MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROGRAMME - Key Persons
Our Programme Director, and author of the courses, is expert Richard Daniel Curtis. Over the last 25 years he has worked in mental health wards, teaching, run units for children with challenging behaviour, worked for a local authority as an adviser consulted by mental health services, social workers and educators, in addition to forming The Root Of It.
He has been involved supporting Governmental departments, such as his involvement with the response to the Kids Company Closure and the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Most recently he has co-authored the guidance for every school in England on teaching mental wellbeing in the curriculum with the Department for Education. In addition, Richard has sat on All Party Parliamentary Groups, Greater London steering groups and is a member of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships.
Richard's area of interest is the social and emotional skills that contribute towards mental health and wellbeing. He is a frequent contributor on television, radio and in the press for comments on social, emotional or mental health. Richard has written over 10 books on topics related to the subject, in addition to a psychological assessment of social and emotional skills-his work is said to have influenced the lives of over 10 million people.
Aside from leading this Programme, Richard founded The Mentoring School to establish standards in mentoring, and is the chair of both the Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards and also the National Special Educational Needs and Disability Awards.
Outside of work, Richard has two young children and lives in Southampton. He has an extensive history in volunteering, through St John Ambulance, amateur theatre and also helps run an annual brass and wind band course. His work supporting doctorate students at the University of Southampton has earned him multiple awards.