours when addressing different audiences, especially children. With the project aligning with social prescribing models as it increased the awareness of organizations like Purple Patch, prompting a desire to further promote local organizations and their support services.
Lisa Denicola, senior LeDeR reviewer / senior health inequalities manager for the Learning Disability & Autism Team at the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, stated “I attended one of the champions planning meetings on MS Teams. All the champions were excited to be involved and keen to contribute, share ideas and plan ahead. It was heart-warming to listen to all the activity and good humour. The group facilitators were exceptional in how the information was presented and discussed, a real sense of team bonding was evident. A few weeks later I was fortunate to be asked to join one of the sessions held at Crosshill School. The confidence and empowerment that the champions oozed was absolutely amazing and moving. The students were all engaged and actively listening, really taking on board what the champions had to say about their experiences. The students were asking lots of questions about what happens after school and how to do a good job at interviews. What a great session, and again facilitated by empathic and passionate individuals who want to make a difference. The video that was put together was great, but being in the room was extra special.”
Upon reflection, the champions found it to be an opportunity to showcase their contributions, which instilled a sense of pride in what they achieved. The feedback showcases the Champions’ personal growth, the acquisition of valuable skills, and the profound impact of their engagement with students. It underscores the transformative power of lived experiences and highlights the potential avenues for future development and support for the Champions involved in similar initiatives.
