MFHEA-accredited Award • MQF Level 3 • 5 ECTS
Level 3 Award in Supporting Wellbeing and Mental Health of Self and Others
Build practical skills to support your own wellbeing and respond to others with more confidence, care, and awareness.
Part-time, blended, adult-friendly, and built for people who want usable skills for everyday life, support roles, and workplace settings.
Practical evening learning for adults who want stronger wellbeing awareness, better listening skills, and clear early-support knowledge.
July 2026
First intake starts in the first week of July.
2.5 hrs
Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
6 months
Part-time format built to fit around work and life.
Blended
Face-to-face sessions at misco plus online.
Why this course stands out
This Award gives adult learners a practical introduction to mental wellbeing and basic mental health support. It is built for people who want to look after their own mental health more effectively and respond more appropriately when someone around them may be struggling.
Learners build a clear foundation in wellbeing, recognise common signs of distress, strengthen communication and active listening, and gain an introduction to mental health first aid and signposting.
Intake countdown
Who it is for
HR staff
Teachers
Carers
Volunteers
Community leaders
Adults who want practical support skills
What you'll gain
Stronger wellbeing awareness
Better active listening skills
Useful self-care tools
Early-support confidence
Clearer boundaries and signposting knowledge
Course snapshot
Level: MQF Level 3
Credits: 5 ECTS
Language: English
Attendance: Part-time
Delivery: 80% online / 20% face-to-face
Programme objectives
Below is the full objectives content from the application.
Overall objectives
This award provides a foundation in mental-health and wellbeing concepts and equips participants with practical skills to care for their own mental health and to support others. Topics include definitions of mental health and wellbeing, factors that influence wellbeing, identifying common signs of distress, ethical principles, communication and active-listening skills, stress-management techniques, self-care planning and signposting to professional help.
Knowledge
Grasp the concept of mental health and wellbeing and recognise factors that can affect wellbeing (biological, psychological and social).
Identify common signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety and low mood.
Recall key ethical principles and confidentiality considerations when offering support.
List local resources and professional services that provide mental health support.
Skills
Apply active listening techniques and supportive communication strategies.
Develop a personal self care plan.
Design a simple wellbeing action plan for a colleague or community member that includes coping strategies and appropriate referrals.
Use digital learning tools (online forums, quizzes and collaborative activities) to engage with the course content.
Competences
Take responsibility for personal wellbeing by applying self-care strategies and seeking support when necessary.
Assist colleagues or community members experiencing mental-health challenges by providing initial support and referring them to appropriate services.
Contribute to a culture of respect and empathy by promoting inclusive language and behaviours.
Course modules
All five modules are compulsory and give learners a clear mix of wellbeing awareness, supportive communication, self-care knowledge, and early-response understanding.
1. Foundations of Personal Well-Being
Build a clearer understanding of mental wellbeing, the factors that affect it, and simple ways to monitor and support your own wellbeing.
2. Recognising Signs in Others’ Mental Health
Learn how to notice common warning signs and respond in a respectful and appropriate way.
3. Self-Care Strategies and Resilience Building
Explore realistic self-care habits, stress-management tools, and resilience-building approaches for daily life.
4. Effective Communication and Active Listening
Develop supportive communication skills, active listening habits, and more confidence in sensitive conversations.
5. Introduction to Mental Health First Aid
Gain an introduction to basic early-support steps, safe responses, and when to guide someone to more suitable help.
Full module objectives
Each module below includes the full objectives from the application.
1. Foundations of Personal Well-Being
Introduces key concepts of mental well-being, explores factors that influence an individual’s wellness, and familiarises learners with self-reflection tools to monitor and maintain their own mental health.
Competences
Monitor personal stress levels and identify when support is needed
Implement basic self-care routines without direct supervision.
Share personal well-being insights with peers in a structured setting.
Knowledge
Definitions and models of mental well-being.
Key internal (thoughts, emotions) and external (environment, lifestyle) factors affecting well-being.
Evidence-based self-care frameworks (e.g. Five Ways to Wellbeing).
Skills
Use a simple self-assessment tool (e.g. mood journal) to track daily well-being.
Plan and schedule two short self-care activities per week.
Apply basic relaxation or mindfulness techniques.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
Operate online well-being assessment tools.
Set SMART personal wellness goals and review progress.
Navigate peer-support forum features.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
Complete and share observation reports
Create and edit tables in spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel, Google Sheets) to organise mood data for tracking purposes.
Set up and manage simple reminders or tasks in a digital calendar app.
2. Recognising Signs in Others’ Mental Health
Equips learners with the ability to spot early indicators of mental distress in colleagues, friends or family, and introduces basic protocols for offering initial support or referral.
Competences
Observe and note behavioural or verbal changes in others.
Respectfully raise concerns with the individual or appropriate support service.
