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. Mrs Jenny Coram is a Mental Health First Aider. If you or your child need any further help or support, please do contact us via the school office. 

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. 

Home – Somerset Big Tent

Somerset Big Tent is a partnership of Charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations and Community Interest Companies,  These are VCSE* organisations that provide a range of services including positive activities, therapeutic services and specialist support to increase positive wellbeing and improve mental health within children and young people aged 5-25 in Somerset. 

 All services on the Somerset Big Tent website have gone through a quality and safety assurance process*, this means that Somerset Big Tent has met with each organisation and are satisfied with the key documents and information that they have provided us with.  

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 

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. 

https://www.seattlechildrens.org/globalassets/documents/healthcare-professionals/pal/family/family-sleep-hygiene.pdf 

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:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/ 

https://www.healthysomerset.co.uk/healthy-lifestyles-and-money-smart/zing-somerset-community-support/food-fun-and-families/ 

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 

They also have a dedicated Facebook page. 

https://www.facebook.com/South-Somerset-School-Nurses-100880461565335 

South Somerset School Nurses use their page to share useful health related information and to post updates about local groups, events and clinics. 

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.