Today marks World Mental Health Day, let’s take a look at some facts:

1 in 4 adults experience a mental illness

In England, 1 in 4 adults experience a mental illness. This is staggering because mental health influences cognition, perception and behaviour. These in turn affect how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships and decision-making.

1 in 8 adults receive any kind of treatment

According to Mind, approximately only 1 in 8 adults with mental health problems receive any kind of treatment. The most common treatment offered is psychiatric medication.

The most common mental illness diagnoses are:

How can we help raise awareness of mental health issues?

Inspired to learn more?

NCC deliver accredited Mental Health Courses, Psychology and Counselling courses online.

This would include the online self-paced course materials, expert tutoring and certification in the end.

To view more information, check out the links below:

World Mental Health day is a global day of celebration of mental health education, awareness and advocacy.

 

World Mental Health day is a global day of celebration of mental health education, awareness and advocacy. Since 2006 each day has highlighted a specific issue or aspect of mental health, last year for example was Schizophrenia, the year before was older adults.

This year, World Mental Health Day is looking at the issue of dignity, and how awareness can be raised as to what can be done to ensure that people with mental health issues can live with dignity.

In this blog post we will look at 3 of the key areas that affect dignity in mental health care.

Ageism

Ageism or age discrimination is the prejudice against a person or people based on how old they are. Ageism in relation to mental health care usually occurs when an individual with a mental health issue turns 65. According to a report by the Healthcare Commission, once people reach 65 the services available to them were noticeably fewer than the services they had access to previously.

Additionally it has been noted that there is a false perception that many mental health conditions stem from the sufferer becoming older, and that it is a natural part of ageing. Due to this the support that should be available for certain conditions is sometimes looked over.

All people with mental health issues should receive the same level of care, regardless of their age or the perception of the issues they are suffering with. The elderly should not be spoken to like they are children or patronised, likewise younger people should also not be disadvantaged because of their age.

Inequality & Discrimination

Inequality and discrimination are two very important areas when it comes to dignity in mental health care. With the UK being a diverse and multicultural society there are many different minority groups throughout the country. There is a risk of inequality and discrimination across all walks of life however there are some acute areas when it comes to mental health care.

A main area is the food that is provided to people who suffer with mental health issues, who receive residential or domiciliary are. Certain groups or individuals have specific dietary requirements from either their culture or religion, this should not be overlooked and people should have a choice in the type of food they receive.

Another area is communication. Some individuals with mental health issues may also have regional or ethnic accents. With communication being a key factor in looking after people with mental health conditions, any careers should be able to effectively understand and converse with everyone in their care, regardless of race or ethnicity.

Along with racial or religious discrimination, sexism is also a problem when it comes to dignity. The main issue is having enough room to have same sex wards or areas for mental health patients who receive care in a residential setting.

Abuse

A hot topic in the UK at the moment is abuse in care, specifically mental health care. Every person in the UK should be free from abuse, whether they have a mental health issue or not. Unfortunately it has been highlighted through various recent news reports that there is a problem with abuse in care in the UK. Some individuals in the UK who are suffering with mental health issues are being abused. This abuse can come in many different forms, physical, psychological, sexual, financial and neglect. Understanding dignity and respect is paramount in ensuring that people are not being abused either directly or indirectly. Physical abuse is often the easiest to identify and safeguard against however other types of abuse, specifically psychological or neglect are much harder, often the abuser doesn’t realise that their actions are a form of abuse.

Treating people with the dignity and respect that they deserve and understanding an individual’s specific needs will go a long way into ensuring that abuse is wiped out in mental health care.

All these areas overlap due to the complexity of mental health care, however if dignity best practice is applied there are many minor issues that can be negated. This is why dignity is a key part of mental health care and we can see why this World Mental Health Day is highlighting this area.

If you want to learn more about this, try our Mental Health Courses or dignity and respect in particular?

Mental Health Awareness Certificate Level 2

The world of business is fast-moving and pressured, but can be incredibly rewarding. There are tight deadlines, people to meet and diplomatic steps to take. For any hard-working, forward-thinking chief executive officer, they understand that this is not a role that they can fulfil on their own – they need to be supported by an efficient, skilled personal assistant.

