Winter 2020

Leading Mental Health in

In this issue: Pg 1 Healthy Young Minds in Herts Accreditation Pg 10 Feeling Good Week

Pg 2/3 Schools Mental Health Training and Pg 11 SAVE THE DATE– Primary Pastoral Support conference Pg 3 Wellbeing for Education Return Pg 12 Just Talk– Primary and Secondary E- learning and Building Better Opportunities programme Pg 4 Mental Health Support Team and New Pg 13/14 Resources directory Inc. schools staff Thrive and Survive for years 12 & 13 wellbeing information

Pg 5 Parenting Courses

Pg 6/7/8/9 Hertfordshire Schools Sharing good practice

Healthy Young Minds in Herts Kite mark Accreditation A whole school and college self review and accreditation for emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide awareness. Details for this are accessible via our website, click here, please note you will need to register for an account to access the schools area of the website. The Healthy Young Minds in Herts (HYMIH) School Accreditation process will enable schools and colleges to achieve kite mark status for their contribution to supporting mental health and wellbeing. It will help to ensure a consistent approach to school based competency in relation to mental health and wellbeing. The Suicide Aware Schools and College Status award is additional and contains requirements for schools and colleges to demonstrate a commitment to reducing suicide. These awards have been requested by both schools and professionals and the process has been developed through the Hertfordshire Suicide Prevention Children and Young People Task and Finish Group. A similar kite mark for providers of training and services is also being developed through the CAMHS transformation.

CONGRATULATIONS to Stevenage ESC, , Westfield Primary School and Nursery, Manor Fields Primary School and School who have all received the Healthy Young Minds in Herts Accreditation for Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Awareness. Their submissions showed positive approaches and high levels of commitment towards mental health and wellbeing within their schools.

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SCHOOLS MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING/ SUPPORT

As part of the CAMHS Transformation, Hertfordshire’s two NHS clinical commissioning groups (East & North Herts CCG and Herts Valleys CCG) are offering funded training programmes to support school-based professionals to improve the mental health and wellbeing of pupils in schools.

All sessions (excluding MHFA) are delivered by the Strategic Leads for Mental Health in schools– Yael Leinman and Breda O’Neill Youth MHFA Training Kite Mark Webinars

 Introductory 1/2 day online training deliv-  For MHL/DMHL or Pastoral Staff ered by Mental Health First Aid .  2 hours virtual session  Facilitated by Irtiza Qureshi who is an ap- proved MHFA trainer delivering to schools  Introduction to the Healthy Young on behalf of Commissioners and the Minds in Herts Self review and Kite CAMHS Transformation. Mark.

 Training appropriate for people who teach,  Resources and examples shared work, live with and care for children and young people 8-18.

 2 spaces only per school/setting Mental Health Leads Level 2

Confidential Staff Wellbeing Sessions  For MHL/DMHL ONLY

 4 hours virtual training session  For all school based staff  This course explores the role of a  90 minute virtual group session (8 MHL/DMHL, how to navigate external max) provisions and services, and further  A facilitated session to create a safe areas of mental health. environment for discussing the impact  2 spaces only per school/setting of the current climate on school staff emotional wellbeing. NEW REFRESHER DATES AVALIABLE

For more information on the training sessions and to view upcoming dates please follow this link to the flyers: https://www.healthyyoungmindsinherts.org.uk/schools/schools-mental-health- training OR Contact [email protected]

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NEW MENTAL HEALTH LEADS LEVEL 2 REFRESHER TRAINING NEW DATES RELEASED FOR 2021 Training for Mental Health Leads and/or Deputy Mental Health Leads in schools who have previously attended the ‘Everything You Need To Know About Mental Health’ course or any of the Mental Health Level 2 courses that have followed since 2017. Previous Courses to have been attended 2 years and over

For more information on the training sessions and to view upcoming dates please follow this link to the flyers: https://www.healthyyoungmindsinherts.org.uk/schools/ schools-mental-health-training OR Contact [email protected]

WELLBEING FOR EDUCATION RETURN (WER)

Fully funded training and support for all Hertfordshire schools, academies and colleges supporting children aged 5-19. This government’s national project provides funding and resources requiring local au- thorities to train and support schools and colleges on responding to the wellbeing and mental health needs of children and young people, staff and parents as a result of coronavirus.

