Wellbeing
Vision
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'
A healthy school ensures that when pupils are unhappy or anxious, there are open channels for them to seek or be offered support, without stigma and with appropriate confidentiality. A healthy school actively seeks to promote emotional health and wellbeing and helps pupils to understand their feelings.
At St George’s Church of England Foundation School, we strive to create an ethos that promotes openness about mental wellbeing, and encourages the whole of a school community to feel comfortable sharing concerns or ideas. We promote a caring, supportive environment in which each individual is valued and respected. Mental health and wellbeing provision is driven by the understanding that every member of the school community is valued and interconnected. As a school we seek to ensure our provision encourages the holistic flourishing of every member of the school.
All children and young people have the right to be educated in an environment that supports and promotes positive mental health for everybody. With our strong belief in God we value the whole person and ensure we all have the skills to overcome the challenges we face as a pupil, staff member or as part of the St George’s community.
Wellbeing Learning Journey
My child needs help with stress/low mood/anxiety. Where can I find practical strategies that will help them?
You could direct your teen to these websites and apps for targeted support and practical strategies for management of anxiety and overwhelming feelings
NHS Every Mind Matters
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/youth-mental-health/
Mind Fresh
https://mindfresh.nelft.nhs.uk
Mind Fresh is an NHS recommended app that could help with initial strategies and provides links to other useful sources of support and information.
Headspace
https://www.headspace.com/
Headspace is an app which promotes positive responses to stress, promotes resilience and uses mindfulness as a strategy to deal with life’s problems.
Mood Tools
https://www.moodtools.org/
Mood Tools is specifically aimed at managing very low mood and promotes strategies to keep safe.
My Child has anxiety and is refusing to go to school?
Young Minds
See this advice page for tips on supporting anxiety around school attendance
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/a-z-guide/school-anxiety-and-refusal/
Contact the young person’s Year support for a discussion about how we can support you.
My child needs help to build resilience.
The Kent Resilience Hub has a range of short videos and advice helping parents get started in addressing their child’s resilience:
https://kentresiliencehub.org.uk/parent-carers/draw-your-own-solution-parents-campaign-page/
Great Ormond Street Hospital offers some advice for helping children build resilience:
My child struggles with a healthy sleep routine. What can I suggest?
How to fall asleep and sleep better:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-how-to-fall-asleep-and-sleep-better/
BBC article ‘Why teenage sleep is so important for mental health’:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210305-why-teenage-sleep-is-so-important-for-mental-health
My child may need counselling to help them with their mental health. Is there a way to get help quickly?
These are some links to counselling services online with young people in mind. They have different ways of accessing someone to talk to such as text, phone or online chat:
https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/
www.kooth.com (for ages 11-24)
https://togetherall.com/en-gb/ (for ages 16 and over)
Chathealth is a texting service which provides you with direct contact with a member of the school health team in Kent 07520 618850
I’m worried my child is self-harming and/or having suicidal thoughts. What should I do?
Self-harm
If you are worried your teen may be self-harming, Young Minds has a comprehensive advice page aimed at parents and carers:
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-self-harm/
Young Minds also have a parent/carers helpline. Call them free on 0808 802 5544 (Monday-Friday 9:30-16:00)
Mind and Body in Kent supports young people / adults (13-25) who are self-harming, at risk of self-harming or struggling with their mental wellbeing. They help them to find positive ways to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, working 1:1 and in small groups, both in educational settings and within the community.
Mind and Body in Kent - With You (wearewithyou.org.uk)
Linktree - QR CODE
The NSPCC also tackle this issue from a parent/carers perspective:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/self-harm/
The NSPCC also have a helpline; If you're worried about a child or young person, you can contact the NSPCC helpline for support and advice for free on 0808 800 5000 or contact them online.
Suicidal thoughts
Papyrus is a charity focusing on the prevention of young suicide. Gain more information on a range of issues from these pamphlets on their website:
https://www.papyrus-uk.org/help-advice-resources/
Papyrus runs HopelineUK, a confidential support and advice service for:
- Children and Young People under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide
- Anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide
Call HopelineUK on 0800 0684848, text them on 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
If you have immediate worries about your child’s safety, take them to A & E.
My child needs to get more exercise. Where can I get help?
NHS physical activity guidelines:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-children-and-young-people/
Ideas for keeping active from Barking & Dagenham Council for all ages:
https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Sports%20Clubs%20-%20COVID%2019.pdf
There are also useful websites aimed at young people themselves to assist them in getting started:
https://www.themix.org.uk/your-body/fitness-and-diet/help-i-want-to-get-fit-30208.html
Mind’s 5 ways to get moving and feel better:
Please see our AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS PAGE which also contains information about Thanet Sports Provision at the bottom as well as Peer Support Sessions.
Where can I go for mental health support from health professionals?
For information regarding Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) in Kent, please see this leaflet explaining their offer:
https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/download.cfm?ver=5987
You can refer young people to CYPMHS by calling the Single Point of Access on 0300 123 4496 or refer using the form included in this website:
https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/services-kent-children-young-peoples-mental-health