Thus, many people are looking to complete a Personal Assistant Diploma to show potential employers they are qualified, skilled and able to fulfil this kind of role. For those already working as a PA, it is a means of qualifying the role that they already do as well as learning new skills, which could possibly advance their career further.

Personal-Assistant-picture

With more and more companies realising the benefits of employing qualified people in this kind of role, the time to start studying for a Personal Assistant Diploma is now!

And learning through online courses is the way forward for many hard-working and valued PAs.

What is involved in being a Personal Assistant?
The role will vary from one company or organisation to another. It can also vary depending on the person you work for. Everyone operates in a different way and although there may be some commonalities, experienced PAs understand that they have to adapt to new situations with a new chief executive.

Essentially, however, personal assistants will:

A Personal Assistant Diploma can be instrumental in providing and underpinning these skills and attributes.

Getting qualified
For many people, the possibility of being a PA is a challenge that they would like to take on. With more and more companies realising the benefits of employing qualified people in this kind of role, the time to start studying for a Personal Assistant Diploma is now!

As you read this, you will no doubt have identified many obstacles – for example, you may not want to give up your current job to study full time as this may be a financial impossibility. For other people, they simply don’t have the time nor the inclination to return to the classroom; for others, it has to be said, this idea fills them with dread.

There is another way and that is to study for qualifications online and there are many benefits for doing this:

Enrol today
Enrolling on personal assistant courses is simple, easy and straightforward:

Hiring staff, retaining key people and skills within your business can be a nightmare scenario. For any business, a high turnover of staff spells disaster – not only will it be costing you money continually advertising for and hiring new people, but it will also be sending the wrong signals to potential candidates.

A company that seems to be continually advertising for staff without the growth to match is heading down a one-way street to disaster. The solution is simple and yet complex – staff engagement.

Improving staff morale and engagement in your business is key to not only keeping hold of people but attracting the right recruits in the first place.

Staff engagement ideas – what they are not
Scour the web and you will find examples of hundreds of staff morale boosting exercises, activities, and ideas. Anything from paintballing, group drama lessons and a night at the pub are all common suggestions.

These may work to give a short term boost or topics of conversation around the water cooler the next day, but these types of activities are not the staff engagement ideas that will pay dividends in the long run.

Bearing in mind that there are hundreds of ideas, these two simple staff engagement ideas are currently in use in some of the biggest brands and names in business today.

Better still, the psychology behind the ideas and the process are also explained and it is this, the deeper, underlying reasoning that has the biggest impact on staff recruitment and retention.

2-simple-staff-engagement-ideas (2)

Improving staff morale and engagement in your business is key.

#1 The Offer
Zappos is an online clothing and shoe retailer, based in Las Vegas. In 2009, at the pinnacle of its success, it was acquired, lock, stock, and barrel by Amazon.com. A separate entity from its parent company, Zappos receives on average 55,000 applications per year to work for the brand.

Better still, they appear to have a particularly high staff retention rate making it a place where people not only want to work, but when they do, they don’t want to leave.

So what’s the big idea? How do they achieve this enviable position to not only have the option to choose from a large field of candidates but keep these people too?

The answer is two-pronged –

At the end of this part of the journey, recruits are offered money to leave. Conversely, this tactic works as Zappos are keen on keeping hold of the right people. Thus, they offer people who are not right a farewell handshake of $3,000. Only 2 to 3% of people have taken ‘The Offer’, and their retention rate is incredibly high.

This works for Zappos because they are clear about their company culture and what and who they are looking for in staff – do you?

#2 Employees first, customers second
There are many CEOs of top international companies that are clear – treat your own people right and they will treat the customers right. By constantly focusing on the customer, you are missing a valuable piece in the process – the staff.

Fostering a culture of respect, value and respect can be tough and yet, we say, we live our very lives around these traits. Staff often feel disengaged and isolated in large companies where there are staff teams not only based across a large site but across multiple sites.