Developed by MindED and Anna Freud Centre. Being delivered by Herts for learning.

For further information and to book, use the following link: https://cpd.hertsforlearning.co.uk/courses/bookings/default.asp#searchresults

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MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TEAM UPDATE (MHST)

As you will know, Hertfordshire was one of the first areas to secure Mental Health Sup- port Teams (MHST) in schools as part of NHS England’s Trailblazer programme. The programme has been running since 2018 and consists of a team being built around trainees that are undergoing the one year Educational Mental Health Practitioner Course. During this year, the trainees complete their course being hosted by both HPFT CAMHS and PALMS (Special Schools MHST). The trainees have a network of sup- port around them from their respective teams and Commissioning staff to work with Herts school communities to design the offer of support. From January 2021 there will be two new teams. One in Watford and one in Stevenage where the teams will support between 12 and 20 schools per area working in conjunc- tion with a designated mental health lead in each school once fully operational. School staff will benefit from tailored training and consultation, while pupils and parents will be able to access evidence-based interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues, with the aim that early intervention will prevent needs from escalating.

NEW THRIVE & SURVIVE FOR YEARS 12&13 The Thrive & Survive Guide has been created to help young people adjust to university life: providing ideas, information and advice on things they might need to know. It has been developed with young people so that it covers all the important areas. It is here to provide a single source that young people can reach for when they need that information or could use some tips. It is based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing and sits on the Just Talk website under the ‘Young People and Students’ tab on the front page. https://www.justtalkherts.org/ news-and-campaigns/support-for-university- students.aspx To support the use of this guide PowerPoint presenta- tions are being developed for Year 12 & 13 teachers to use with the students to help them navigate the guide and get the best out of the resource. These will be avail- able shortly on the Healthy Young Minds in Herts web- site. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] 4

PARENTING COURSES There are a number of parenting courses to support families across Hertfordshire, in- cluding:

 Anger in the family  Parenting children aged 5-14 with ASD/ADHD  Parenting children with SEND  Dealing with teens challenging behaviour

Parenting support Parenting courses are offered across the county. You can search for courses in Hertfordshire County Council’s Parenting Directory at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/parentingsupport

A list of the Online Parenting Courses for Autumn Term 2020 is listed here.

PARENTING NETWORK Support, information & learning groups for parents caring for children with special educa- tional needs and/or disabilities – no need to book just ZOOM! Delivered by experienced, trained facilitators with over 25 years of personal experience and professional knowledge to share.

Non-judgemental, caring support groups for parents by parents (Facilitators trained by Fami- lies in Focus CIC) caring for a child with any additional need.

TWO NEW PARENT NETWORK SEND SUPPORT AND INFORMATION GROUPS

To book contact: [email protected] Further information on the website: https:// www.familiesinfocus.co.uk/big-news/

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SHARING GOOD PRACTICE PAGE

As you know we are keen to regularly publish your examples of ways in which you have done (and continue to do) to support children, young people, parents and staff’s emo- tional wellbeing within our regular newsletters.

To promote this information further we have recently set up a new designated area on our Healthy Young Minds in Herts Website where this information will be displayed.

You can find the link to this page here. (* Please note you will need to reg- ister for an account to view this page)

THE PUPILS VOICE

We have received some examples from schools and colleges within Hertfordshire that have helped support their pupils and encouraged them to express how they are feeling which can help support other children with their own Mental Health.

 One of the pupils from with a diagnosis of OCD, has written a book through lockdown with the support from his school. This book was created by the pupil to help him with his own mental health but also to help other children in similar circumstances deal with their difficulties. You can view the book here: Sam’s Book

 Blog– This blog was written by a young lady who has been dealing with her own men- tal health and physical illness which caused her to miss school and college, all which lead on to her feeling quite isolated. She is hoping to share her story to other young people and highlight to health professionals some of the issues she has experienced.

If you would like to share your comments to the schools/CYP about these examples or would like your good practice examples to feature in the next newsletter or on the website please email [email protected] by Friday 12th February 2021.

