Dear schools and colleagues

Please find our latest newsletter below, we are sorry this is coming out later than planned. Rest assured that the SHARE team are still as keen and as passionate as ever to offer support, advice and guidance for EVERYONE around looking after our Mental Health. Given the uncertain times we are in currently, it is more important than ever to look after ourselves and each other. We are available to offer help from a distance for the time being, so if you would like information to send out to students working at home then please get in touch. For now, we are making available helpful resources and information which we are also giving to schools so they can use this to put on their websites for staff, students and parents to have access to. We will continue to send out resources over the coming weeks.

SHARE Team

Bulletin – Edition 14 – March /April 2020

Welcome to the fourteenth edition of the SHARE news

We welcome, Hannah Pullin, senior liaison worker who joined the team in January. Hannah is a registered mental health nurse and has 5 years’ experience working within a CAMHS inpatient unit as a clinical lead. Hannah is passionate about improving the mental health of young people and is enjoying working in a more preventative way.

Year 3 Schools’ Work Round up! We have had a busy start to 2020! Verity and Colin our Project Workers have been delivering topic 1, mental health awareness to king Arthur’s Community school, , St Dunstan’s school, , Maiden Beech academy, Oakfield Academy, Fairland’s middle school and community college. The feedback from students has been positive, in particular the wellbeing toolbox and the blue monkey activity.

Well-being Champions training in West College, and on-going support to the wellbeing champions at St Dunstan’s school supporting them to shape their role within their school. Colin sourced some Wellbeing Champion badges, which we will give to the well-being champions in our year 3 schools. If our year 3 schools have had Wellbeing champions trained this year, we can get them to you. Please contact one of the team.

We supported Holyrood with a parent Café on 22nd January. We delivered a presentation on who we are and what we do as a project, alongside an introduction to how the teenage brain works. We met with parents afterwards to answer any questions they may have. Parents were grateful for the opportunity to meet other parents and SHARE, and feel reassured they are not alone in their experiences.

Children’s’ Mental Health Week

A cake sale took place on Wednesday 5th February for children’s mental health week at the base of CAMHS West. CAMHS staff were also “finding their brave”.

Wellbeing champions at Castle school trained with us in December ran drop in sessions throughout the week at lunchtime.

Somerset Self-Injury Pathway Project

Lights, camera, action! Zoe and I are incredibly excited to announce that we are nearing completion on Just Hear

Me, a film made with an extraordinary group of young people across Somerset.

The idea for the film came from sitting in on CAMHS Participation Group meetings in Wells, Yeovil and Taunton, and

with 2bu, our wonderful LGBTQ+ Group. Listening to the group members, I was very conscious of wishing school staff could hear what they had to say; and just what a difference it could make. These young people offer genuine

insight into what school was like for them. By sharing what didn’t – and vitally what did help – they are hopeful that their honesty and bravery will result in more understanding and support for others.

We will be contacting schools to arrange viewings in the near future. Zoe has started to get in touch with schools about Phase 2 of the Project – coming soon to a school near you!

For any enquiries relating to this project please contact Kate Rufus, Self-Injury Pathway Project on [email protected]

Update from Wellbeing champions, who worked with the SHARE project in the last academic year:

This year, we - the well-being team at Wadham School - have been mainly focusing on organising our well-being room. This has consisted of mind mapping ideas; some of these ideas have included: having isolated computers in the room that students can use to log onto online resources (e.g. kooth.com); interior designs (such as a neutral theme with grey carpet and cream walls, but notice boards with colourful inspirational quotes and informative posters, as well as colourful beanbags and a sofa etc). We have also been trying to raise funding for the well-being room - asking local supermarkets if we could use their token system for donations; this has been unsuccessful so far - so we are considering a non-school uniform day to raise said funds.

Moreover, we have conversed with the catering manager at Wadham - and have used suggestions from the student voice surveys to implement people’s suggestions into the school canteen. These implementations have consisted of using more than environmentally friendly biodegradable cutlery and pots over plastic utensils, as well as a new queuing system to prevent people pushing in and making people feel intimidated.

