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Emotional, mental health and wellbeing

Smash Life

Our bespoke and unique shared life “one-to-one” mentoring sessions are for young people who need a positive role model, guidance and a listening ear.

Smash Life is creative on its approach to mentoring, enabling young people to open up to us so that we can really focus on their voice. We have found that it is limiting to sit in a room and ask
a young person to just “talk about it” as this can be oppressive and daunting for some
individuals.

By bringing sport, music, games, walks, and trips to expand on the Mentoring we have achieved better results and the young people actually enjoy and look forward to the sessions. We believe that showing our own vulnerability will inspire those we mentor to share their own.

Download the mentoring welcome pack

Visit the Smash Life website


UK trauma council logo

Traumatic bereavement for school and college communities

Evidence-based resources for schools and colleges to help children and young people who are struggling.

These resources have been developed in collaboration with teachers to help school and college communities identify, help and support traumatically bereaved children and young people. We recommend you start by watching the animation then read the guide. Highlights include a 6-point support plan, tools, and handouts for parents, carers, and young people. 

Visit the UK Trauma Council website to fond out more and access the resources


World Mental health Day 

What is World Mental Health Day?

World Mental Health Day is dedicated to promoting the understanding of mental health education, awareness, and advocacy.

It's important to raise awareness of mental health conditions and ensure that communities recognise the part each person has to play in creating a mentally healthy society. World Mental Health Day is a great opportunity to do this.

Visit the Twinkl website for more information on World Mental Health Day

For more information on top 10 teaching resources to support with mental health for primary and secondary schools, please visit the TeachWire website.


The Afghan Crisis

Books Beyond words have published a book, with accompanying notes and storyline for you to share with children and young people on the Afghan Crisis. The link to the free book is below:

Visit the Books Beyond Words website


Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources for Teachers and Teaching Staff

This publication provides non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education. It has been produced to help teachers and teaching staff in schools, colleges and FE providers with sources of mental health and wellbeing support to assist them to get the help and support they may need in response to any feelings they are experiencing as a result of COVID-19.

Download the document for teachers and teaching staff


Emotion Coaching: Helping little children with BIG Emotions

Emotion Coaching is a proven method that will help you to turn things around, now and for the future. 

Over five weeks course the Gottman Emotion Coaching model will be shared which will help you to:

  • understand the emotional and developmental needs that can impact on behaviour 
  • recognise that all emotions (even tricky ones) are opportunities to connect and teach
  • learn how to avoid and de-escalate high tension situations
  • understand why your child may go from highs to lows of emotion at breakneck speed (and how to slow things down) 
  • feel confident setting appropriate and loving limits on behaviour that are appropriate for you child.

Visit the Emotion Coaching website


Mental health and well-being - Telford and Wrekin

The Coronavirus outbreak is going to have an impact on everyone’s daily lives. It may be difficult, but by following guidance on social distancing, or staying at home, you are helping to protect yourself, your family, the NHS and your community.

During this time, you may be bored, frustrated or lonely. You may also feel low, worried, anxious, or be concerned about your health or that of those close to you. Everyone reacts differently to events and changes in the way that we think, feel and behave vary between different people and over time. It’s important that you take care of your mind as well as your body and to get further support if you need it.

View the mental health and well-being page to find out more about mental health and wellbeing


Sources of mental wellbeing and emotional support in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

This is designed to be used with staff who have experienced a stressful or traumatic event, or an accumulation of events, at work. This includes dealing with COVID-19. It recognises that everyone’s response will be different and this is normal. The DNA TRIM practitioners offer support for teams and individuals.

Download the flyer for more information on available support in Telford and Shropshire


Mental Health Resources for children, students, parents, carers, school and college staff

GOV.UK have put together some useful links and sources of mental health support so that children and young people, parents, carers, and school and college staff can get the advice and help they need. Visit the GOV.UK website.


Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

What Educators need to know - For education staff working with children and young people with FASD.

Download the booklet for more information and support


Home Truths and Gurls Out Loud

This is campaign to help prevent the creation of self-generated child sexual imagery online.

Visit the Talk website

Visit the Gurls Aloud website


Image of a blue elephant - we can talk logoWe Can Talk - Fundamentals of Care Training

We Can Talk offer a free online learning tool. Fundamentals of compassionate care is online training co-designed and co-delivered by Young Advisors (young people aged 18 – 25 with experience of presenting to hospital in a mental health crisis) to improve staff knowledge and confidence when supporting staff knowledge )care is online training co-designed and co-delivered by young advisors (young people aged 18 – 25 with experience of presenting to hospital in a mental health crisis) to improve staff knowledge and confidence when supporting children and young people attending hospital due to their mental health.

Visit the We Can Talk website


The Mix logoThe Mix

The Mix is a free national service offering a range of support including; mental health, money, addiction and relationships. They offer young people up to the age of 25 access to an online community, confidential helpline and an online counselling service. 

Visit the Mix website to access a range of self-help resources


Image of a crescent moon - nightline association.

