At St Bartholomew’s, we are fully committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all our children, staff and families to enable all in our school family to flourish. Our vision is, ‘Roots to Grow and Wings to Fly’ and we hope that the information provided below will provide our families with the support and tools to manage their own and their children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Our Headteacher, Mrs Gemma Coward, is our Senior Mental Health Lead and Designated Safeguarding Lead. If you or your child need any further help or support, please do contact us via the school office.
Minded e-learning
Are you a parent or carer who is concerned about the mental health of your child or teenager? Do you just want some hints and tips on parenting? MindEd for Families has advice and information from trusted experts and will help you to understand what problems occur, what you can do to best support your family, and how to take care of yourself. MindEd for Families is written by a team of specialists and parents, working together. www.minded.org.uk a DfE and DoH funded organisation providing support and guidance for parents and carers.
Mental Health Support Team
http://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/
St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary is a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) school. This means we are committed to building a mentally healthy school environment helping all members of the school community to feel confident, resilient and independent around their mental wellbeing.
MHSTs were established nationally to improve children and young people’s early access to mental health and wellbeing services by providing support in schools. They work with children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
Within Somerset the MHST is a jointly delivered service between Young Somerset and Somerset Foundation Trust CAMHS. It is also supported by Public Health England and the Education Psychology service. MHST staff work in collaboration with the Senior Mental Health Lead at our School, Mrs Coward and our SENDCo, Mrs Edwards.
The three core functions of the MHST are:
- To provide evidence-based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LICBT) interventions for mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing needs to children and young people.
- To support the Mental Health Lead in each MHST school to introduce or develop a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
- To give timely advice and signposting to schools, and to liaise with external agencies, ensuring that children and young people and their families receive the right support at the right time.
LICBT support may be face-to-face or virtual, may involve working with parents or in a group, and will typically involve an assessment and 6-8 weekly sessions. These interventions are highly structured and delivered by mental health practitioners, who receive regular supervision with clinical supervisors.
If you would like to find out more, please speak to the Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) or SENDCo in school.
For more information about the MHST please visit: www.youngsomerset.org.uk/mhst or www.somersetft.nhs.uk/camhs/mental-health-support-in-schools-mhst/
Future Learn
Future Learn partners with top international universities and specialist organisations offer free online courses including courses for parents on wellbeing and mental health
Psychological First Aid (PFA) to support Children & Young People
Get Psychological First Aid training to support children and young people’s mental health during emergencies and crisis situations. The course is available for all frontline workers such as teachers, health and social care workers, charity and community volunteers and anyone who cares for or is regularly in contact with children and young people aged up to 25, including parents and caregivers. It is free, takes about three hours to complete (split into three sessions that the learner can complete at their own pace) and no previous qualifications are required.
www.futurelearn.com/courses/psychological-first-aid-for-children-and-young-people
Young People and Their Mental Health has been created for young people aged over 14 wanting to know more about mental health. This course may also be of interest to parents, caregivers, teachers and medical professionals. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/young-people-mental-health
Top Tips for Sleep
The NHS provide some great resources to support good sleep hygiene for children including how many hours sleep children need at different ages.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/healthy-sleep-tips-for-children/
This is a FREE APP to support with sleep and wellbeing:
https://insighttimer.com/en-gb
How to sleep better for children
- Set up a bedtime routine.
- Relax before bedtime.
- Keep regular sleep and wake times.
- Keep older children’s naps early and short.
- Make sure your child feels safe at night.
- Check noise and light in your child’s bedroom.
- Avoid the clock.
- Eat the right amount at the right time.
Healthy Eating Support
Eating a healthy balanced diet is an important part of keeping good health both physically and mentally.
Here are some useful links providing further support and information:
South Somerset School Nursing Team
The school nurse team is made up of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses, Community Staff Nurses and Assistant Practitioners. They specialise in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people aged 5-19 years.
Parents and carers can contact the School Nursing team on their Chat Health number – 07480 635515 or southsomersetsn@somerset.gov.uk
If you wish to contact a School Nurse please use the team’s contact details.
If you are worried your child is ill you will need to contact you GP, call NHS 111 or 999.
https://www.somerset.gov.uk/children-families-and-education/school-life/school-nurses/
