South Devon College to lead the way in mental health support training
Hair and beauty students at South Devon College are from today being trained in offering mental health support
A former South Devon College pupil is hoping the latest generation of students can lead the way by ensuring mental health support training becomes part of future national curriculums.
Tom Chapman founded the Lions Barber Collective in 2015 after losing a friend to suicide and has since helped train 3,000 people in the health and beauty sectors to offer mental health support to clients.
Tom says often customers open-up to hairdressers and believes staff members can in turn offer advice or signposting.
He stresses staff are not being turned into 'psychiatrists or councillors' - just people who know the signs to watch out for.
It is hoped the training, being unveiled today at South Devon College, can be used as a blueprint for future curriculums in the sector - to ensure mental support-training becomes as integral to the course as health and safety.
As Tom puts it,: “72% of those who take their own life have had no contact with mental health services in the 12 months before their death…..but they have probably had a haircut.”
Tom talked about why he founded the collective in a previous interview with Greatest Hits Radio
The Lions Barber Collective aims to prevent suicide by training barbers to use their position, where there's already an element of trust to cut their clients' hair, to look out for signs of depression and potential suicidal thoughts, and signpost to agencies that can support them.
Tom's Ted talk