Mental Health & Well-Being
Mental Health Matters
At Meden School we are determined to develop every aspect of our student’s character. We aim to achieve this through our Personal Development Curriculum, which provides students with an opportunity to explore and develop key aspects of their character.
The Personal Development curriculum seeks to educate students on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, have good mental health, how to cultivate healthy relationships through school life and beyond and how to positively contribute to their community.
Students will be encouraged to engage with and think maturely about a range of issues, which will support them in making sound decisions around their own safety, personal development and mental health.
To further support our students, in addition to our dedicated pastoral team, we also have a school counsellor and SEMH support groups that students can access to ensure that they are supported in tackling issues that they face.
More recently we have trained a number of staff in Mental Health First Aid and they are available in school to support students when needed.
MENTAL HEATH SUPPORT TEAM
Our Mental Health support team are:
- Kim Hickinbotham - Senior Mental Health Lead
- Vicky Hill – School Counsellor
- Mental Health Support Team – Helen Betts
- Mental Health first aiders
- Kim Hickinbotham
- Tracy Coulson
- Greg Harris
- Belinda Rogers
- Rebecca Etheridge
- Claire Ashley
ELSA
What is ELSA?
An ELSA in a school is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. There is a recognised training course aimed specifically at Teaching Assistants or other specialist school roles. ELSAs are specialists with a wealth of experience of working with children and young people. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by Educational Psychologists.
ELSAs are warm, kind and caring people who want to make children and young people feel happy in school. and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. They understand the barriers to learning that some children and young people might have and can help them with this.
They can support the children and young person’s emotional development and help them cope with life’s challenges. ELSAs will also help children and young people to find solutions to problems they might have.
An ELSA is not there to fix problems but to help them find their own solutions and offer that important support to a child or young person.
Our Team of ELSAs in school are:
- Mrs E Rich
- Mrs S Owen
ART THERAPY
Our trained Art Therapists in school are
- Mrs R Etheridge
- Mrs E Streets
Useful Safeguarding Guides for Parents & Carers
Self harm - a guide for Parents and Carers
SELF-HARM USEFUL LINKS AND VIDEOS
www.nshn.co.uk (National Self-harm Network)
https://www.nottalone.org.uk/browse/self-harm/
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/a-z-guide/self-harm/
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/self-harm/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/self-harm/
https://www.themix.org.uk/search/self+harm
https://www.stayingsafe.net/ST/
https://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60026475
No Harm Done Video - https://youtu.be/kT5cr-HTTEQ
What not to do if a child is self-harming - video
SELF-HARM RECOMMENDED APPS
- Calm Harm – free App - https://calmharm.co.uk/
- ThinkNinja for Android | iOS (Free)
- WorryTree for Android | iOS (Free)
- MyPossibleSelf for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
- Stress & Anxiety Companion for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
- MeeToo for Android | iOS (Free)
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Parent's Guide to Self-Harm: What parents need to know
MINDFULNESS / RELAXATION / BREATHING / GROUNDING
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/take-time-out/
HOW TO MANAGE SELF HARM & INCREASE SAFETY IN THE HOME
CLICK FOR FULL DOCUMENT
Useful Links
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness is not for profit creating a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society, by helping people to take practical action drawing on the latest scientific research. Their vision is a happier world, with fewer people suffering with mental health problems and more people feeling good.
Anna Freud Centre
A children’s mental health charity providing specialist help.
- www.annafreud.org
- Telephone: 0207 794 2313
- Email: info@annafreid.org
YoungMinds
YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.
- www.youngminds.org.uk
- Telephone: 0808 802 5544 (Weekdays 9.30 – 16.00)
ChildLine
Childline is a counselling service for parents, children and young people. Help and advice is free and confidential.
- www.childLine.org.uk
- Telephone: 0800 1111
Samaritans
Samaritans is a confidential emotional support service for anyone. The service is available 24 hours a day.
- www.samaritans.org
- Telephone: 116 123 (any time)
- Email: jo@samaritans.org
Students Against Depression
Information and help for anyone feeling depressed. This site offers UK students comprehensive information and discussion about:
- What depression is
- What contexts depression flourishes in
- Self-help strategies for tackling depression
- How to get further support and help
www.studentsagainstdepression.org
Kooth
Provides free online support for young people delivered by qualified counsellors via chat based services.
Charlie Walker Memorial Trust
Awareness, information and resources for those who are depressed.
- www.cwmt.org.uk
- Telephone: 01635 869754
Mind
National mental health charity.
- www.mind.org.uk
- Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (Weekdays 9:00 – 17:00)
- Text: 86463
- Email: info@mind.org
Cruse – Bereavement Care
Cruse offer support and advice to children, young people and adults when someone dies.
- www.cruse.org.uk
- www.hopeagain.org.uk
- Telephone: 0808 808 1677 (Weekdays 9:00 – 17:00)
- Email: helpline@cruse.org.uk
Anxiety UK
Helps all those suffering with anxiety disorders.
- www.anxietyuk.org.uk
- Telephone: 08444 775 774 (Weekdays 9:30 – 17:30)
- Text Service 07537 416 905
Harmless
Harmless is a user led organisation that provides a range of services about self-harm.
- www.harmless.org.uk
- Email: info@harmless.org.uk
Anorexia and Bulimia Care (ABC)
ABC provides personal advice to anyone affected by an eating disorder. They support sufferers and their family and friends towards a full recovery.
- www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk
- Telephone: 03000 11 12 13
Hearing Voices Network
HVN is also there to help cares and to support and advise voice-hearers.
- www.hearing-voices.org
- Telephone: 0114 271 8210
- Email: nhvn@hotmail.co.uk
SANEline
Out-of-hours mental health helpline for anyone who is affected by mental illness.
- Telephone: 0300 304 7000
Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline
Confidential support to do with sexuality, gender identity and sexual health.
- Telephone: 0300 330 0630
Change Grow Live
Free and confidential drug and alcohol service.
- www.changegrowlive.org
- notts@cgl.org.uk
- Telephone: 0115 896 0798
SHOUT UK
Mobile text service if you aren't comfortable talking over the phone
TEXT 85258