More mental health support in North Yorkshire schools
These teams are based in schools across North Yorkshire and provide support for students struggling with emotional issues.
This team is made up of NHS professionals like senior clinicians, occupational therapists, and education mental health practitioners. They now work with 64 schools in areas that include Hambleton, Richmond, Selby, Scarborough, Harrogate, and York.
One of these practitioners, Laura Campleman, explains that they help schools by offering early support, sharing knowledge, and providing training to build emotional resilience and promote good mental health. This is especially important when the school year starts, as many students and families feel anxious about things like transitioning to a new school or dealing with friendship issues.
Laura’s advice to kids and families is simple: treat your mental health just as you would your physical health. Practice the NHS’s five ways to well-being and be kind to yourself. Try to avoid negative self-talk and instead speak to yourself like you would to a good friend. She also reminds everyone to be compassionate towards themselves, as going back to school can be hard for everyone.
Tips to help prepare for school
Some tips from the well-being in mind team to help prepare for school include:
- Get into a good routine and prepare for the next day the night before.
- Have good sleep habits and avoid screens an hour before bed.
- Practice your new routine before school starts.
- Use breathing and relaxation techniques to calm your mind.
- Take one day at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Find a support network of people who are going through the same thing.
- Reward yourself at the end of the week for getting through it.
Helping local schools
The wellbeing in mind teams started in Scarborough and Selby in 2020 and have since expanded. In York, they went from helping 8 schools in 2021 to supporting 20 schools by 2024. Scarborough has also grown to help around 20 schools.
Laura explains that their work in schools involves three key approaches:
- Whole school approach: This includes training staff about mental health, giving welcome assemblies to remind students to look after their wellbeing, and running group activities on topics like self-esteem and friendships.
- Early intervention: For kids facing common emotional issues like anxiety or low self-esteem, they offer up to eight one-on-one sessions focused on helping them reach their goals.
- Consultations: They meet with school staff who are concerned about a student to support them in helping that student. If more help is needed, they might offer one-on-one or group support or refer the student to other services, like child and adolescent mental health services
The team spends one to two days a week in the schools they support and becomes part of the school community. They even join staff meetings to offer advice and help plan, and they hang out on the playground during breaks so students can get to know them.
Laura finds the job very rewarding, especially knowing that their early intervention helps prevent issues from getting worse. She says it’s wonderful to hear positive feedback from students, families, and school staff who appreciate their support.
Seeking help
In a mental health emergency you can contact your local child and adolescent mental health service The crisis and liaison team 24 hours a day, seven days a week on NHS 111 and select the mental health option. If you are deaf or have hearing loss use NHS 111 SignVideo or the 18001 111 Relay UK app.
It's important to tackle mental health issues in early life and help children move on to positive and fulfilled lives.