Nightline Association

Nightline is a listening, emotional support, information and supplies service, run by students for students. Nightlines are open at night, run by trained student volunteers. Nightline are available to be contacted by phone, face to face, by email or by online chat. There are Nightline services at many universities around the UK and additional services such as information and supplies are also often available.

Watch a YouTube video about how young adults can use the service:

Visit the Nightline website


Student space logo

Student Space

Student Space offers safe, confidential and free support that has been developed collaboratively with services, higher education professionals, researchers and students to complement the existing services available to students. Student Space is run by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. The programme is funded by the Office for Students and Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Student Space is available to all higher education students across England and Wales. There are three ways that Student Space supports young adults:

  1. providing access to dedicated support services for students
  2. sharing information and advice to help young people through challenging times
  3. helping students to find what support is available at your university.

Student Space offers a range of online support groups and peer workshops for diverse communities including; trans students, Punjabi speaking students, Black students, Muslim students and working class students.

Visit the Student Space website


ELSA - Support

An ELSA in a school is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. There is a recognised ELSA training course aimed specifically at Teaching Assistants in schools. Examples of things covered on the course are social skills, emotions, bereavement, social stories and therapeutic stories, anger management, self-esteem, counselling skills such as solution focus and friendship. Elsa Support is a website which provides downloadable resources that support the teaching of emotional literacy or emotional intelligence by ELSA’s. A lot of the resources on this website are perfectly suitable for all teaching professionals to use.

ELSA support provides downloadable resources which are ready to print and use. Schools are welcome to order from the website. Please read the section on ‘Purchase Orders’. 

There is also a newsletter facility where you can subscribe with your email address to a regular newsletter from the site.

Free resources are important to us and we create a free resource every Friday so make sure you check the site.

Visit the ELSA support website for more information and to access the support


Anna Freud - National Centre for Children and Families

Wellbeing measurement for school staff - survey

Anna Freud - National Centre for Children and Families,

Staff wellbeing is at the heart of a whole-setting approach to mental health. However, we know from our own research that less than a quarter of schools carry out staff wellbeing surveys. That’s probably because schools and FE colleges are so focused on looking after their pupils, they often don’t have time to prioritise their staff.

We want to help you redress that balance. Our survey is simple to use and we hope that its findings will help you to support your staff and improve performance.

Our Wellbeing Measurement survey is another free resource from the Anna Freud Centre to provide schools and FE colleges with free, evidence-based resources you need to support your staff and pupils. It is part of our free 5 Steps Framework designed to develop a whole school and FE college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Visit the Anna Freud website to download a copy of the survey

Making best use of pupil mental health and wellbeing data

This publication is ideal for education providers and local authorities who are thinking through their approach to measuring and monitoring their pupil mental health and wellbeing. It includes three case studies, which have been provided by schools and HeadStart partnership school leads as positive examples of how schools are using the information collected via the Wellbeing Measurement Framework. The case studies demonstrate how the Wellbeing Measurement Framework is being used by some schools to help identify areas of strength and challenge, and to plan provision which addresses these findings.

Visit the Evidence Base Practice Unit website to view case studies

Stress awareness month toolkit

April is Stress Awareness Month. Mentally Healthy Schools’ toolkits for primary, secondary and FE colleges are full of free resources to help you and your pupils cope when stress becomes overwhelming.

Visit the Mentally Healthy Schools Website to download the toolkit or sign up to receive a different themed toolkit each month

Mental health questionnaire research with pupils: recommendations for good practice

Increasingly, children and young people in schools are being asked to complete questionnaires about their mental health and wellbeing for research purposes. This new guidance offers a range of recommendations for facilitating school-based self-report mental health data collection with children and young people. This includes recommendations relating to questionnaire selection, providing clear instructions, having procedures in place to support participants emotionally, and obtaining support from senior leadership teams.

The guidance is relevant to anyone using self-report mental health questionnaires in education settings, including academic researchers, schools and FE colleges, and local authorities. It has been produced by researchers from the Evidence Based Practice Unit, the University of Manchester, Liverpool John Moores University, and the Child Outcomes Research Consortium.

Visit the Evidence Based Practice Unit to download the new guidance


Charlie Waller logo

Improving mental wellbeing - new tool for colleges

Introducing C-MET – a new way to measure and improve the mental wellbeing of college students and staff. Charlie Waller and the Association of Colleges have created a way for colleges to measure and improve the mental wellbeing of their students and staff.

C-MET – the College Mental Health Self-evaluation Tool – is available free of charge to all colleges.

Simple to use, it takes colleges through 10 steps to assess their current position in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Topics covered by the 10 steps include leadership and management, ethos and environment, curriculum, the student voice, and staff development and support.

Visit the Charlie Waller website to find out more and to access the services


Kooth

Kooth logo

Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous mental wellbeing service for children and young people. You can find one to one support from a friendly practitioner or engage with our amazing community of people just like you. Our community is here to support you through anything. Big or small.

