Dr Amanda Carr, Head of Research for Children, Young People and Education at TONIC.
Shaping the Future of Mental Health Care for Young Adults.
Shaping the Future of Mental Health Care for Young Adults
I’m delighted to take the spotlight this month and share some insights about my role as the Head of Research for Children, Young People, and Education at TONIC. My work is centred around leading meaningful research and transforming findings into impactful recommendations. With a background in teaching and learning, I have a passion for turning research into actionable change through bespoke training and learning experiences for clients. One of the most rewarding projects I've been involved in for the past two years is the development and delivery of specialised training for mental health professionals who support young adults as they make the challenging transition from children's to adult services.
The Kent and Medway 18-25s Consultation
In 2021, NHS Kent and Medway commissioned TONIC to conduct a consultation with 18-25-year-olds, their families, carers, and professionals supporting them. Our goal was to understand what a "comprehensive" support offer means to young adults and to identify gaps in support for this age group. This extensive consultation engaged over 600 young people, families, and professionals across the region, providing a robust evidence base and insights into young adults' experiences of mental health support.
Transforming Findings into Action
One critical need identified was for specialist training aimed at the mental health workforce to ensure developmentally appropriate care for young adults. In response, NHS Kent and Medway once again turned to TONIC, this time to design and deliver a tailored programme of training for mental health professionals across the statutory and voluntary sectors.
In developing the training, we drew on four primary sources of evidence:
The 18-25s Kent and Medway Consultation (TONIC, 2021): Insights from over 600 young adults, families, and professionals.
A bespoke training needs assessment (TONIC, 2022): Designed specifically to identify local knowledge and skill gaps among the workforce.
Peer-reviewed published research: Drawing on health, psychology, and neuroscience evidence of young adult developmental and support needs.
Coproduction activity: We undertook a number of coproduction workshops and activities with young adults with lived experience to design and refine the content of the training.
The outcome of this process delivered a unique training package - the first of its kind in the UK to specifically address the developmental needs of 18-25-year-olds. The programme is not only research-informed but also co-designed and co-produced with young adults. This ensures the young adult voice is central throughout. It encourages a collaborative approach across services and offers ongoing networking opportunities for professionals. The training is also approved by the British Psychological Society as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity.
“It was very informative and I have been able to take positive ideas back to practice - very relevant to my day-to-day work. I’ve not had training focusing on this age group before.”
Empowering Young Adults: A Collaborative Effort
One of the most fulfilling aspects of this project has been working closely with young adults throughout the process. Their insights and experiences have shaped every aspect of the training, ensuring it is relevant and effective in addressing the needs of this population. I have also had the privilege of training a number of young adults to co-facilitate the webinars with me, bringing authentic, lived experience directly into our sessions.
“Hearing the experiences and opinions of young people has been really helpful and will inform my practice going forward.”
Course Structure
Through both an e-learning module and live webinar the course covers a number of topics and themes relevant to professionals supporting young adults. These include:
A developmental perspective on emerging adulthood
Understanding and supporting transitions
Communication and relationship building
Understanding stigma and identity
Reflective practice
The e-learning module is self-paced, providing flexibility around busy schedules, and covers the foundational knowledge needed to engage in the live webinar. The webinar is a three-hour interactive session that deepens understanding and allows for real-time engagement and discussion among professionals working across different services.
“The course was very informative and was brilliant with allowing professionals to come together for discussions and reflections from different perspectives.”
Join Us: Sign Up for Free Training
The work I do at TONIC, especially in developing and delivering this training, is deeply rewarding. It is an honour to contribute to improving mental health support for young adults, ensuring their transitions into adulthood are met with the understanding and care they need.
If you are a professional working in Kent and Medway and support young adult mental health and wellbeing, please sign up for this free training commissioned by NHS Kent and Medway.
The course has been recommissioned for a new cohort over the next 12 months from June 2024 and there are currently places available.
This training is free for any mental health professional from the statutory or voluntary sectors in Kent and Medway. Sign Up Here to register. Participants who work outside of Kent and Medway should contact training@accesslearn.onmicrosoft.com for a price per place.
“This training should be mandatory and taken into consideration when services and policies are being developed. Very useful resources – I have recommended the training to my whole team!”
About Amanda
Amanda is a Chartered Psychologist with a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Sussex. An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, she has over 20 years of experience in teaching and research in Higher Education. As well as her role as Head of Research at TONIC for Children, Young People, and Education, she continues to hold a sessional teaching position at Canterbury Christ Church University and is the Founding Director of Access Learning, an independent training provider.
Written by Dr Amanda Carr, Head of Research for Children, Young People and Education at TONIC.