Mental Health & Wellbeing
Mental Health & Wellbeing Statement
At Broad Square Primary School, we are committed to promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing to all members of our school community. We recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives, in just the same way as physical health. We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement.
We use the World Health Organisation’s definition of mental health and wellbeing: … a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that: “in order to help their pupils succeed; schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. Persistent mental health problems may lead to pupils having significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of those of the same age. Our open culture allows students’ voices to be heard and through the use of effective policies and procedures, we ensure a safe and supportive environment for all affected, both directly and indirectly, by mental health issues.
Teaching about Mental Health & Wellbeing
The skills, knowledge and understanding our students need to keep themselves and others physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our PSHE curriculum. At our school we use Jigsaw and a whole school ROAR approach.
School also uses lessons to provide children with knowledge and strategies of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. In line with our school values we encourage pupils to be respectful to the needs of others and compassionate to their peers.
Sources of Support
Classroom Based Staff
All staff at Broad Square are now attachment and trauma informed and have had significant training in this. If a student is feeling low or has difficulties with their mental health, please consult with your child’s classroom staff in the first instance.
Pastoral Support Manager Support
To help pupils overcome social, emotional and behavioural barriers to their learning helping them to achieve their full potential. These barriers include; expressing and regulating emotions, boosting self-esteem, working on anxieties, transition work, bereavement programmes, anger management, support around building and maintaining friendships, support around families (e.g. separation and divorce), social skills and attendance and punctuality (including school refusal).
This service is accessed via appointment with Mr Singleton.
Education Mental Health Practitioner
The EMHP service provides early intervention on some mental health and emotional wellbeing issues, such as mild to moderate anxiety, as well as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a ‘whole school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing.
This service is accessed via referral. Please speak to either Mr Singleton or Mrs Taylor for more information.
Counselling Service
We have access to a qualified therapist who provides a range of support that is age appropriate and tailored to what each child needs. This includes both 1:1 sessions and group work that can use a range of techniques including: Talking therapies, arts therapies, support and advice for families, providing education and resources to help staff deal with difficult emotional issues. There will be a waiting list for this service and children will be triaged and allocated according to level of need. This service is accessed via referral. Please speak to Mr Singleton for more information.
The Wellbeing Team
The Wellbeing Team have been trained by mental health / wellbeing specialists to support our school community in issues related to these areas. Several of our team have been trained and qualified in Mental Health First Aid, members of our team have been trained to deliver the ROAR programme and teachers / senior managers have had “SERIOUS” suicide prevention training. Please speak to any member of our Wellbeing Team for more information.
Local Support
In Liverpool, there are a range of organisations and groups offering support, including the CAMHS partnership, a group of providers specialising in children and young people’s mental health wellbeing. These partners deliver accessible support to children, young people and their families, whilst working with professionals to reduce the range of mental health issues through prevention, intervention, training and participation.
https://www.liverpoolcamhs.com/
Further Information & Support
Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk
OCD UK www.ocduk.org
Depression Alliance www.depressoinalliance.org
Eating Disorders www.b-eat.co.uk and www.inourhands.com
National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk
Self-Harm www.selfharm.co.uk
Suicidal thoughts Prevention of young suicide UK – PAPYRUS: www.papyrus-uk.org
For general information and support
www.youngminds.org.uk champions young people’s mental health and wellbeing
www.mind.org.uk advice and support on mental health problems www.minded.org.uk (e-learning) www.time-to-change.org.uk tackles the stigma of mental health
www.rethink.org challenges attitudes towards mental health