Professional STOP
How can professionals and schools support children and young people’s mental health?
Before schools and professionals can appropriately tackle poor mental health, it is essential they take a step back and understand the causes behind mental ill health. Professionals need to be aware of the Causal effects emotional pain can have. Emotional pain for children and young people may be caused for example, by their parents separating, an illness, a death in the family, multiple house moves, bullying at school and the impact this can have, needs to be understood and normalised by professionals in schools.
Schools should focus on providing children and young people, space to talk about painful life experiences and offer appropriate support.
For professionals e.g., teachers, early identification of the warning signs is crucial. School staff need to be aware that a child or young person’s painful life experience could, if not addressed effectively, become a mental health problem. Identification and then proactive support is critical. Pupil wellbeing is just as important as academic outcomes and needs to be treated as such.
Mindz that matter” Professional stop. What we do to support professionals and schools to develop children and young people’s mental health:
What we do to support professionals and school
1 -Training for professionals
Workshops and bespoke training sessions designed for schools to help support pupils with mental health issues and also promote early identification. Staff awareness and strategies to support pupils delivered via a variety of training methods. Please contact for further information or to request school brochure. (Link to contact info)
2 -Workshops for pupils
Workshops delivered cover a variety of subjects e.g., identifying how to reduce stress, effects of bullying, friendship issues, problems at home, self-harm, positivity, anger management, self-care, mindfulness etc workshops are delivered over a 6weeks period and can be run with targeted groups of pupils or year groups.
3 – One to one support for identified pupils
Support is assessed with senior leaders and with parental consent, 1:1 support can be given to individual pupils. Fortnightly meetings to be held with SENDCO or mental health advocate, identifying pupil needs/support/development. 1:1 support to be delivered over a term (12-week programme)
4 -Mindfulness Programme
Working with a class of pupils- delivering mindfulness and relaxation skills. Pupils will learn techniques which include self-regulation and reflection. Sessions lasting 50-60minutes each over a 6week programme.
5 -Mental health consultancy- Training “Mental health advocate”
Two-day training – school audit and action plan, followed with Mental health advocate training (1x school professional) followed with 6wks of 1x hour support for school mental health advocate.
6 -Professional mental health support
Workshops delivered, over a period of 6weeks covering a variety of strategies to support professional mental wellbeing. Strategies covered e.g.: Stress, work life balance, time management, sleep, relaxation, mindfulness.
Workshops can be delivered as an inset programme.