6 Further Examples of Sharing Good Practice from Hertfordshire Schools

GOFFS CHURCHGATE ACADEMY

'In the week leading up to World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10th October, Goffs Churchgate Acad- emy engaged pupils, parents and staff in a series of sessions regarding mental health and wellbeing. The week started with the whole of year 7 attending workshops on the '5 Ways to Wellbeing', which were hosted by our partners from Herts MIND Network. Our pupils engaged enthusiastically and thoughtfully. Their ideas and drawings now form part of a display in the school. We also hosted our first virtual wellbeing coffee morning with parents/ carers. It was a great meeting, with plenty to chat about and discuss. We have agreed to hold them every month and will expand the invitation to more of our school community.

Herts MIND also hosted two Stress and Anxiety Webinars for year 9 and 10 students. The student's feedback was very positive about the content, and the messages contained in the sessions. Later that day we had the first of four Mindfulness sessions for staff. Our host, Sarah, from Natural Flair Coaching took us through some basic techniques for Mindfulness before we went into a body mapping exercise. The staff really enjoyed the event and are already looking forward to the next session, which takes place in November.

On Wednesday 8th October there was a non-uniform day at the school to raise money to buy in ser- vices from Herts MIND. At the time of writing pupils, staff and parents have raised more than £530!! Each year group then watched a short video by one of our Mental Health Champions, Helen Barnett. Helen lives with PTSD having been seriously injured in several incidents, whilst serving in the Metropoli- tan Police. She spoke about stress and anxiety and recently climbing a mountain in Wales. The students also took part in a mental health quiz.

Towards the end of the week all pupils watched a short video from Sir Charles Walker MP, another of our Mental Health Champions as well as watching and discussing Pow- erPoint presentations about the '5 Ways to Wellbeing' and 'Stress and Anxiety'. The PowerPoints and videos from our Mental Health Champi- ons can now be viewed on the school website' Jim Clune

HITCHIN GIRLS SCHOOL

At Hitchin Girls' School, they are delighted to have been shortlisted for the TES Mental Health and Wellbeing Award this year and are awaiting the outcome of this at the moment. The school was shortlisted partly due to the 'Headstrong' well-being programme which is a bespoke series of weekly sessions that we are building into our weekly school schedule to ensure that the whole school commu- nity is learning and practicing positive well-being strategies. Each week begins with a video and has an activity to embed the learning. This also took place during lockdown and has been a catalyst to lots of very positive conversations about well-being and mental health. The resources are available to parents on our school website HERE. Laura Cole

7 Further Examples of Sharing Good Practice from Hertfordshire Schools

HOLDBROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY

‘Holdbrook Primary School & Nursery is located in an area which is considered to have a high level of deprivation. As a result, many of our children have experienced adverse childhood experi- ences (ACEs) which inevitably impact on their ability to manage their behaviour for learning…and their day to day life. We want- ed to be able to develop strategies that would recognise, acknowledge and start to address the range of social, emotional and mental health issues that our children were facing. As a starting point we made the decision to complete Boxall Profiles on all the children and this has en- abled us to identify children who need SEMH support. This has also helped us to better understand the context of each class and as a result we have implemented whole class strategies. As well as investing in counselling, hosting an Art Therapy student, accessing CHEXS support we have been working hard to develop our Nurture provision to help meet the needs of some children. Thanks to a grant from DSPL4 we trans- formed a conservatory area into a welcoming space where children can feel safe and supported. Currently we are running two groups on two afternoons and a one hour session at the beginning of each day for three Reception children. We are hoping to increase the number of sessions over time. The impact has been overwhelmingly positive – for example, children who barely speak a word in class have become chatty and interactive. We have also been able to of- fer families further support. The space is used to run lunchtime friendship groups for those children who need help building rela- tionships – in fact, children are asking if they can come and spend time in ‘Phoenix Room’! ‘ Sally Patrick

ROUNDWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL–

At Roundwood primary school staff have been delivering snippet videos with revisited information from the Level 1 Mental Health training, which has boosted staff morale.

They have also created an anonymous staff voice box for messages of feedback or worries.

