We staged a parent support meeting for those families affected by their children self-harming.
The support session was led by Keddie Bailey who is a HOPE Parent Support Lead and supported by school staff. Keddie has been a HOPE mentor for a number of years and is now the Parent Support Lead. This includes running parent Support groups on Zoom and running workshops within schools. Keddie is also a mother of two so has both a professional and personal understanding around many topics linked to mental health.
The session is confidential, non-judgemental and is designed to support families dealing with issues facing their children. Self-harm is an issue that can affect any teenager and the role of parents in supporting their child through it is critical. Certainly, being able to talk to other parents going through the same thing is a huge positive.
Matt Allman, Headteacher, said: “We were humbled by the fantastic parents who are so pro-active in supporting their children. All were ready to talk about the challenges with others, seek support, and work alongside our school. No parent is alone in facing this with their child. Indeed, the best parents for us are those that step up and support their child – and us as a school – when the going gets tough. Growing up is never a straight line, there are always ups and downs, and the ultimate priority for both home and school is the destination of happy and safe adulthood. We are always ready to work with parents so that we can help or students achieve this goal.”
