Children’s mental health

Understanding Children’s Mental Health for many children in today’s modern world, the list of demands they find themselves dealing with is endless. From studies at school to managing expectations of their teachers, parents, and friends, to social skills and succeeding with their hobbies, their health, personal development and simply making sense of the world around them.

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Please contact the FLO Team if you are concerned about the mental health of a pupil.

What mental health problems commonly occur in children?

These are some of the mental health problems that can affect children:

Depression affects more children today than in the last few decades, but it is still more common in adults.
Self-harm is a very common problem among young people. Some people find it helps them manage intense emotional pain if they harm themselves, through cutting or burning, for example. They may not wish to take their own life.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause children to become extremely worried. Very young children or children starting or moving school may have separation anxiety.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can follow physical or sexual abuse, witnessing something extremely frightening of traumatising, being the victim of violence or severe bullying or surviving a disaster.
Children who are consistently overactive ('hyperactive'), behave impulsively and have difficulty paying attention may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many more boys than girls are affected, but the cause of ADHD aren't fully understood.
Eating disorders usually start in the teenage years and are more common in girls than boys. The number of young people who develop an eating disorder is small, but eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa can have serious consequences for their physical health and development.

How to improve mental health

Things that can help keep children mentally well include:

being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise
having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
taking part in local activities for young people.

Other factors are also important, including:

feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselves
being hopeful and optimistic
being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed
accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at
having a sense of belonging in their family, school and community
feeling they have some control over their own life
having the strength to cope when something is wrong (resilience) and the ability to solve problems.

Dealing with change

Mostly things that happen to children don’t lead to mental health problems on their own, but traumatic events can trigger problems for children and young people who are already vulnerable. Changes often act as triggers: moving home or school or the birth of a new brother or sister, for example. Some children who start school feel excited about making new friends and doing new activities, but there may also be some who feel anxious about entering a new environment.

Risk factors

There are certain risk factors that make some children more likely to experience problems than other children, but they don’t necessarily mean difficulties are bound to come up or are even probable.

Some of these factors include:

having a long-term physical illness
having a parent who has had mental health problems, problems with alcohol or has been in trouble with the law
experiencing the death of someone close to them
having parents who separate or divorce
having been severely bullied or physically or sexually abused
living in poverty or being homeless
experiencing discrimination, perhaps because of their race, sexuality or religion
acting as a carer for a relative, taking on adult responsibilities
having long-standing educational difficulties.

What support we Offer in School

Level 1 – Universal Support

A William Harding, leaders take the matter of workload and wellbeing seriously and as a result we have put in place a wide range of strategies to support, guided by DfE workload research.

WH Way approach & strategies in place to support pupils

Thresholds for levels of support for pupils

Universal Support is support provided by the year group. Support can be provided by the teacher and / or the TA. This level of support is determined by the teacher, TA and possible year leader. The FLO Team can provide resources and ideas for support.

Parents will be informed that there are concerns about the pupil and some wellbeing / pastoral support is needed.

Threshold to access level 1 support:

The pupil needs some additional support. The support is needed infrequently or for a short period of time e.g:

Changes in behaviour
Friendship issues
Struggling to complete work in class
Low level / infrequent anger incidents
Inability to maintain concentration in class
Short term situations that cause the pupil to feel unsettled e.g. death of a pet, friend moving away, moving house, new sibling

It may consist of:

A check in, as frequently as required
Social stories shared within the year group
Pastoral interventions such as friendship groups, social groups, zones of regulation
Support in class or on the playground
Wellbeing Plan
SEN support such as movement breaks, sensory support / fiddle toys

Zones of Regulation

The zones of regulation is a framework used to help children identify their emotions, encouraging them to self-regulate. Our feelings, state of alertness and energy levels are organised into four coloured zones - blue, green, yellow and red. All classes have a zones of regulation display and will refer to this when checking in with a child.

Level 2 – Additional Support provided by FLO Team

This is support provided by the FLO Team. Staff need to complete a FLO / SEN referral form to request support and pass this to the IPSL. The IPSL will determine the level of support needed and which team should provide support.

Parents will be informed that there are concerns about the pupil and some wellbeing / pastoral support is needed.

Threshold to access level 2 support:

The level 1 support has been in place for approximately 5 weeks and there is no improvement and / or

Friendship issues that are ongoing and affecting the pupil’s ability to come to school, interact with others, enjoy their day
Struggling to complete work in class and refusing to complete work due to anxiety or low self esteem
Multiple anger incidents either in class or in the playground
Bereavement of the extended family e.g. grandparent
EBSA that is ongoing
Demonstrating mental health concerns e.g. anxiety or low self-esteem, frequently upset in school
Young Carers support needed
Support for pupils who are gender questioning or LGBTQIA+ and request support
Coping with their own disability or the disability of a parent or sibling
Domestic Abuse – raised by pupil or parent but not requiring police presence or intervention
Parental Mental Health that does not require medical intervention
Parenting support needed / lack of routines or boundaries etc
Self-Harm – not sufficient to cause harm e.g. skin not broken
Parental conflict
Coping with a medical condition that is new and is not life changing or life limiting
Early help or child in need plan in place
Changes at home e.g. a new partner of the parent moving in or step siblings