Furthermore, we have recruited New Year 9 members to replace last years’ school leavers - who will soon receive training from us. We also continue to register weekly on Wednesdays to address any issues or notices regarding the well-being team.

Submitted by Wadham School Wellbeing champions The wellbeing champion lead at Wadham is Ian Tustin

Dates for the Calendar:

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Self-Injury Awareness Day – 1 March 2020

Eating disorders awareness Week- 2nd- 8th March 2020

Sport relief – 9th-13th March 2020

World Sleep day- 13th March 2020

International day of happiness- 20th March 2020

World Autism Awareness week- 30th March- 5th April

The SHARE Project are really pleased to be able to offer the Tuning into Teens Programme for parents and carers in Somerset. This programme is already taking place at in Minehead and Crispin School in Street both of whom are schools we are working with this year.

Tuning in to Teens is an evidence-based parenting program that focuses on the emotional connection between parents and children. In particular the program teaches parents skills in emotion coaching, which is to recognise, understand and respond to children’s emotions in an accepting, supportive way. This approach helps the child to understand and manage their emotions.

This a free course ran by Verity and John who are both trained facilitators, who will provide a supportive and non- judgemental environment for parents and carers. This is starting on the 28th of February in Wells for 6 weeks and is for parents and carers whose children are at our three Mendip area schools. We are hoping to offer this to other schools we are working with this year and are open to co-facilitate with PFSA’s or other staff wanting to be involved or to start the programme at their school. For further information on this please contact John [email protected] or for more information about the course this is the official website https://www.tuningintokids.org.au/

Exam time is approaching, here are some helpful resources:

Charlie Waller Memorial Trust GCSE Wellbeing Guides for teachers, pupils and parents

Available at: www.cwmt.org.uk/resources

The Mix

A wide range of support for Under 25’s including how to cope with exam pressure:

www.themix.org/work-and-study

Young Minds

A free downloadable booklet “Coping with Pressure at School’ is available

https://youngminds.org.uk/ucommerce/coping-with-pressure-at- school/c-23/p-172/

BBC Bitesize Practical learning tips for all ages at: www.bbc.com/bitesize/

The Student room

Help and advice around GCSE’s and A Levels

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/gcse/

News from Somerset CYP –

Dates and Venues for the Two Day Youth Mental Health First Aid Training:

18th and 19th March 2020 - 9:00-5:00 The Conference Centre, Frogmary Green Farm,

Link: https://www.eventbri te.co.uk/e/somerset -wellbeing-framework-youth-mental-health-first-aid- training-2-day-tickets-81737911293

6th and 7th May 2020 - 9:00-5:00

Kings Academy, Station Road, Cheddar, Somerset Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/somerset-wellbeing-framework-youth-mental-health-first-aid- training -2-day-6th-7th-may-2020-tickets-84745681615

22nd and 23rd July - 9:00 - 5:00 The Conference Centre, Frogmary Green Farm, South Petherton Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/somerset-wellbeing-framework-youth-mental-health-first-aid- training-2-day-22nd-and-23rd-july-2020-tickets-81743283361

Don’t hesitate to get in touch about anything in this newsletter and please follow us on Twitter for more SHARE wants to improve the mental health regular SHARE updates and Mental Health news!

and emotional well-being of our Young People in Secondary and Middle Schools in SHARE Project, Foundation House, Wellsprings Road, Somerset. We want to change our culture Taunton, TA2 7PQ by breaking down the stigma of mental health issues, and by helping our Telephone: 01823 368 368 / 07786 335208 young people become more resilient so they are better equipped to understand and manage their emotions and behaviour. Find us on Twitter @SomparShare

SHARE will do this by involving everyone in Email us at: [email protected] schools – teaching professionals, young people and parents, volunteers and support To view our pages, leave feedback or sign up to our staff - and provide them the tools and newsletter please go to: www.sharesomerset.co.uk resources to help recognise, manage and sustain good mental health and emotional www.sompar.nhs.uk well-being.