A newly onboarded prison in England will benefit from the intensive Unlock My Life delivery, designed to create a sustainable mental health and peer-support programme that continues to support the prison community long after the funded period ends. This work is supported by The Randal Foundation.
Our support will contribute directly towards the costs of delivering mental health and wellbeing training, including Project Lead and instructor time, travel, training materials and resources, and the recruitment, training and ongoing support of prisoner Mental Health Ambassadors (MHAs)
Training gives participants practical knowledge to better understand their mental health, recognise signs that they or someone around them may be struggling, develop healthier coping strategies and feel more confident seeking support. Those who progress to become MHAs use this knowledge to provide trusted peer support to others, helping extend the impact far beyond those we directly train.
This is important within prisons, where poor mental health, isolation, self-harm and barriers to accessing support can place individuals at significant risk. MHAs can provide an approachable first point of contact, encourage earlier conversations and signpost or refer individuals into prison mental health and healthcare services where additional support is needed.
Through our partnership we expect to significantly improve lives by strengthening mental wellbeing, confidence, resilience, help-seeking, social connection and sense of purpose. Where individuals are experiencing serious mental distress or risk of harm, earlier identification and access to appropriate support can also help reduce the risk of crisis and potential loss of life.
Importantly, the support creates impact beyond the 12-month grant. Through our ‘Train the Trainer’ model, prisoners can progress to deliver training themselves, helping embed Unlock My Life within the establishment and creating a sustainable network of peer support that continues improving lives long after our intensive delivery ends.
