Aimed at those working across health and social care settings, and beyond, this framework is designed to enable individuals, their teams and managers identify and understand the values, knowledge and skills expected of them in mental health improvement and the prevention of self-harm or suicide. It will also help identify gaps or strengths in staff knowledge and skills. The framework articulates the knowledge and skills required across 4 levels of practice: informed, skilled, enhanced and specialist.
Welcome
The resources on this site have been co-produced by NHS Education for Scotland and Public Health Scotland to support the implementation of Scotland’s Public Health Priorities for Mental Health; The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Workforce Action Plan 2023 and Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy – Creating Hope Together 2022-2032.
They will support staff across the health, social care and wider public sector to develop the knowledge and skills needed to promote good mental health and wellbeing across the whole population and to prevent mental ill health, self-harm or suicide. It is also about improving the quality and length of life for people who experience mental ill health and addressing the inequalities people can face.
Mental Health Improvement and Suicide Prevention Knowledge and Skills Framework
The framework identifies the knowledge and skills required across the four levels of practice : informed, skilled, enhanced and specialist. These are based on the nature and frequency of contact staff have with people who may be at risk of, or affected by mental ill health, self-harm or suicide.
Aimed at those working across health, social care and the wider public sector this framework is designed to enable individuals, their teams, and managers identify and understand the values, knowledge and skills expected of them in mental health improvement and the prevention of self-harm or suicide. It will also help to identify gaps or strengths in staff’s knowledge and skills.
The Framework outlines knowledge and skills across six domains as follows:
Briefing Document
Briefing Document
This briefing provides a summary of the resources developed in partnership by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to support workforce learning needs associated with mental health improvement and the prevention of selfharm and suicide. It is aimed at commissioners, learning and development leads, workforce planners as well as individual staff who are working in all sectors in Scotland.
Learning Resources
Use the navigation bar or icons below to access learning resources at the different levels of practice
**Featured** Learning Bytes
Find our new set of learning bytes on the Skilled level page. They cover Promoting Mental Health, Supporting People in Distress and Crisis, Supporting People at Risk of Self Harm and Supporting Recovery and Quality of Life for People Living with Mental Ill Health. Learning Byte 3: Supporting People at Risk of Suicide is coming soon.
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Skilled level resources
Learning resources for staff working in mental health and suicide prevention at the Skilled level of practice.