Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing has always been central to our work at St Johns and its importance has increasingly been realised nationally in recent years.
Children at St Johns are supported to develop their resilience so that they are more able to cope in challenging circumstances and be able to overcome challenges and thrive. One of the ways we do this is by teaching resilience habits through our PSHE curriculum. We also capitalise on other learning opportunities throughout the curriculum - such as through the texts we carefully select for whole class reading.
Further information about how we support mental health can be found in our mental health policy, and information about local support and guidance services is available from Hampshire on this link: https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/publichealth/mentalwellbeinghampshire/childrenandyoungfamilies
Good Mental Health Handbook
Jam Packed with resources and links to support mental health, this guide for parents and carers created by Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is your GO TO. Everything from the basics to ADHD, ASD, friendships, sleep, trauma, depression, anxiety and family breakdown and lots more; this guide explains the levels of support that might be needed and is full of strategies you can try. It comes highly recommended as a starting point.
- What is happening?
- What have you tried?
- What is being affected?
- What needs to change?
- What needs to happen to make things better?
Back to Basics Intro
Keep Learning
Connect
Take Notice
Give
Be Active
To coincide with mental health awareness week, CAMHS have produce a project pack full of ideas to support mental health and wellbeing. (Of course the ideas a great all year round, too).
Other Resources and Links
The charity 'Mind' has some really useful information about how to look after your wellbeing. The website comes highly recommended by mental healthcare professionals: https://www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/
Safe4me https://www.safe4me.co.uk/parents/ provides parents and carers with information and links to support services on a wide range of topics such as mental health, drugs, domestic abuse, keeping safe online, and radicalisation.
The NHS also has information about managing mental health and wellbeing which can also be accessed online: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/ . You can also book an appointment with a social prescriber through your local GP surgery. Social Prescribing is a way in which they can help patients to link with a range of local, non-medical activities, opportunities and support that can improve their health and wellbeing.
The Nuffield for children and adults: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/kidswellbeing and https://vimeo.com/400665117/dc9c51d316
Young Minds is a great place to go with your children: https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/
Lastly, I find find this website particularly useful in helping me identify how I am feeling and decide what am going to do about it: https://whenthetensiongoes.com/