Mental Health and Wellbeing
At our school, we take mental health and wellbeing very seriously and we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of all our staff, pupils and their parents/carers. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.
At our school we:
- Help children to understand their emotions and feelings better
- Help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
- Help children socially to form and maintain relationships
- Promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they count
- Encourage children to be confident and ‘dare to be different’
- Help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks
We all have times when we have low Mental Wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope.
There are some common life events that may affect you or your child’s Mental Wellbeing:
- Loss or bereavement, Loneliness,
- Relationship problems.
- Issues at school.
- Worries about money.
Everyone deserves to feel good and there are steps you or your child can take to maintain and improve your Mental Wellbeing:
- Build positive relationships.
- Take time for yourself.
- Look after your mental health.
- Look after your physical health.
What can you or your child do to gain Mental Wellbeing?
- Be open and talk about your feelings with friends/family/colleagues and/or your GP.
- Associate yourself with positive people.
- Speak to a member of staff at school – Our Mental Health First Aiders are Ruth Thompson, Rebecca Oxley, Suzanne Harrison and Suzanne Louch.
- Get physically active (a Health body and mind are closely linked).
There are some simple ways to help yourself manage your own well-being day to day in the form of ‘five ways to well-being.’
This important message gives us permission to take time for ourselves and be in the moment and focusses on the positives. This is similar to mindfulness. If you can try to follow these 5 ways throughout your daily life, you will find it much easier to cope with stress.
Children can also follow the 5 ways to well-being. This will give them long lasting skills to grow with them through adulthood to hopefully reduce the risk of them developing mental health issues.
The following websites give support and advice to help with children and young people’s mental wellbeing:
- Healthy Minds
The Healthy Minds Wellbeing Assistant offers tailored suggestions on services and self-help apps based on how you are feeling, so you can find what you need, when you need it – quickly and easily. - Bradford Youth Service
We provide things to do, someone to talk to and places for young people to go. - Young Minds
Mental health support for both young people and parents. - Inspired Neighbourhoods Mental Health Service
Offering young people aged 7-17 years mental health suppott. - Step 2 Young People’s Health Project
Offers counselling for school staff, children and young people across a range of services. Also offers a full counselling service for young people aged 11-18yrs. - Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS)
Helps children and young people who may be having mental health problems. - Youth in Mind
Supporting children and young people 11-19 years who are struggling with social, emotional or mental wellbeing. Also for young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25.
- Mind in Bradford
Mind Recovery Workers offer 1:1 support at five GP surgeries in Bradford. Specialist support for young people aged 11-25 years. - Relate Bradford
Offering therapeutic short to mid-term counselling for young people aged 5 years and over. Families with mild to moderate mental health issues, relationship and family problems. - Think Ninja
An app specifically designed to educate 10-18 year olds about mental health, emotional wellbeing and to provide skills young people can use to build resilience and stay well.
- Local Offer Website
Bradford Council Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) information website for Children, Young People with SEND 0-25, their Parent/Carers and Professionals.
The following websites have been vetted and approved by the NHS. We recommend that parents always look at and test out apps and games for themselves before introducing their children to them:
- Positive Penguins – https://positivepenguins.com/
Aimed at 8 – 12 year olds. This app helps children to understand their feelings and challenge negative thinking. Four positive penguins take children on a journey to help them better understand the relationship between what they think and what they feel.
Emotional Wellbeing Support App for Children (P) Created by Parent Zone, Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8 to 11. The app has been funded by BBC Children in Need’s ‘A Million & Me’ initiative, which aims to make a difference to children’s emotional wellbeing. Ollee aims to help children reflect on how they feel and to process their experiences with the support and help of their parents and carers.
- Kooth – https://www.kooth.com/
Kooth offers emotional and mental health support for children and young people aged between 11 – 24 years and is available up to 10 pm every day.
Urgent Support:
First Response Crisis Service
Offering support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people of all ages living in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale or Craven experiencing a mental health crisis.
Papyrus – Prevention of Young Suicide
If you are under 35 and feel that life is not worth living any more, call Papyrus’s HopelineUK from 9am to 10pm weekdays and 2pm to 10pm on weekends. Call HopelineUK on 0800 068 41 4
Whilst prioritising the wellbeing of their children, parents often forget to prioritise themselves. It is important that you make sure that you still look after your own physical and mental wellbeing at this time too, so we have also put together a few contacts that might be useful if you feel that you would like some further support with your mental health or wellbeing too.
Here are some websites aimed at adults, dedicated to supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing.
They contain lots of good advice and a series of free, downloadable books on a range of topics including anxiety, stress, the workplace, self harm, mindfulness and exercise.
- Mental Health Foundation – https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z
The Mental Health Foundation website has a useful A-Z of key mental Health topics:
- Mind – https://www.mind.org.uk/
Mind are a leading mental health charity and they have bases in both Bradford and Leeds. They can offer you support with mental health.
- Sharing Voices Bradford – https://sharingvoices.net/
Sharing Voices is a Bradford based charity who offer support with mental health. They can provide support in a range of languages, including English, Polish, Bengali, Gujerati and Urdu and are currently offering free counselling and one to one support on the phone. Call them on 01274 947300
The NHS website is a useful place to find out about all kinds of illnesses, Including mental health problems.
- Mind Ed – https://mindedforfamilies.org.uk/#/
Mind Ed for Families is a site developed by Health Education England and The Department of Education to help families understand and support their children, from parenting tips to getting help in a crisis.
Headspace has some useful audio and video clips about different conditions and people’s experiences, as well as some mimindfulnes.
- Parents Online – www.parentsonline.co.uk
Parents online is a text based chat service for parents.
Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline).
- Gingerbread – https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/gingerbread-for-single-parents/?page=1&IssuePageId=1301
Gingerbread offer a free helpline for single parents.
- My Wellbeing College – https://bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk/
My Wellbeing College is a free NHS service to help people manage everyday problems such as feeling low, having problems sleeping, feeling anxious and experiencing stress.
Resources:
Anxiety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuTEPtphSFE
Depression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCfQfa6GaQ
