Our whole-school approach to promoting and supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing

Good mental health and wellbeing is essential for children. It helps them to enjoy childhood, learn effectively, cope with day-to-day challenges and develop into resilient young people and adults.

Broomhill Primary has a whole-school approach to promoting children’s mental health and wellbeing, which is founded on the following principles:

• Leadership that ensures mental health and wellbeing is a shared responsibility and features within our school vision, values, self-evaluation, improvement plans, policies and practice.
• A nurturing ethos that upholds children’s rights, is consistent with our duties under the Equality Act 2010, focuses on raising aspiration and achievement, maximises attendance, and fosters a strong sense of belonging and connection with staff.
• Curriculum teaching and learning to promote self-esteem, healthy choices, resilience and empathy, with a focus on problems and issues such as bullying and peer pressure that may present at some point in children’s Robust pupil tracking and assessment supports learning.
• A web of support for children identified as having mental health difficulties – characterised by early assessment, joint stakeholder planning and monitoring impact, high-quality tailored intervention, referral pathways, and partnership working with a range of specialist services. Click the following link to see some of our  Pupil Wellbeing Support Groups.
• Parents are supported to play an informed part in any educational decisions about their children. Parents, pupils and community groups are actively involved in the co-design and delivery of health and wellbeing policy and programmes.
• Children are encouraged and supported to participate in decisions effecting their learning and the life and ethos of the school. The Glasgow Motivation and Wellbeing Profile is helping staff evaluate progress in children’s wellbeing through pupil voice.
• Training and learning opportunities for staff to build the capacity to support their own wellbeing and that of pupils.

Our Mental Health Policy is an integral part of the overall Health and Wellbeing Policy, and is linked to the school’s wider policies, including Safeguarding, Anti-bullying, Teaching and Learning and Equalities.

 

 

Supporting your child’s mental health

Parents and carers play an important role in teaching children and young people how to understand and manage their feelings as they grow up.

What can I do at home?

• Find time to talk, just the two of you– ‘Check in’ with them while you’re doing things          together, so they get used to talking about their feelings.

• Play together– Play helps them to be curious, learn new things, solve problems and             express feelings.

• Be a role model– Show how you cope with difficult feelings and look after yourself.

Where can I get more information?

Child mental health and wellbeing

• NHS
• Young Minds
• MindEd
• Place2Be’s blog.

Big changes

• Bereavement and grief – Child Bereavement UKor Winston’s Wish.
• Divorce and separation – Young Minds.
• Getting ready to start school – Place2Be.
• Adolescence and growing up – The Mix.
• Exam stress – Place2Be.

Conditions and challenges

• Eating disorders – Beat.
• Addiction and drugs – FRANK.
• Abuse – NSPCC(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).

Difference and diversity

• Special needs and disabilities – Scope.
• Autism – National Autistic Society.
• LGBTQ+ – Strong Family Alliance.
• Race and ethnicity – BAATN(The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network).
• Gender identity – Gendered Intelligence.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to the NHS or BBC Action Line for a more comprehensive directory. 

 Does my child or young person need mental health support?

It’s normal to feel angry, sad, worried or stressed sometimes. However, your child might need extra support if they struggle to cope with those feelings.

Look out for:

• sudden changes in behaviour
• negative thoughts and low self-esteem
• arguing and fighting
• sleep problems
• avoiding school or staying with you all the time
• aches and pains.

Remember – everyone is different, and these signs might not be related to a mental health problem.

Children and young people can be affected by significant changes like:

• death or illness in the family
• parents separating
• moving school or moving house
• tests and exams
• adolescence and puberty
• relationship and friendship problems.

Try talking to them first. If you’re worried, follow our advice below on how to get help.

 

Get urgent help

I’m worried about my child or young person

If their life is in immediate danger, call 999.

If not, we recommend talking to someone who can help you understand what they might be going through and refer you to support in your area.

This could be:

• Your doctor
• Your child’s school  – contact the headteacher or the depute for your child’s stage.
• The Young Minds Parents Helpline, which you can call for free on 0808 802 5544 (9.30am-4pm, Monday-Friday, UK).
• Shout (in partnership with Place2Be. Available free, 24 hours a day. Text CONNECT to 85258. More info: giveusashout.org
• Childline: call 0800 1111 Chat online (set up an account first)  Email (set up an account)
• Samaritans: call 116 123 Send an email (response within 24 hours

 

Support for under-18s

If you’re worried about something, talk to an adult that you trust as soon as possible.

This could be:

• Someone in your family, like your mum, dad or carer
• Someone to a trusted adult in school
• Your doctor.

If you are not sure who to talk to:

• Call Childline on 0800 1111 or
• Text CONNECT to 85258 to contact Shout (in partnership with Place2Be).

Talk or text for free any time, wherever you are in the UK.

Find other places where you can get help and advice

Support for teachers

Education Support Partnership Helpline
Call 08000 562 561
Text 07909 341229
For: Teachers / educators
Available: free, 24 hours a day
More info: educationsupport.org.uk