Strengthening these relations is key to success but again, short term, flash-in-the-pan activities are not the answer.

A leading firm in the US have as its mission to increase customer engagement through employee engagement. And it works – from regular phone calls and emails between the CEO and managers, to a constant string of staff conferences and get-togethers all attended by the CEO, people feel they can share ideas and are listened to.

Do you have £30,000 to throw away? This is what human resources say hiring staff, including temporary or agency staff and decreased output when someone leaves is really costing business. The solution is to put staff engagement at the heart of your business.

More and more people are opting to become an NLP practitioner and linking this with their work. There are many reasons why people are opting to do this, mainly because they see NLP as offering significant benefits.

But why? And what is NLP?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming commonly known as NLP has been around for some time now. It is a set of rules and techniques that people believe modify their behaviour so that they can self-improve, self-manage better and also increase their effective interpersonal and communication skills.

The basic underlying principle to NLP is this – to achieve any kind of success, you need to create not only a goal to aim for but also envisage this goal and what it means to you. You need to understand how to modify your behaviour so that you can reach these goals.

In order for this new behaviour and modelling to become ingrained, you need to programme the part of your brain – hence the term neuro – so that you respond in this ‘new’ way. Many people do this by assigning a behaviour pattern a symbol. When you need to, you envision this symbol so that you can follow a different behaviour pattern, thus getting the results you want and need.

As an NLP practitioner, you will become accustomed to using this process to change and determine your own behaviour patterns in a certain situation but there is no limit as to where and when you can use NLP – and your work setting is the perfect place to use this process to change the way you think, act and communicate in order that you get different and better results.

There are several benefits to modifying your mental processes

There are several benefits to modifying your mental processes

How NLP can benefit you in your workplace role
There are several benefits to modifying your mental processes when it comes to decision making and so on, especially in the workplace. There is a saying ‘keep doing the same thing and you will get the same results’. However, knowing how to and when to make changes to our behaviour can places us in a quandary.

With NLP, you take responsibility for your internal feelings and behaviour, making the necessary changes that only impact on others in a positive way;

Better relationships and learning
For many people in the work environment, one of the many issues that they face relates to managing people or being part of a team. It is common for people to become locked in a particular mind set breaking out of these patterns of behaviour can be tough.

NLP can be the foundation of solid change when it comes to relationships and learning;

Taking the next step
Many people look to a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Diploma as the way in which to gain some of these valuable skills and insights. Those that have completed this course have never looked back, simply because they are driving themselves forward to reach goals they never dreamed of reaching.

Mental health is no longer hidden and no longer that people should be embarrassed about. Attitudes have changed enormously in the few years towards people with mental health issues, as well as understanding of the best kinds of care and treatment needed.

There is still a long way to go in so many ways before we can truly understand the depth of mental health issues. In the meantime, more people are willing to learn and thus, are looking at how to become a mental health worker.

There are many avenues that make up this diverse career path but those that have chosen to become mental health workers, find it a diverse and fulfilling career.

What is involved in being a mental health support worker?
Up until recent times, people with mental health issues were institutionalised and looked after in hospitals and residential clinics etc. Today people with issues and illnesses will live in the community, either assisted in independent living or at home, with family.

Adjusting to life when there is a mental health issue prevalent can be difficult. The world around can seem a confusing, unfriendly place. Having someone work with them, to support and enable them is important – and this is where the role of mental health support worker comes in.

Working in partnership
As you learn how to become a mental health worker, you will soon see that you are required to do a number of things:

a-road-map-to-becoming-a-mental-health-worker

more and more people are willing to learn and thus, are looking at how to become a mental health worker.

Experience and qualifications
Qualifications for mental health worker roles vary from one setting and employer to another. It pays to check the job description for any specific qualifications needed.

You will need to show that you have a high level of numeracy and literacy. As you support your client, you will be expected to keep detailed records of activities or any appointments you attended. You may also be expected to write a report on a regular basis, providing an objective assessment of how well your client is doing, along with any additional help they may need.

The Level 3 Preparing for Work in the Care Sector or similar course is an excellent way of acquiring knowledge and skills needed to underpin the basics of working in this kind of role.

