In December 2017 the Green Paper regarding young people’s Mental Health was released by the government with positive and forward thinking ideas for improving mental health. A designated lead was identified as being required within schools as well as mental health support teams working more closely with schools. Whilst it is definitely a step in
In a world that is increasingly better connected and where information can travel across the globe in the blink of an eye, the connections we form in school in passing can seem almost insignificant. However the basis on which we form connections with our young people is incredibly important in understanding their needs. I am
Teachers who are lucky enough to have found the time to become “attachment/trauma aware” will know the incredible power of relationships on children with attachment and trauma issues. (If you do want to read up on this area please see Betsy De Thierry, Margot Sutherland, Dr Tina Rae or the fantastic book on attachment I
The Russian philosopher and write Dostoyevsky once said, “To live without hope is to cease to live”. In my experiences within school, the power of hope is widely underestimated as a wellbeing intervention yet has the power to underpin all the good work that is done day to day in a school. As much as
Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper - Mental Health Leads - Opinion The long awaited mental health green paper is finally out. Will it make a difference? Only time will tell. I've been looking through it and here are my thoughts on the first of the three key themes: Designated
When trying to encourage students to get in touch with their own mental wellbeing it can often be hard to make it part of the every day conversation. Making that happen is key to getting students on board to be pro active with feeling great everyday. So what can we do? The 5 Keys are a
Interest in SEMH in schools is growing by the day and Mental Health First Aid Youth is the latest government scheme designed to put a “champion” in every school. But what does it actually look like? Having just completed it, I feel obliged to blog my review. Mental Health First Aid Youth is a two
Over the last few months Derbyshire County Council has been working very hard on a new SEMH resource. Thanks to their endeavor we now have this guide. It includes a stage by stage approach to Social, Emotional and Mental Health and well being within school. Under the categories of Introduction, Promote, Identify, Assess, Provide, Review and
It's a challenge most teachers face on a weekly basis - what do we say to support a student who is suffering with a mental health problem? How do we begin that supportive conversation? It's a scary moment. We aren't counsellors but we have been confided in. We can't say nothing - that will seem uncaring.
10 SEMH Provision Strategies Supporting students with SEMH needs can be a real challenge. Not only are teachers not trained mental health practitioners, access to the kinds of support some students need is restricted both by overwhelming demand and funding cuts. Higher tier services have had to raise the severity of cases to be
