We are proud to invest a lot of time and energy in supporting our student’s mental health and general well-being which in a tough climate is a challenge.

This support could range from mentoring to a quiet word of praise, peer-to-peer buddying to a tutor report, PHSEE sessions to external counselling, or Rewards Days to Virtual Reality sessions.

Even so, we wanted to share with you a range of resources and websites which are designed to support the mental health of children and young adults so that any families dealing with such challenges at home can access extra information:

http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/mildmoderate/entry.asp
This website is designed to help students think about emotional problems and work towards solving them. It has different sections aimed at young people and the professionals working with them. This website was particularly recommended by CAMHS.

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help mental health problems. This website provides CBT self-help and therapy resources, including worksheets and information sheets.

https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/mental-health-services-explained/Pages/about-childrens-mental-health-services.aspx
A guide to NHS services and advice on young people’s mental health.

https://www.minded.org.uk/
A free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health for all adults. There are resources aimed at both families and professionals.

https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/
Aimed at primary schools but still a useful resource for ideas and support strategies.

https://www.annafreud.org/children-young-people/youth-wellbeing/
The Youth Wellbeing Directory provides a list of local and national organisations for anyone up to the age of 25, along with important information.

http://www.inourhands.com/contact/
The website of Pooky Knightsmith, a passionate ambassador for mental health who loves to research, write, speak, teach and share all manner of ideas about mental health, wellbeing and PSHEE.

Mark Drury, Assistant Headteacher, said: “Mental health is not just a newsworthy buzzword, but rather a genuine challenge for many young people and families. Our work in school is a force for good but mental health is a 24hr issue and we are well aware that both students and families need support at home. These websites offer valuable guidance and we would encourage all parents and carers to familiarise themselves with them.”

Matt Allman, Headteacher, added: “It can take months for a mental health referral to come through as a lack of resources means provision is over-stretched. Consequently, we all have a responsibility to be aware of and open about mental health, and to be pro-active in supporting those around us. Thankfully, people are becoming more open about mental health issues and a caring dialogue and an informed awareness can both play a big part in remedying difficulties.”