Laura the MHL from Roundwood has developed her own newsletter to parents before lockdown. The information includes what the schools is doing, suggestions for at home, dinner conversation starters, relevant research and a section to support Parents with MH. The final page is signposting for sup- port. You can take a look at the most recent newsletter from Roundwood Primary school here: https://roundwoodprimary.herts.sch.uk/mental-health-well-being/

Laura Stevenson 8 Further Examples of Sharing Good Practice from Hertfordshire Schools

THE REACH FREE SCHOOL

‘The Reach Free School recently celebrated Just Talk Week. ‘Just Talk Campaign was a huge success at The Reach Free School. Assemblies took place all week for every pupil in the school, which documented the latest Just Talk video. We also had our Just Talk Am- bassadors feature in the assembly via a video link. We had a rolling presentation in our Reception area including the 5 ways to wellbeing, support pages for pupils and details on the latest webinars which were available to pupils, staff and parents and carers. On Friday 20th November, Jason May came into school and delivered assemblies on Mental Health to Y9 - Y11 and workshops to some of our pupils. We also displayed the #Just Talk banner on our school website and sent text messages and tweets to our wider com- munity. Pupils and staff took part in Wear Yellow on Wednesday 18th November and raised £141.63 for Young Minds and the OLLIE Foundation. ‘ Joanne Beech

Just Talk Ambassadors

Just Talk Assembly

Jason May 9 FEELING GOOD WEEK– FEBRUARY 2021

Feeling Good Week is a Hertfordshire-wide event that encourages schools and the wider community to promote children and young people’s emotional wellbeing by raising awareness of mental health and showing where support can be accessed within the community. From 8th – 12th February 2021, we want you to help make children and young peo- ple in Hertfordshire feel good by running your own special projects to boost their emotional and mental wellbeing. Youth organisations, schools, and young people are invited to submit a bid and ap- ply for up to £500 of funding, which has been put forward by Hertfordshire County Council, and the county’s two Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The bids will be reviewed by a panel in December, and they will decide which projects will receive funding for Feeling Good Week 2021. Please submit completed application forms via the email address below: [email protected] Please note, unless there is an issue with your application form, bids will not be acknowledged by email. Only one application per organisation will be accepted. The deadline for applications is Friday 4th December 2020.

2020 has been a challenging year for many people, and we know children and young people have had to manage a lot of changes, both in terms of their day to day life and their school life. This year, we would love to see ideas that allow children and young people to consider the different aspects of their wellbeing, and what tools they can use to support good mental health and emotional wellbeing.

10 SAVE THE DATE

Hertfordshire Primary School Virtual Pastoral Leads Conference On Thursday 28th January 2021 10:00am-3:00pm

The conference will provide information and practical advice from a variety of professionals supporting the emotional health and wellbeing agenda.

Throughout the day there will be speakers and workshops. Topics will include;

Staff Wellbeing, Whole school approach to mental health, mental health services and COVID impact, CAMHS Transformation updates, dealing with bereavement and loss, Working with Parents of Children with SEND/ASD/ADHD, examples of existing best practice, training & resources.

Further information and confirmation of speakers and workshops will be published soon. To register your interest for this conference please email [email protected]

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New Five Ways to Wellbeing E-learning for Students

This brand new, interactive e-learning enables children and young people to reflect on what strategies work well for them to look after their wellbeing, as well as learning new techniques. It takes around 20-25 minutes and we’d be grateful if you could encourage every student to complete this. There is a version for primary school aged children and also one for secondary schools.

NOTE: Key Stage 1 & 2 children, or children for whom English is not their first language, may require supervision when completing the e-learning in class.

The e-learning can be accessed via: https://www.Justtalkherts.org/5wayselearning

BUILDING BETTER OPPOURTUNITIES IN HERTFORDSHIRE

The Building Better Opportunities programme helps young people gain employment and skills mentoring support. We're working with voluntary and community organisations across the county to deliver Building Bet- ter Opportunities, helping young people to find work and achieve their full potential. This programme is funded by The National Lottery Com- munity Fund and the European Social Fund.

