Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health Support Team Project
At Stubbings, we understand the importance of looking after our emotional health and wellbeing.
We work in partnership with Open Minds Calderdale (CAMHS) to bring specialist support and advice to staff and children to ensure this underpins all that we do. We were among the first schools to be involved in the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Project which is jointly funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England.
Calderdale MHST has 3 key functions:
1. Delivering evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health issues
2. Supporting schools and colleges to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach
3. Giving timely advice to school staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support
We are working in a hub model and Stubbings is part of the Upper Valley Hub. The hub model has created more opportunities for collaborative working within the MHST. It allows MHST practitioners to work together as a team to share practice, gain knowledge, offer hub-wide support across schools, and to utilise skills and time more effectively.
MHST staff are specialist Mental Health Professionals, and the teams have been developed to offer support for children and young people experiencing mild-to-moderate emotional/mental health problems. The MHST also supports our Whole School Approach to mental health and wellbeing in various ways.
Joining the MHST project means that we have Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) working with us in school.
Claire Tooth is the main representative for our school and our first point of contact. She works closely with our Senior Mental Health Leads, Mrs Bright and Ms Caswell who both completed the Anna Freud training for this role.
Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life. (NHS.UK)
Meet our EMHP
I’m Claire Tooth and I am a qualified EMHP with ten years’ experience working in schools in various roles. I am very happy to be based here at Riverside Junior School. I also work at Central Street and Stubbings Infant schools so this means that we can have a joined-up approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing across the Federation.
I am passionate about providing early intervention for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, especially promoting wellbeing within the school community. In my free time, I enjoy walking and being outdoors and I have a special interest in the links between positive mental health/wellbeing and the environment.
Support that is available
Signposting
Working to find the most appropriate service to meet the need of the child/family.
Whole Class Workshops
Whole class sessions focusing on a range of support tailored to the needs of our school.
Group support
Group support for mild to moderate emotional/mental health problems such as managing anxiety, resilience and self-esteem.
Parent Workshops
Free parent workshops focusing on support for mild to moderate emotional/mental health problems
If you have missed any workshops and would still like to view the presentations and resources. Please check out the links below.
Staff training
Access to training for teaching and support staff
CAMHS explained!
Northpoint Wellbeing is one of the organisations that provides Calderdale's Open Minds (CAMHS) service in West Yorkshire. Open Minds is a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) program.
Open Minds (CAMHS) is a collaborative service:
It's a joint effort between Northpoint Wellbeing, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Kooth.
Northpoint Wellbeing's role:
They operate the First Point of Contact, which is the single point of access for referrals to Open Minds (CAMHS). They also provide mental health and wellbeing services for children and young people in Calderdale.
CAMHS services:
CAMHS is a national term for services that support young people with mental health difficulties.
Calderdale Open Minds:
This specific service is a collaboration between Northpoint Wellbeing and other organizations, providing mental health services for children and young people in Calderdale.
Open Minds website – advice and resources for young people, parents and schools.
Resources
SilverCloud: Digital Mental Health Support
Supporting a Child with ADHD – designed for parents, carers and guardians looking after children aged 6 to 12 years old who have been diagnosed with ADHD. It is also suitable for parents/carers of children on a waiting list for ADHD assessment or who display some of the symptoms of ADHD. Following NICE guidance, the programme provides parents/carers with structured support and evidence-based strategies that draw on CBT and social learning models. The programme aims to help parents/carers manage the symptoms of their child’s ADHD, as well as boosting their mental health, and creating warm, connected family relationships.
Supporting an Anxious Child (4-12 years) and Supporting an Anxious Teen (13 plus) are online interventions for parental use alongside their child. The programmes are based on CBT and built in conjunction with leading clinical experts. These programmes provide psychoeducation, tools and activities in a safe confidential space to help parents support their children or teens.
