Guidance

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental Health and Wellbeing

We are committed to promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing to all pupils, students, their families, members of staff and governors. Our open culture allows voices to be heard, and through the use of effective policies and procedures we ensure a safe and supportive environment for all affected – both directly and indirectly – by mental health issues.

  • Promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in all pupils, students and staff.
  • Increase understanding and awareness of common mental health issues.
  • Enable staff to identify and respond to early warning signs of mental ill health.
  • Enable staff to understand how and when to access support when working with young people with mental health issues.
  • Provide the right support for mental health issues, and know where to signpost in order to receive support.
  • Develop resilience and raise awareness of resilience building techniques.
  • Raise awareness amongst staff that colleagues may have mental health issues, and that they will be supported in relation to their wellbeing.
  • Instil a culture of support for all members of our community, where everyone is aware of signs and symptoms and knows where and how to seek support.

SEMH Support

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

SEMH support is provided through our Learning Support Hub for pupils and families for emotional wellbeing concerns including:

  Anxiety

  Low mood and depression

  Eating disorders

  Self-harm

 

SEMH Support provides:

Phone or email contact with advice and support about emotional wellbeing issues

  Early help access via the SEMH Lead

  A team of fully qualified counsellors, along with a training placement for a volunteer, trainee counsellor (we have two counsellors on site every day)

  A small learning environment, where those unable to attend the main school can be supported

Liaison with external third party agencies

Since January 2022, we have been working alongside the MHST (Mental Health Support Team) in our area. This has brought added capacity via a MHST support practitioner working with us in school.

We have dedicated Mental Health Leads to provide support to pupils, students and parents.

ZUMOS

Mental Health Support

ZUMOS are a social enterprise offering free end to end mental health support and resilience building tools for all students.  Click here to see the list of included features.

Get free access to Zumos using the free code“studentzumos”

Learn More

Our Team of Mental Health First Aiders:

  • Emma Birnie
  • Kim Ford
  • Dawn Pearman

Mental Health Lead at SPS:

  • Adam Thomson

Further resources:

Mental Health Foundation – https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications

Action for Children – https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/

Family Lives –  https://essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk/

Minded –  https://www.minded.org.uk/

YoungMinds –  https://youngminds.org.uk/

Place2be – https://www.place2be.org.uk/

Support for all from the Essex Wellbeing Service

Help after rape or sexual assault

SOCIAL MEDIA & MENTAL HEALTH

Creating a self-care plan

Learn More

MHST Summer Workshop

Learn More

Community & Family Learning

Learn More

Learning Support

You can access this support via contact with a Head of Year or directly with a member of the Learning Support Team.

 

Please note that we do not run a crisis helpline, and our Team is only available during school hours. Should you need crisis support:

Call 111 or, for a life threatening concern, call 999

Contact the Samaritans – You can talk to them about whatever you are going through.  It is free at any time, you can call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

Papryus (Hopeline) – Young suicide prevention. Call: 0800 068 4141 or visit Papyrus-uk.org/hopelineuk

You might like to access confidential support from these other services:

 

  Young Minds – www.youngminds.org.uk

Young Minds 24/7 Crisis Text Messaging Service – If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text YM to 85258.

Mind have a whole range of information and support information for children and parents on their website.

Young Minds provide useful information for young people and their parents about mental health, seeking treatment and the mental health system.

Mind Ed for Families is a website developed by Health Education England and the Department of Education to help families understand and support their children, from parenting tips to getting help in a crisis.

 

The NHS website is a useful place to find out about all kinds of illnesses, including mental health problems.

 https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/

  Headspace has some useful audio and video clips about different conditions and people’s experiences, as well as some mindfulness resources.  https://www.headspace.com

  Yellow door an independent charity offering Information, Advice, Advocacy, Emotional and Practical Support, Education and Counselling and Activities to young people between 11 and 25.

https://www.canveyislandyouthproject.org.uk/

  Contact the Samaritans – You can talk to them about whatever you are going through. It is free at any time,  and you can call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

  Papryus (Hopeline) – Young suicide prevention. Call: 0800 068 4141 Go to: Papyrus-uk.org/hopelineuk

EWMHS Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service (provides advice and support to children, young people and families who are in need of support with their emotional wellbeing or mental health difficulties). The service covers Southend, Essex and Thurrock and is open to young people between the ages of 0-18, or up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs.   https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/services-ewmhs/

For anyone who feels they may need support with mental health and well-being: https://www.therapyforyou.co.uk/courses/online

Get help from KOOTH who provide free and anonymous online counselling and peer to peer support to 11-25 year olds. www.kooth.com

Sudden Bereavement Helpline and webcasts – https://sudden.org/tools/ Helpline: 0800 2600 400

Child Mental Health – www.childmentalhealthcentre.org

  Childline 0800 11 11 – www.childline.org.uk

Support and information for gender variant children and teens – www.mermaidsuk.org.uk

Moodwise – is a website for 16- 25 year olds which has tools and resources to help you find things to make you feel better.  moodwise.co.uk

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – Male suicide prevention charity – for men and boys who need to talk or find support.  You can call: 0800 58 58 58 or visit thecalmzone.net