Why train to be an SMHFA instructor?
- In large organisations it can be both time and cost effective to have an instructor in house to train several groups of staff.
- Freelance trainers in other areas of health may add SMHFA to their portfolios.
- Voluntary agencies might offer SMHFA courses as one of their services.
- Health promotion and other statutory services find SMHFA a useful addition to their training programmes.
How do I apply?
First you will need to fill in an application pack and send it in to NHS Health Scotland.
Once you have been accepted for training you will attend the Training for Trainers course. Courses are run two or three times a year.
Download an application pack.
How much does the training cost?
Training for instructors is subsidised by the Scottish Government and instructors or their sponsoring organisations pay a fee that covers part of the cost of the training.
The fees include all the training sessions and refreshments, the SMHFA Manual and Instructor’s Toolkit, which is a comprehensive package of training and reference materials, and membership of the SMHFA national network which will provide ongoing support and updates.
The fees for training to be a SMHFA instructor are:
- statutory sector (public bodies, funded by the government) and self-employed/independent trainers £1,000
- voluntary sector (with a national remit or annual income above £1 million) £750
- voluntary sector (revenue less than £1 million p.a.) £500.
Ongoing costs
The charge for the SMHFA manual, which is issued to all people who attend a SMHFA course, is £1.50. Certificates of attendance are provided at no charge. Instructors or their sponsoring organisations will be required to purchase these manuals from NHS Health Scotland.
What kinds of people become instructors?
SMHFA instructors come from a range of backgrounds including:
- prison officers
- social workers
- nurses
- doctors
- psychiatrists
- health promotion workers
- service users
- teachers and lecturers
- training officers
- freelance trainers
- housing officers
- staff from voluntary organisations
- care home staff
- counsellors
- therapists
- voluntary workers.
There is no barrier to anyone training to be an instructor as long as they meet the application criteria.
Please note
Every instructor is responsible for organising their own courses. NHS Health Scotland cannot help instructors to find opportunities for training work.