Many people also look to complete similar courses in Health and Social Care, another excellent way of showing potential employers that you have a basic understanding and idea of what the role entails, and what the challenges could be.

Skills and attitudes
There is no doubt, however, that in looking at how to be a mental health worker that offers the support and guidance needed comes down to ‘soft skills’. These are the skills that are inherent in people, they personality and attitudes towards life, people and in this case, mental health illnesses.

You need to be able to:

There are various mental health courses that will equip you with the basic skills needed but also specialist ones too. With 1 in 4 people suffering from mental health illnesses, the role of support worker is on that is increasingly needed.

Neuro-linguistic programming – known as NLP – is often touted by any people as being the new way of thinking and developing as a person, as well as a professional. In some ways, it is a way of changing how people think and their perceptions of an event, which is how magicians have long performed their craft.

What is NLP?
NLP is the practice of understanding how people organise their thoughts, emotions, language and behaviour to produce that results that they do.

When you understand your own pattern, according to NLP practitioners, you change your thought processes which should produce different results.

It is also a means by which people can model themselves on others. For example, Richard Branson has had phenomenal business success. My understanding how he thinks, using language, understanding his emotions and so on, people can ‘copy’ these trains of thought – and possibly emulate his success too.

NLP acknowledges that we create our own unique mental maps of the world around us, utilising our five senses. The three key elements of NLP are defined as:

NLP and magic – is there a link?
The likes of Dynamo and Derren Brown offer an intriguing insight into how we perceive certain visual information and clues. There are those of which we are aware, but there are also cues that we process without being conscious of them, or overtly aware.

In essence, illusionists and magicians take advantage of a fundamental fact – attention is limited.

For example, some people say that no one reads online. What their intended meaning is, is that people do not give the written word on the screen the full attention that it needs. They take a quick look, maybe skim read over a paragraph or two in order to get an idea of what the intended meaning is.

Science tells us that our attention span is limited. We focus on a small amount of content and then everything outside of this content although still in sight, is essential ‘blurry’. These blurrier parts are known as the ‘fringe’ and the ‘margin.’

By focusing on one small spot, you miss all kinds of information that goes on in the fringes and the margins. With so much information bombarding us, we miss a lot of this information.

Magicians and illusionists manage our attention.

It is as simple and as complex as that. There are other people who manage our attention:

Love it or hate it, magic is a means by which perception and awareness are altered by the person performing the magic. Most of the time, people see this as fascinating, cool and at times, simply incredible. It is also fun and light-hearted, with magicians or illusionists rarely using it as a means to instil fear into someone.

This is how NLP and magic are similar but this is true of many other things in life too:

NLP is used in all kind of facets
From marketing and promotional work, to magicians and psychologists – changing how people think and their perceptions of an object or a process is something that happens to us every day.

From a magician understanding at what point the audience will object the trick and showing them something else, to an advertiser understanding that drawing attention away from something less than perfect is an accepted promotional technique, completing Neuro Linguistic Courses provide a great platform for improved understanding of what makes people tick – and why.

Over half of British girls feel that they have a good knowledge of mental health issues amongst young people, according to a new survey.

Over half of British girls feel that they have a good knowledge of mental health issues amongst young people, according to a new survey. A national organisation has released the first look at a report into the wellbeing of girls in the United Kingdom, with worrying statistics regarding mental health.

Girlguiding UK conducted their annual Girls’ Attitudes Survey, asking 1,574 girls and young women aged between 7 and 21 for their views on various topics.

One of the topics most prominent in the range of answers was that of mental health, and the levels of education surrounding it.

Worryingly, less than half of the girls surveyed stated that they have had conversations about mental health contained within their lessons at school. This has led to the survey revealing that over half of those surveyed feel that they don’t know enough about the mental health issues they face as young people.

