Teachers & Tutors

Teachers and tutors play a vital role in supporting and recognising mental health with their students. They do this by:

• Regular check-in’s with how they are managing work and other pressures
• Noticing if there is a change in a child’s well-being or behaviour
• Offering extra support if children are finding the subject challenging
• Keeping parents up to date if their child needs further support

Pastoral Support 

• A place for students to talk in more depth about worries or their mental health
• Trained and experienced staff who have a deeper understanding of mental health
• Practical healthy coping strategies for children to try and help themselves
• Regular conversations with parents to work together to support children’s mental health
• Highly trained pastoral staff who are able to signpost children for further support when needed
• A team of dedicated pastoral and safeguarding staff who are able to risk assess each child’s needs and create clear actions, safety plans and levels of support

Counselling

• Young people and children experience developmental changes that are unique to each individual.
• Counselling is a process, which assists a client to focus on his or her particular concerns and developmental issues, while simultaneously addressing and exploring specific problems, making choices; coping with crises, working through feelings of inner conflict and improving relationships with others.
• Counselling enables children and young people to gain a better understanding of themselves and the situations facing them and to develop strategies to cope.

ELSA

ELSAs are Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. They are qualified members of staff who have received specific additional training from educational psychologists from whom they receive ongoing supervision following training.

ELSAs are trained to plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils in their school who are experiencing temporary or longer term additional emotional needs. The majority of ELSA work is expected to be delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work will be appropriate, especially in the areas of social and friendship skills.

Some examples of areas of support:

• Recognising and regulating emotions
• Self-esteem
• Social skills
• Anxiety
• Friendships
• Anger management
• Loss and bereavement

For more information, please click on the link ELSA Network.

School Nurse

The school nursing team support children and young people in Buckinghamshire schools and the local community with medical, social, emotional or physical needs. Such as;

• Resilience and emotional wellbeing
• Sleep and routines
• Healthy lifestyles
• Healthy relationships
• Attendance support with long term medical conditions
• Individual Puberty advice and support
• Parental separation / conflict

MHST (Mental Health Support Team)

The Mental Health Support Team aims to improve the well-being and mental health of children and young people within schools and the wider environment through low-intensity, early intervention support. Such as;

• Worry Management
• Graded Exposure
• Behavioural Activation
• Helping your child with fears and worries
• Behaviour Support
• Youth work intervention
• Family work intervention
• Group interventions
• School support and staff training
• Parent workshops

CAMHS

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

CAMHS help children and young people up to 18 who are finding it hard to cope with everyday life because of difficult feelings, behaviour or relationships.

These are some of the ways they can work with you:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
• Family Therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Solution Focussed Practice

Other useful resources