For more information, please contact silvercloud@northpoint.org.uk or 01422 300 001. Referrals can be made here:
Silvercloud | Northpoint Wellbeing - Open Minds (CAMHS) (openmindscamhs.org.uk)
The Open Minds in Calderdale Website
The Open Minds website provides advice, information, support and signposting on local and national services that help children and young people who are going through a difficult time. www.openmindscalderdale.org.uk
There is support specifically for children moving between phases or key stages of education - http://www.openmindscalderdale.org.uk/school-transition-support-2/
Referrals
NHS
The NHS is of course a good source of information and signposts you to what support is available.
Calderdale Young Carers
Calderdale Young Carers Service – advice and guidance on being a young carer. 8-18 years.
Contact details: 01422 261208 or www.calderdale.gov.uk/ycs
Unique Ways
Link for ND support while on waiting list
Unique Ways: 01422 343 090 (10.00 – 3.00 every day during term time)
or via email: hi@uniqueways.org.uk Website: www.uniqueways.org.uk
Mentally Healthy Schools website by Anna Freud – resources for young people and schools.
Invictus
The BREW Project offers online bespoke 1:1 support sessions with a wellbeing officer or a 1-1 walk and talk service.
Age range: 5-17 years Opening times: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Contact details: 01422 730015 Website details: support@invictuswellbeing.com
Active Calderdale
There are lots of free ideas and resources for how to stay healthy – both in ‘normal times’ and during lockdown. https://active.calderdale.gov.uk/
Parents Helpline | Mental Health Help for Your Child | YoungMinds https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/
Family Support at Todmorden Children’s Centre, Todmorden Community College, Burnley Road, Todmorden, OL14 7BX
Telephone: 01706 399976 or 01706 399970
Calderdale School Nursing Team - help to manage long and short-term conditions in education settings for children and young people. 5-19 years.
Contact details: 030 3330 9974 (duty line) or online referral via online referral form
Noah’s Ark – therapeutic services for young people and bereavement support group. Paid service.
Family Hubs
Calderdale’s Family Hub and Start for Life Services focus on bringing services together to improve access, improve connections between families, professionals, services and providers, and put relationships at the heart of family support.
There are five Family Hub areas in Calderdale which join up locally in the planning and delivery of family services from conception to young people up to 19 years or up to 25 years for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The range of activities, groups, advice and support are tailored based on the needs of the local community, and you can see more on each Family
Zones of Regulation
We use Zones of Regulation to teach emotional literacy and self regulation
What is Zones of Regulation?
•A curriculum to help pupils gain the skills they need to consciously regulate their feelings.
•This leads to increased control and problem-solving abilities.
•Learning activities are designed to help pupils recognise when they are in different states called ‘zones’.
•There are four zones, each represented by a colour.
•The activities help the pupil use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move between zones.
BBC Teach
Health and Wellbeing Videos (age 4-7years)
These engaging series of videos, created by the BBC, help to introduce children to topics around emotions, relationships, wellbeing and more.
The four different series are:
PSHE Super Movers – four active learning videos, featuring songs and dances for pupils to copy, on topics like teamwork and self-belief
What’s my job? - a collection of short films looking at the jobs and careers people have today, including a doctor, architect, pilot and more
What makes me, me? And other interesting questions – fun animated films covering big topics like fairness, equality and identity
Feeling better – a collection of clips exploring different emotions, including happiness, anger, loneliness and worry
BBC Teach (8-11 years)
There are 18 different series in total, which cover many different topics including:
Mindfulness
Bullying and cyberbullying
Difficulties at home
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
For Older Children
Barnardo’s Positive Identities Service for those who identify as LGBTQ+ this offers specialist advice and support around sexual or gender identity. Age range: 8-21 years Contact details: 01422 371993 Website details: www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/supportingyoung-people/LGBTQ
Kooth – safe, online, anonymous counselling for 10—25 year olds.
Branching Out –Healthy Futures Calderdale, Branching Out is there for specialist advice and support around drugs and alcohol. Age range: 10-21 years
www.calderdalerecoverysteps.org.uk/branching-out
Contact details: 01422 415550
Time Out – simple guidance around emotional wellbeing, managing worries and looking after yourself. 10 – 19 years.