Visit the Kooth website for more information and services

 


How to stay calm during a global pandemic - Free E-Book

National data indicates that the current global pandemic is resulting in increased anxiety and reduced wellbeing for many of us. Probably no surprise there. Over the past few weeks, Emma Hepburn has taken part in lots of interviews and been asked the same question a number of times: ‘How can Covid-19 impact on our mental health?’ Emma has created a free E-Book to help us to understand how wer are feeling and how to stay calm during the pandemic.

Download the How to Stay Calm During the Global Pandemic E-Book


Pupil Support Service and Education Psychology Service - training

We are delivering training that is a combination of theoretical, experiential and practical and requires attendees to actively participate, reflect on their own experiences and explore how they can put strategies in place. By the end of the course delegates will have a deeper understanding of the neurological and environmental processes which effect those hard to reach children, so they are better prepared to learn and schools are better able to support them, and an awareness of how schools can support children across the school in an attachment friendly way. To find our more details about this training, including dates and any other training.

Download the School Improvement Service Continuing Professional Development 2019 - 2020 brochure for more information on training


Attachment Aware Schools - a training resource for educators

Attachment Aware Schools is a partnership between Bath Spa University, Bath and North East Somerset Council, the National College for Teaching and Leadership, a range of third sector organisations, attachment specialists, and schools.

A growing number of children and young people have emotional and behavioural needs that go beyond the strategies we have learned through our training and experience. Whilst these children and young people can be hard to reach, they need our greatest nurturing and care.

Research indicates that an awareness of how to support children and young people’s emotional needs and development can promote better learning and health outcomes. National policy and guidance, like the Marmot Review, confirms this.

There is a body of information and research available to specialist practitioners, like social care and mental health staff, that we want to share with the teachers and school support workers who make a difference every day in schools and early years settings.

So far we have brought together schools, other settings and their partner agencies with specialist trainers. Together, the aim of the work has been to create ‘attachment aware’ schools and communities in which all children and young people experience the nurturing environments they need to grow and achieve.

On this site, you’ll find resources from our Attachment Aware Schools training programme. You will also find a list of trainers and organisations who are able to work with you to develop greater attachment awareness in your school. All the materials are informed by research and based on evidence from classroom practice.

Visit the Attachment Aware Schools website to find our what attachment aware schools are

Visit the Bath spa website to view the attachment aware school pilot projects finding for more information on the project


BEAM - emotional health and well-being drop-in centres

BEAM is run by the Children's Society, a national charity that works with the most vulnerable children and young people in Britain today.

BEAM is an emotional well-being drop-in service for children and young people. Talking about how you're feeling isn't always easy, but Beam are here to help.

For more information about the history of our organisation, as well as details of our various projects, Please download information leaflets:

To contact BEAM - please email ShropshireBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk.

Parents/carers and Young People can request support via the new registration system, visit the children's society website for more information on how to register.

 


SMASH Life - overcoming life's hurdles together!

Andy and Matt Smith are brothers who were placed into the care system by social services after neglectful parenting from their biological mother and father.

Picture of the SMASH Life logoIn their experience many young people often ask professionals “What do you know?” this is where their service differs from others as they have lived a life within the care system and without a mum and dad for the majority of their lives.

Combined with their professional experience and qualifications they are able to offer that shared life experience and offer advice and guidance based on real life and not just from a text book. They find this resonates with young people because as adults they are able to open up to them and in turn they open up.

Smash Life is also creative on its approach to mentoring and getting young people to open up. It is limiting to just sit in a room and ask a young person to just “talk about it” and this can be oppressive for some young people.

By bringing sport, music, games, walks, and trips to the Mentoring they have found they create better results and the young people actually enjoy and look forwards to the sessions.

Download the Smash Life brochure to see the services and opportunities Smash Life offer

Visit the Smash Life website for more information about overcoming life's hurdles


Step - By - Step

Step by Step is a free Samaritans service that provides practical support to help schools, universities and other youth settings such as Scouts, sports clubs etc. prepare for and recover from a suspected or attempted suicide.

Download the Step by Step flyer for more information on the services Step by Step provide


Resources from the Multicultural Development Team and the Educational Psychology Service

Following on from the Educational Psychology Service (EPS)’s collaborative project with the Multicultural Development Team (MDT), generously supported by Telford Interfaith Council, the two teams have curated some helpful anti-racism resources for schools and support services.

Further to the resources shared above, the MDT are currently providing free training on Race Equality, How to identify Racist incidents and reporting incidents via IRIS. They also have free resources to schools which are accessible, to their SLA schools, via the online resource library. They provide bespoke CPD, workshops, support and advice for all schools.

For more information about the Educational Psychology Service please visit their website or make contact by sending an email to SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk.

For more information about the Multicultural Development Team please visit their website or make contact by sending an email to multicultural.development@telford.gov.uk.


Do 2 Learn - Free resources for schools

Do 2 Learn offer a range of classroom activities and free worksheets for schools to use to help support children and young people when they arrive at school each day.

The worksheets can be used to:

  • promote self-assessment
  • support generalization
  • promote group discussions / activities
  • remediate periods of high anxiety or frustration in school setting
  • help the student and instructor identify possible “Home Emotions”.

Visit the Do 2 Learn website

Last updated: 10/01/2023 10:48

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