Mental Health and Wellbeing is and important part of life for both adults and children and, at St Joseph & St Theresa we consider this to be a vital part in the education which we provide. During these ever changing times, we know how important it is to stay mentally fit and healthy and have collated resources which you may feel useful to use yourselves and/or with your children.
Building resilience is something which we also believe is important and key to all children’s education and it is something which we are committed to develop during each lesson.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office by phone or email – if there is anything we can do to help, we will!
Staffordshire APP finder
The Staffordshire Health App Finder is a free digital tool that anyone can use. All of the advice and supporting resources that is given has been reviewed by experts to ensure that quality support is provided.
Simply click the link below to access the App finder:
A new section specifically to support children and young people is now live. YP mental health – Staffordshire
The NSPCC have devised a web page full of support, from early parenting and dealing with issues on helping babies to sleep to talking about difficult topics. The link below will take you directly to the NSPCC webpage.
The Sandbox
Everyone has trouble with their mental health at some point in their lives. The Sandbox is here to support children and young people in South Staffordshire to thrive.
Here you will find a wealth of resources about why you might sometimes feel bad and how to feel better. You will be able to join lots of online events and share your feelings with others. There is a parent, children and teachers’ section which are all full of resources and information.
If it is the right thing for you, you can also Sign up for an assessment for NHS funded therapy (either one-to-one therapy or a digital course).
Understanding and supporting anxiety
Please find the presentation for the parental workshop alongside a range of useful links which are referred to in the presentation.
If you do have any concerns or would like more advice, please do not hesitate in speaking with either Ms Walker or Mrs Schneider.
Understanding and supporting children with anxiety PPT
Rebuild and Recover Anxiety Tools for Parents/Carers
ELSA support
Big Life Journal
Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Newsletter
Building children’s resilience
Helping our children build resilience and confidence is one of the most important gifts we can give them. We all understand how life can bring you many challenges throughout and how important it is on how we manage this. Resilience is being able to manage stress, challenges, trauma or adversity that life brings and bounce back from it. When children and teens are resilient, they are going to be more confident, curious and adaptable to the world around them.
See How to build resilience and emotional health in children providing more information on this.
New MPFT Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) website
The new website has pages for young people to find more information about mental health and emotional wellbeing. There are pages for parents and carers with resources and information to help support their child or young person experiencing difficulties/ unhelpful emotions.
The new website also includes a new self-referral pathway, so that young people wanting to refer into mental health services can do that themselves.
It also includes a youth participation page. Youth participation actively involves young people in decision making processes on issues that affect them. The youth participation page is where young people can find out all about youth participation, find sign-up forms and upcoming events.
Find out more about the CAMHS services across East and West Staffordshire at the NEW website, here:
https://camhs.mpft.nhs.uk
Nip in the Bud – Information Films
This website provides information films as an introduction to different Child Mental Health Conditions. You can watch the real life experience films and download free supporting presentation for more information. Please click here to access this site.
Child in Mind
Child in Mind have produced a series of expert podcasts to help parents understand and manage child and family mental health problems.
The series, Child in Mind, is presented by BBC Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond. In each 20-minute episode, she discusses an important issue in child and family mental health with an expert and a young person or parent. Please click here to access this excellent resource.
Mental Health Pathway
To ensure that mental health and wellbeing is promoted and supported across school, a ‘mental health pathway’ has been devised to show the graduated response that is followed, alongside interventions and support material, when a child’s behaviour begins to present differently.
Dr Alex George’s Top Five Tips
Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Dr Alex George has shared his ‘top five tips’ for young people’s good mental health and wellbeing. This is live on the Department for Education’s YouTube channel. Dr Alex has given advice to young people on how to improve their mood and look after themselves by eating well, getting plenty of sleep and natural light during the daytime
Dr Alex George’s five top tips for good mental health and wellbeing – YouTube
Every Mind Matters
Every Mind Matters is website full of expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing
Mindfullness
Mindfulness is an excellent method to use with children to help them notice what is happening in the present and not to focus on their worries or concerns, in turn having a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Below are some websites for you to access at home to continue this practice.
mindfulness-exercises-for-children
Mindfulness for Kids – Mindful
10 mindfulness exercises for kids – BBC Good Food
Wellbeing activities: being kind to yourself | British Red Cross
When Emotions Explode
Where do I go for support?