It may consist of:

A check in, as frequently as required
FLO card
Social stories
Pastoral interventions / 1 to 1 direct work
Support in class or on the playground from a FLO
Young Carers support
Mentor programme
Helping Hands sessions
Nurture group
School nursing support
Liaison with family support worker / social worker

FLO cards

Children may be given a FLO card for many pastoral reasons, for example if they are struggling to come into school, are experiencing anxiety, bereavement, parental separation or struggles at home. It allows these children to come to the FLO room when they need some time out of class, support with self-regulating or to speak to a trusted adult.

Mentor Programme

At William Harding School we value the whole child and want to support children academically and also pastorally.

We have identified children who would benefit from having a pastoral mentor. They may benefit because of pastoral needs such as anxiety, low confidence or family concerns. They may be a young carer or have social care support. The children may have behaviour needs and would benefit from having someone to go to when they feel angry or upset. We have chosen the children very carefully and have matched them to a member of staff to act as a mentor.

The mentors will catch up regularly with their pupil and be a source of advice and support. The pupils can also go to speak to their mentor if they have a concern or need some support as well.

Level 3 – Targeted Counsellor support

This is support provided by the counsellor who provides fantastic support for pupils. Staff need to complete a counsellor referral form and pass this to the IPSL. The IPSL will determine the level of support needed and which team should provide support. Parents need to be informed that there are concerns about the pupil and that counsellor support is needed. Parents will need to complete a counsellor consent form.

Threshold to access level 3 support:

The level 2 support has been in place for approximately 5 weeks and there is no improvement and / or

Significant trauma e.g. removal from the family home and entering local authority care
Death of a parent of sibling
Parental or sibling imprisonment
Repeated self-harm and / or suicidal ideation
Significant alcohol or substance misuse in the home leading to police involvement or medical involvement
Significant mental health concerns in the home leading to police involvement or medical involvement
Attempted suicide of a parent or sibling
Criminal activity in the home e.g. gang involvement, drug dealing, theft
Domestic abuse involving either a move to a refuge and/ or police involvement
Eviction from the family home, homelessness
Coping with chronic/recurring health problems that are life changing or life limiting
Child protection plan in place

It may consist of:

A check in from the counsellor or FLO Team, as frequently as required
FLO card
A weekly counselling session lasting approximately an hour
Additional sessions of level 2 support to supplement the counsellor session

Level 4 – External agency support

This is support provided by an external agency. A referral form will be completed for the relevant external organisation by the mental health FLO, medical FLO or IPSL (CAMHS, PRU, School Nursing). Parents must be informed and consent to the external support.

Threshold to access level 4 support:

The level 3 support has been in place for at least a term and there is no improvement and / or

Significant trauma leading to significant depression, anxiety, self harm, harmful behaviours
Death of a parent of sibling leading to a mental health crisis
Repeated self-harm with long term damage to self and / or attempted suicide
Inability to cope with chronic/recurring health problems that are life changing or life limiting leading to a mental health crisis, self-harm, suicidal ideation
Removal of a child into police protection / permanent foster care / adoption

It may consist of:

Daily check ins from the counsellor or FLO Team
Liaison with external counsellor and possible in school counselling to continue if it does not contradict external work
Alternative provision

What other help is available?

Parental help

If they have a warm, open relationship with their parents, children will usually feel able to tell them if they are troubled. One of the most important ways parents can help is to listen to them and take their feelings seriously. They may want a hug, they may want you to help them change something or they may want practical help.

Children’s negative feelings usually pass. However, it’s a good idea to get help if your child is distressed for a long time, if their negative feelings are stopping them from getting on with their lives, if their distress is disrupting family life or if they are repeatedly behaving in ways you would not expect at their age.

Professional help

If your child is having problems at school, a teacher, school nurse, school counsellor or educational psychologist may be able to help. Otherwise, go to your GP or speak to a health visitor. These professionals are able to refer a child to further help.

Different professionals often work together in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Most support for troubled children and young people is provided free by the NHS, school or your local council’s social services department.

Talking it through

Assessments and treatments for children with mental health problems put a lot of emphasis on talking and on understanding the problem in order to work out the best way to tackle it. For young children, this may be done through play.

Most of the time, the action that professionals recommend is not complex. and it often involves the rest of the family. Your child may be referred to a specialist who is trained to help them explore their feelings and behaviour. This kind of treatment is called a talking therapy, psychological therapy or counselling.

Medication

Most research into medications for mental health problems has focused on adults, rather than children. Children and young people need to be assessed by a specialist before they are prescribed any drugs. There is a lot of evidence that talking therapies can be effective for children and young people, but drugs may be also help in some cases.

Organisations that can help