Record and report observations in line with policy guidelines.
Knowledge
Common warning signs of anxiety, depression and acute stress.
Ethical considerations and confidentiality principles.
Referral pathways and local support resources.
Skills
Use structured checklists to track observed signs.
Initiate a brief, supportive conversation.
Guide a person toward professional help when needed.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
Use an observation checklist to record key signs.
Write a concise incident note in a provided template.
Share resources to individuals in need.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
Create and schedule recurring self-care reminders in a digital calendar app (e.g. Google Calendar or Outlook).
Track and visualise resilience progress using a spreadsheet template (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets).
Use a mindfulness or meditation app (e.g. Headspace or Calm) to follow guided exercises and log session completion.
3. Self-Care Strategies and Resilience Building
Focuses on evidence-based self-care methods and resilience techniques to help learners manage stress, recover from setbacks, and maintain balanced well-being.
Competences
Develop and follow a personalised resilience plan.
Monitor adherence to self-care activities without external prompts.
Encourage peers to adopt resilience practices when appropriate.
Knowledge
Core resilience frameworks (e.g. Cognitive Restructuring, Growth Mindset).
The role of sleep, nutrition and exercise in stress management.
Warning signs of resilience depletion.
Skills
Design a weekly self-care schedule incorporating multiple techniques.
Use basic cognitive-behavioural tools (e.g. thought records).
Demonstrate a simple guided breathing or grounding exercise.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
Create digital reminders for self-care tasks.
Log progress in an online resilience tracker.
Share a resilience tip during group sessions or peer check-ins.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
Navigate an interactive e-workbook on resilience.
Fill out a digital thought-record form and send it via email.
Join and engage in a live mindfulness session using common video-conference software.
4. Effective Communication and Active Listening
Teaches core communication techniques and active listening skills needed to engage empathetically, clarify concerns, and build trust when supporting someone’s mental health.
Competences
Lead a supportive conversation using open-ended questions.
Paraphrase and summarise others’ statements accurately.
Establish and maintain appropriate boundaries in dialogue.
Knowledge
Principles of active listening (e.g. reflection, minimal encouragers).
Nonverbal cues and their role in communication.
Communication barriers and strategies to overcome them.
Skills
Demonstrate reflective listening in role-play scenarios.
Ask clarifying questions to check understanding.
Identify and respond to signs of disengagement.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
Use a checklist to self-evaluate listening performance.
Provide concise feedback to peers on communication style.
Record a short reflective summary of a conversation.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
Use a digital note-taking app (e.g. OneNote or Evernote) to capture and organise key points from a supportive conversation.
Create and share a collaborative mind-map or flowchart in a cloud document (e.g. Google Docs or Office 365) to visualise communication strategies.
Design and analyse a simple feedback tracker in spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) to record peer observations and scores.
5. Introduction to Mental Health First Aid
Presents fundamental Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) principles, guiding learners on how to offer immediate, supportive assistance to someone experiencing a mental health crisis until professional help is available.
Competences
Initiate a Mental Health First Aid conversation in a safe, respectful manner.
Apply the ALGEE action plan (Approach, Listen, Give support, Encourage professional help, Encourage self-help).
Maintain confidentiality and follow up appropriately.
Knowledge
The scope and purpose of Mental Health First Aid.
Common mental health emergencies (e.g. panic attack, suicidal ideation).
Local MHFA referral and crisis support services.
Skills
Demonstrate the ALGEE steps in a role-play scenario.
Recognise when to escalate to professional intervention.
Document a concise MHFA incident report.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
Facilitate a brief MHFA role-play in pairs.
Complete an MHFA incident form.
Share resource links for crisis.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
Complete and submit an online form (e.g. Google Forms or a simple HTML form) to record a Mental Health First Aid scenario response.
Fill out a structured digital Mental Health First Aid questionnaire.
Use basic spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) to enter crisis-response data into a predefined table.
Flexible delivery through face-to-face sessions at misco and online learning through Google Classroom and Zoom.
How the learning experience works
Part-time evening schedule
6-month delivery format
25 contact hours
95 self-study hours
5 assessment hours
125 total learning hours
Google Classroom used as the main learning platform
Live online sessions delivered through Zoom
Teaching methods include short lectures, workshops, group discussion, case studies, role-play activities, video lessons, quizzes, guided reading, and self-study tasks.
Entry requirements
Minimum MQF Level 2
Ability to read and write in English
Basic digital competences
Interest in mental health
Assessment
One multiple-choice test per module
100% weighting for each module
Pass mark: 60%
Resit available within 3 weeks
Important note
This programme supports basic mental wellbeing awareness and early support. It does not lead to a regulated profession.
Ready to hear more?
Register your interest to receive the full course details, fee information, and next steps for the July intake.
Sessions run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, making this a strong fit for working adults.