Who LEAD is for
Heads of pastoral care, deputy heads, designated safeguarding leads, counsellors, heads of section and directors.
Youth Mental Health Response · LEAD
LEAD: mental health leadership training for school leaders and counsellors
One day for the people who own what happens after a student opens up – so every staff response leads into a clear, safe pathway.
Trained staff only help if the system behind them works. LEAD gives pastoral leaders, safeguarding leads and counsellors the structures that make NOTICE and HOLD effective.
How the method fits together
ANCHOR is the six-step method. NOTICE, HOLD and LEAD teach it to the three groups of adults around a young person, as part of Youth Mental Health Response.
- The methodANCHORSix steps for a calm, safe supportive conversation.
- ParentsNOTICEParent mental health workshop: early signs and open conversations at home.
- Teachers and pastoral staffHOLDMental health response training for teachers: notice, stay present, hand over.
- School leaders and counsellorsLEADMental health leadership training: pathways, documentation, supervision.You are here
What leaders learn
- Designing referral pathways staff can follow under pressure
- Documentation that supports continuity of care and safeguarding duties
- Communicating with parents when a concern is raised
- Supervising and supporting the staff who respond, including their own wellbeing
- Knowing when to involve families, specialists or health professionals
- Building the environment that keeps HOLD and NOTICE working across the year
What changes in school
Concerns move from a single caring adult into a shared, documented process. Staff know who to hand over to, parents hear one consistent message, and leaders can see where the pathway breaks.
How LEAD fits the wider approach
LEAD is the leadership tier of Youth Mental Health Response, level 2 (Respond) of our school pathway. It connects directly to Whole-School Capability, where we help leadership embed mental health into policy and practice.
Format and certificate
One day, in person or live online, in English or German cohorts, with HOLD as the foundation. Participants receive an LBR Youth Mental Health Response certificate; this is not an externally accredited clinical qualification.
Common questions
- Who is LEAD for?
- Heads of pastoral care, deputy heads, designated safeguarding leads, counsellors and directors – the people who own the pathway once a concern is raised.
- How long is LEAD?
- One day, plus one day for HOLD if leaders have not already taken it, because LEAD builds on the same ANCHOR steps.
- How is LEAD different from HOLD?
- HOLD prepares staff for the first conversation. LEAD prepares leaders to run what happens next: referral pathways, documentation, parent communication and supervising the staff who respond.
- Is LEAD an accredited MHFA course?
- No. LEAD is part of Youth Mental Health Response, which is independently developed and MHFA-informed. Participants receive an LBR certificate, not an externally accredited clinical qualification.
- Is this an accredited MHFA course?
- No. Our curriculum is independently developed and MHFA-informed rather than an accredited Mental Health First Aid course. It is not quality-assured by MHFA England or any official MHFA provider, and we are explicit about that so schools can choose what they need.
- What does 'MHFA-informed' actually mean?
- It means we share MHFA's first-response philosophy - notice the signs, stay calm, listen without fixing, guide towards the right help - but the content is our own, built around the ANCHOR framework and split across the NOTICE, HOLD and LEAD tiers. The programme is not quality-assured by MHFA England or another official MHFA provider.
- What certificate do participants receive?
- Participants who complete a Youth Mental Health Response tier receive the LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate - an LBR-issued professional training certificate, valid for three years. It is not an externally accredited clinical qualification.
Related pages
Ask us about this programme
Tell us a little about your school or family and we will reply with dates, formats and pricing - usually within one working day.
Plan LEAD for your leadership team
Tell us who owns pastoral care and safeguarding in your school and we will propose a format and a written quote.