This year, the list of health concerns for girls aged 11-21 was topped by self-harming, with mental illness, depression and eating disorders all featured in the top five. This sits in stark contrast with the list of health concerns from only five years ago, where the top three concerns were drug use, alcohol and smoking.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the belief of those who were surveyed opinions on parents’ views. Last year it was voted that parents’ greatest worries were drug use, alcohol and smoking, and this opinion has not changed. Furthermore, a massive 82% of the girls surveyed stated that adults do not recognise the pressures that they face in their daily lives.

Does this mean that parents are worrying about the wrong issues?

This could be seen to be true, as whilst drugs, alcohol and smoking are obviously problems that face many young people, 62% of girls and young women aged 11-21 who were surveyed personally knew a young woman who has experienced a mental health problem.

Even more alarming is the revelation that 46% of girls and young women aged 17 to 21 have personally needed help with their own mental health.

With 66% of girls aged 17 to 21 stating that mental health is awkward to talk about, maybe it is time that more awareness was given to mental health from a young age to attempt to combat this stigma, and reduce the high numbers of those diagnosed. The good news is that over half of those surveyed would like to know more about where to get help and support for mental health issues.

The Chief Executive of Girlguiding UK, Julie Bentley, said: ‘The findings in this year’s Girls’ Attitudes Survey provide a stark warning about the fragile state UK girls’ well-being.’

‘We need the support of decision-makers to start an open conversation about girls’ concerns. By listening to girls, we can work together to tackle the root causes of their distress – and champion their potential.’

If you are interested in learning more about mental health, and the effects it can have, why not take a look at our Mental health courses online or the Mental Health Awareness Certificates. Alternatively, you may wish to work in a mental health environment, and our Understanding Working in Mental Health Certificate.

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a general term for a group of disorders that relate to brain development.

 

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a general term for a group of disorders that relate to brain development. These disorders are characterised by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviours. In some cases, these can be barely noticeable, is some they can be severe.

Many people who work within a care or education setting, or perhaps carers of children that have been diagnosed with autism, choose to compete for various autism awareness courses. These courses allow for valuable insight into what can exacerbate an autistic child or adult’s reaction to certain situations.

Recognising and understanding the early signs of autism is key in not only diagnosis, but also in treatment which will reduce the disorder’s effect. By controlling these effects, an autistic child or adult can learn and thrive.

When can autism be detected?

Autism is a spectrum of disorders that are closely related and often share similar, if not the same symptoms. Autism spectrum disorders appear in infancy and early childhood. In many cases, there is a delay in basic areas of development such as talking, plating and the ability to interact with others.

The symptoms of autism vary, as do its effects. Some children suffer mild impairments, but others have far bigger obstacles to overcome. However, all autistic children and adults will share problems in these three areas:

  • Not being able to communicate verbally and non-verbally
  • Being able to relate to others and the world around them
  • Inflexible behaviour and thinking patterns

These are all early signs of autism that health professionals working with young and small children will look for. Unfortunately, what can be confusing for parents and teachers is that the doctors, experts and so on all have different opinions as to how autism should be treated.

However, there is one fact that is crystal clear and universally agreed on: early and intensive intervention helps. For those children that show early signs of autism, this makes all the difference.

Spotting the early signs of autism falls to the parents

Parents are in the best position to detect early signs of ASD but, unless they are aware of some of the behaviours and quirks, it can be difficult to recognise. Also, some parents find it tough getting the help, diagnosis and support they need. There are still cases where some children are labelled as ‘naughty’ or their behaviour is as a result of inadequate parenting. This attitude is unhelpful and forms a significant barrier to parents, and children, receiving the help that they need.
This is what to look and how to look for it (the following list is not the basis of a diagnosis. However, if you feel that your child behaves in this way, you should seek further help and advice):

  • Development – autism affects the rate and ability of growth in critical areas such as social, emotional and cognitive milestones. Delay in reaching certain targets by a certain age is not an automatic indication of autism; it could be a pointer.
  • Take action – every child develops in different ways and at different times thus, just because your child walks or talks at a later time than others should not be too much of a cause for concern. There is a large range of ‘normal’ development but, if your feel or suspect your child is not reaching the right milestone at the expected time, it is important that you seek help. Share your concerns with your health visitor or GP.
  • ‘Wait and see’ is not good enough – many concerned parents are told not to worry or wait and see. This is not the right approach and means that you are losing valuable time at an age where a child is thirsty for development. The essence of this argument is simple – whether the developmental delay is as a result of autism or another factor, children will not ‘grow out of it’.
  • Trust your instincts – parents have an innate ability to be able to spot problems and issues with their children. Problems can be underestimated by professionals and you may find that you will need to be persistent. Educational and clinical psychologists will often be part of the team that confirm the diagnosis of autism.