Staffordshire County Council hade designed interactive maps to show the local support available to children and young people around emotional and mental health and wellbeing. The maps show how self-help and low-level support can be accessed by families, children and young people. They also show the way in which support can be accessed if emotional and mental health needs escalate.
Do it to feel good!
Looking after our physical and mental health and wellbeing is important to help us all live a healthier, happier life. This is true now, more than ever before.
Staffordshire County Council has put together some information that you can signpost your pupils’ families to, to help them improve how the whole family feels each day and to ensure everyone’s keeping active during this time.
Boosting physical activity levels
The Doing Our Bit website has some useful tips and advice to help families to boost their levels of physical activity, as well as information on how to access activity sessions to suit all ages, abilities and fitness levels.
Mental health and wellbeing support
Families can visit the Doing Our Bit website for advice on how to nurture their mental health and wellbeing. They’ll also find a directory of local and national services that can provide additional support if they need it.
Sign up
Families can sign up to receive a regular email with information on how to be more active, eat more healthily and how to be more mindful of their mental wellbeing during this time.
CAHMS Digital Wellbeing Portal
For children and young people (up to age 18) who live in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire – North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare have launched a CAMHS Digital Combined Wellbeing Portal. This digital health platform has a wealth of self-help information for children, young people, parents / carers and professionals about mental health and the services we can offer. The digital platform facilitates access to routine online self-referrals for children and young people, without the requirement for them to go through their GP. This supports children and young people being able to access increased support and services whilst reducing waiting time for referral. There are specific pages around Coronavirus and other topics including bullying, body image, feeling anxious and school life and there is further guidance and signposting for support on topics. You can find the Digital Combined Wellbeing Portal at https://combinedwellbeing.org.uk
Speak Up Space
Speak Up Space offers online mental health support for young people up to the age of 18. We are part of North Staffs Mind & Stay Well. From the 1st of December 2022 Speak Up Space will be offering Instant Messaging 5 days per week – everyday apart from Saturdays and Mondays. Opening times :
Tuesday- (6pm-9pm)
Wednesday- (5pm-8pm)
Thursday- (6pm-9pm)
Friday- (8pm-11pm)
Sunday (8pm-11pm)
You can chat about ANYTHING that’s important to you as many times as you need. Talk to Speak Up Space online by clicking the icon in the bottom right corner of their website. This only appears when the service is open.
www.speakupspace.org.uk.
You don’t have to cope alone #speakup
Young Minds
If there are concerns about a young person’s mental health then Young Minds can help.
Parents Helpline: If you are a parent who needs advice about your child’s mental health you can contact the Parents Helpline directly on 0808 802 5544 between 9:30am-4pm Monday to Friday.
If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can contact:
NHS Urgent Mental Health Helpline (England Only)
Their is lots of useful information on the Young Minds website here: https://youngminds.org.uk/
SURVIVE
‘Survive’ is a service provided by Staffordshire Women’s Aid’s, which offers a free, non-judgemental and confidential service for adults, children and those close to them, who have been affected by sexual assault and abuse in Staffordshire.
Survive provides free, confidential emotional support, advice, practical help and counselling for victims of abuse and those close to them.
24 hour confidential helpline – 0300 330 59 59 or email survive@staffordshirewomensaid.org
www.staffordshirewomensaid.org/get-help/survive-sexual-assault-and-abise-service/
Other services
Most families have experienced upheaval in their daily lives during this pandemic. With children and young people now back at school or college, the new Public Health England (PHE) Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign provides NHS-endorsed tips and advice to help children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and equip parents and carers with the knowledge to support them.
The new advice available on the Every Mind Matters website has been developed in partnership with leading children and young people’s mental health charities, including Young Minds, The Mix, Place2Be and The Anna Freud Centre. It is designed to help parents and carers spot the signs that children may be struggling with their mental health and support them, and also provides advice that can help maintain good mental wellbeing. The site also provides tools to help young people build resilience and equips them to look after their mental wellbeing.
Open for Parents offers excellent support for parents , helping with education, wellbeing and parenting.
Some resources which you may find useful
Mental Health and wellbeing for parents and children.
Child Mental Health & Wellbeing – 10 Top Tips for Parents
Parents’ Mental Health & Wellbeing – 10 Top Tips for Parents
The Importance of washing your hands – Video with Tom Fletcher
Rainbows – Guiding Young people through life’s storms
The Little Book of Mindfulness
The Sleep Charity – Information and support
Some useful phone numbers