CURRENT PROJECTS: HERTS YOUTH FUTURES & STRIVE PROJECTS

For further information: https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/adult-learning/find-a-

course/building-better-opportunities-bbo-employment-and-skills-mentoring.aspx

Or email: [email protected]

12 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For additional resources please see our website: https:// www.healthyyoungmindsinherts.org.uk/schools/how-look-after-your-mental-health-and- emotional-wellbeing-during-covid-19-outbreak Alternatively you can view our resources directory here

SCHOOL STAFF WELLBEING RESOURCES Support for individuals

 Education Support: Sign-up for Free Counselling for Education Staff. Night or day, trained counsel- lors (BACP Accredited) are here to listen without judgement and help you find a way forward, whatev- er your worries or concerns and make you feel better.  UK-wide: 08000 562 561 day or night Txt: 07909 341229 (answered within 24 hours)  The helpline service is free and available to all serving and retired teachers, lecturers and staff in edu- cation (primary, secondary, further or higher education) in England, Wales and Scotland 24/7, 365 days a year.

 NHS: Mental Health Helpline for Urgent Help - NHS 24-hour advice and support for you, your child, your parent or someone you care for. Help is available to speak to a mental health professional.

 NHS IAPT: free online NHS adult psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for common problems involving stress, anxiety and depression. IAPT services can be accessed either through a self-referral by contacting your Local IAPT or via your GP.

 Cruse Bereavement Care: Coronavirus, Bereavement and Grief online information, advice and sup- port. Helpline: 0808 808 1677

 MindEd: Coronavirus Staff Resilience Hub advice and tips for all frontline staff drawing from a panel of international experts.

 Headspace: Headspace for Educators offers educators access to free mindfulness and meditation ex- ercises and resources for every age group, and a free Headspace Meditation App.

 Centre for Mental Health: Supporting Mental Health during Covid-19: a brief guide  Public Health England Every Mind Matters: Looking After Your Mental Health Resources aims to support everyone to feel more confident in taking action to look after their men- tal health and wellbeing by promoting a range of self-care actions.

 Public Health England: Every Mind Matters Self-Care Tool when you complete the 5 ‘Survey’ questions, a ‘Mind Plan’ is generated, with signposting options to many useful resources.

13 STAFF WELLBEING RESOURCES

General information relevant to teacher wellbeing and in the context of Covid-19

 SecEd Headteacher Update: Best Practice Guide (2020) Focusing on Staff Wellbeing Post-lockdown and During the Full Return to School  Family Links: Mental and Emotional Health in Schools: effective strategies and support for schools as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the whole learning community: Free Online Course.  Teacher Magazine: Teacher Wellbeing During COVID-19

 Tes: Coronavirus and Schools: LIVE 11/11 : A one-stop shop for teachers who want to know what im- pact the ongoing pandemic will have on their working lives.

 National Education Union: Coronavirus: What You Need to Know - Staff Mental Health and Wellbe- ing

 Anna Freud Centre:

Supporting Staff in Schools: Mentally Healthy Schools For SLTs: Supporting a Member of Staff with Mental Health Difficulties

 TES Sen Show: Supporting the Emotional and Mental Health of the Education Workforce free webi- nar. Suitable for all Key Stages.

 Schools’ Wellbeing Partnership: Mental health and wellbeing in primary schools – Preparing for Re- covery: Self-review and Signposting Tool.

 Teacher Magazine Podcast: The Research Files Episode 62: Teacher Adaptability

Workplace / organisational approaches to mental health and wellbeing

 Business in the Community: COVID-19: Employee Health and Wellbeing Toolkit

 Mental Health at Work: Resources, Toolkits and Case Studies. Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools with a rich repository of information and easily accessible resources including videos and

posters.

Public Health England:

 Workplace Health Needs Assessment Tool and resource provides practical advice for employers on workplace health and a tool for carrying out workplace health needs assessments.  Developing and Evaluating Workplace Health Interventions toolkit provides guidance for employers to develop their offer of workplace health interventions.  Public Health England in collaboration with Business in the Community has developed a Suite of Interconnected Toolkits that take a whole person, whole system approach and have mental health as a common theme throughout. These toolkits consolidate the very best evidence, with the very best employer practice to improve workplace health, aligned with freely available resources that are useful to all employers, wherever they are on their journey.

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