Autism awareness – information is key

Understanding autism and how is can show itself is important but underpinning is knowledge. With autism awareness courses and training, it is possible to understand the finer issues that are involved in living with someone with autism, as well as managing behaviour and so on.

Click here if you want to know more about the autism courses we offer here at NCC Home Learning.

In our first in a new series of blog posts, we talk to the author & tutor of the our new Reflexology Diploma course.

 

Maria Page is both the author and tutor of our great new Reflexology Diploma course. We took some time out for a chat with Maria, we wanted to get to know her and her story. We hope you enjoy!

“I began studying reflexology in 1999 after receiving my first treatment. I visited a therapist following a recommendation to assist me with a health problem. Initially I was skeptical and couldn’t see how ‘playing with someone’s feet’ would reduce their symptoms, however, from the moment my therapist began the treatment I was hooked.

She started by asking me questions about my health and then proceeded to ‘read’ my feet. She could tell that I walked heavily on the balls of my feet before she had even touched them. I expected the treatment to be painful and uncomfortable as I was very ticklish, however, as she placed her hands onto my feet I instantly relaxed.

My therapist began the treatment and in some areas I felt pain or discomfort. She informed me that she could feel crystals under the skin in these areas and that this indicated that the energy wasn’t flowing. My main reason for visiting a reflexologist was to reduce the pain I was experiencing in my shoulder. Half an hour into the treatment, the severe pain had reduced and now was a slight ache.

That night I slept better than I had slept in years and the following morning I awoke early, feeling refreshed, happy and pain-free. I had more treatments which helped to keep the pain away from my shoulder and my mood was lighter too. I felt more relaxed, calmer and was able to think clearer.

It is unimaginable to think that by touching specific areas on the feet, I could feel so much better in so many ways. The whole concept of the subject fascinated me so I wanted to know more about it. I did a reflexology course which taught me about the essentials of massage and reflexology, how to perform a basic treatment on myself and others and how the human body works. I wanted to know more so I continued with advanced courses of study which taught me how to give a full treatment to others and build a business.

I began working on family members and friends for free whilst I studied. The reaction I received from many people was pleasing and I decided that I wanted to do this for a living. I began my new career by renting a room within a beauty therapy business. This worked well to begin with as I was being introduced to new clients.

Whilst working I decided that I still wanted to know more and enrolled on more courses which taught me how to treat people with specific illnesses, terminal illnesses, pregnancy and to work with babies and children.

I progressed and moved to bigger premises. I wanted to incorporate other therapies with reflexology to enhance the treatment. I studied a course of aromatherapy which meant that I could use oils as part of the reflexology session. This intensified the treatment and aided recovery.

I also gave home visits as part of my business to people who were unable to get to the treatment rooms. This allowed me to visit a vast amount of people who wanted my help. I visited nursing homes and gave treatments to the residents to help ease pain and increase their circulation.

Working with so many individuals with numerous health issues, I wanted to increase my knowledge even further, so I enrolled on a nutrition course which taught me what to eat for good health. This continued with more study until I was able to use this knowledge as part of the reflexology business. I could advise clients on the foods and nutrients that they required which complemented their reflexology treatment.

Since then I have been working with people with degenerative conditions and giving them reflexology treatments which are increasing their wellbeing and reducing their pain. I give lectures and workshops to students teaching them both the basics and the advanced techniques used as part of a treatment. I still do some home visits to individuals who are suffering with physical, mental and emotional issues and I author learning materials and self-help guides”.

You can read more about our Reflexology Diploma course, written by Maria, by clicking here.