Mental Health in Schools
Please see attached below a range of relevant research, policy and information including clear links established by Public Health England between Pupil Health, Well Being and Attainment.
Case study: supporting pupils with more complex needs
The Department for Education (DfE) has published advice for school staff on mental health and behaviour in schools, including making referrals to CAMHS (attached below)
On page 27 of the document, three case studies look at how schools support pupils with more complex problems.
The school in the first case study recruits non-teaching staff, known as pastoral managers, to support pupils with mental health needs prior to, during and after CAMHS involvement.
It says that the pastoral managers support pupils in various ways, depending on the individual. It explains that this can include:
- Providing daily support
- Liaising between the pupil and teachers
- Offering a morning check-in to discuss possible trigger points during the day
Pastoral managers are specifically trained to deal with mental health issues and have the opportunity to attend 'mental health cluster group' networking meetings.
The school also provides a fully-qualified counsellor for two days a week.
Further Support
The headteacher is a committee member for The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
RFHCS recently joined The Schools Health Research Network run by The Anna Freud Centre.
The Royal Society of Psychiatrists provides an A-Z list of readable, user friendly and evidence-based information about mental health problems and treatments.
The School's Health Education Unit also provide fantastic free resources and the latest links to a wide range of research about 5-16 yr olds and Food, RSE, Exercise, Education, Drugs, Health.
http://mentalhealthpartnerships.com/ is the UK's leading innovation hub bringing together people, partnerships and networks to share knowledge and learning to improve the mental health and well-being for all.
Other suggested websites