School Senior Mental Health Lead Role Guidance

This guidance is for maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England that choose to identify a senior mental health lead. Schools are encouraged to identify someone for this role; identifying a senior mental health lead is not presented here as a universal requirement.

Purpose of the role

The senior mental health lead should have strategic oversight of the whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Strategic oversight

The senior mental health lead supports the school to make the best use of existing resources and effort to help improve the wellbeing and mental health of pupils, students and staff.

Applying this guidance

Where a school chooses to identify a senior mental health lead, the role should be understood in relation to the school's whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, including its existing resources and activity.