Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel First School we are committed to supporting the positive mental health and emotional wellbeing of our pupils, their families and staff. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times may need additional emotional support. We aim to do this through ensuring effective practice and provision is in place through universal, whole school and specialised approaches. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s responsibility and strive to ensure that our children and stakeholders understand the importance of looking after their mental health and wellbeing.

We aim to:

• Promote positive mental health in all staff and pupils
• Increase understanding and awareness of common mental health issues
• Engage the whole-school community in the importance of mental health awareness
• Ensure mental health problems are identified early and appropriate support provided
• Provide support and training to staff working with children to develop positive mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Offer provision and interventions that match the needs of pupils
• Signpost all stakeholders to appropriate agencies in order to access support

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

• Whole school Thrive approach adopted throughout school
• Life to the Full, produced by the Catholic educational organisation, Ten Ten Resources.
• Shooting Stars groups (Nurture provision)
• Therapeutic activities including relaxation and mindfulness activities
• 'Rainbows' bereavement and loss programme
• Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging
• Targeted Thrive interventions to develop children’s social and emotional skills
• Visits and visitors
• Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements
• Assemblies
• Annual ‘Mental Health’ awareness weeks and initiatives
• Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision making
• Parent questionnaires
• School Council
• Managing feeling resources such as ‘Worry monsters’ in classrooms
• Managing emotions resources such as ‘Zones of Regulation’ and calm spaces and resources available in each year group
• Workshops for parents
• School nurse
• Staff training

Meet our Mental Health Team

Please speak to the class teacher or a member of the mental health team if you have any concerns regarding your child' mental health ot wellbeing

Thrive

The Thrive Approach is a dynamic, developmental and trauma-sensitive approach to meeting the emotional and social needs of children. The Thrive approach gives us the tools to develop healthy, happy confident children who are ready to learn and cope with challenges in their learning and lives. Thrive is based on the latest advances in neuroscience, attachment theory and child development with a strong focus on helping children identify and express their emotions in a healthy way. Please see our Thrive webpage for further information.

our-school/thrive

Children's and Adolescents Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Single Point of Access for Worcestershire

CAMHS provides mental health services to children, young people and families across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Explore the range of services CAMHS can offer using the link below

Services | Herefordshire and Worcestershire CAMHS (hacw.nhs.uk)

Parents and professionals can contact Worcestershire CAMHS SPA clinicians on 01905 520520 for advice on services available, signposting and support with the referral process. 

If professionals or parents have a serious and urgent concerns about a young person, please visit: https://camhs.hacw.nhs.uk/urgent-help 

The CAMHS Reach4Wellbeing team delivers interactive online group programmes for young people and parents of primary school age children using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles. We accept self-referrals and referrals from professionals. 

Each of the online sessions are evidence based and we are currently able to offer the following:

•A six week anxiety and low mood programme for young people (years 7 to 13)

•A six week anxiety programme for parents/carers to support the emotional wellbeing needs of their children who are in reception to year 6.

If you would like more information, please contact school or email: whcnhs.reach4wellbeing@nhs.net

Useful resources

To support you and your children in looking after your mental health and wellbeing, we will be using this page of our website to provide you with resources and activities to help you manage and find any further support you may need.  

Websites

These websites contain useful information and support covering a range of issues. To visit a page please click the website you would like to view. Remember, if you would like support, there are always people in school that you can talk to.

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/

https://www.mind.org.uk/https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/well-being

https://www.place2be.org.uk/https://www.childline.org.uk/https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/depression-anxiety-mental-health/

https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-and-stigma/help-and-support