School Wellbeing Service

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The School Wellbeing Service (SWS) is a school based early intervention mental health (MH) support service. It is jointly funded by Health, Local Authority and Schools.

Aim

The aim of the service is to work within educational settings to strengthen and improve the emotional and mental health support arrangements for children and young people. This is done using a universal, targeted and specialist offer.

Objectives

School staff will have increased knowledge and confidence in supporting children and young people with emotional and mental health issues.
Children and young people are identifies early and supported effectively within schools/settings to prevent needs increasing and the requirements for specialist interventions where appropriate.
Increasing number of children and young people that feel more able to cope with mental health issues within a school setting.

The School Wellbeing Service: Service Overview and Summary

Principles

Children and young people’s social, emotional and mental health is everyone’s responsibility
Capacity building and the up-skilling of staff, within existing school pastoral systems and structures, will enable more effective support and evidence based interventions to take place
Support needs to be responsive, flexible and child centred and will attempt to provide the right help when children and young people need it.
Services and support needs to be informed by the voice and experience of children and young people
Different agencies, professionals and support staff will work as an integrated team around the child and their family, within the school setting to order to coordinate and maximise the care and support provided
Early identification and support will secure, for many children and young people, the best future outcomes and reduce the likelihood of future emotional and mental health issues
Where possible support for children and young people will be provided by known and trusted adults
Health and social care pathways for children and young people are integrated and take account of each ‘child’s journey’ through services
A confident, committed and knowledgeable children’s workforce ensures that only those children and young people who are in need of CAMHS intervention progress to the specialist providers

Outcomes

School staff will have increased knowledge and confidence in supporting children and young people with emotional and mental health issues.
Children and young people are identified early and supported effectively within school to prevent needs increasing and the requirement for specialist intervention where appropriate
Increasing number of children and young people feel more able to cope with emotional and mental health issues within a school setting

Contacts

Cluster	School Wellbeing Worker
North	Paul McGrath
North East (1)	Sharon Daniel
North East (2)	Nicky Freeborn
East	Becky Fleming
West	Amy Tinson
South	Rohima Begum
Southbank	Kathy Jones

Any questions or for further information please contact:

Laura McMurray, School Wellbeing Service Team Leader laura.mcmurray@york.gov.uk

Role of the School Wellbeing Worker (SWW)

The School Wellbeing Workers (SWW) are managed by the Local Authority (LA), clinically supervised by Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and linked to a cluster of schools. Their focus is to work with children and young people (cyp) and school staff around emerging and developing mental health need. The SWW will provide:

Consultation, advice and support
Training and continued professional development
Facilitating pathways to different care and support- including specialist services
Working in partnership to deliver evidenced based direct work to children and young people

Who we work with

The service is targeted at emerging and developing mental health need. In particular at cyp who are presenting with mental health issues and concerns, that are below an intervention from specialist CAMHS and above what school pastoral structures can support.

Emotional and mental health issues that the service can provide support with:

Low self-esteem and poor resilience - Lacks confidence and may have developed a fixed mindset, where this is clearly impacting on their mental health.
Low Mood - Where this is impairing functioning at home and school. This may include issues with sleep and hygiene, lack of motivations and suicide Ideation.
Emotional regulation - Managing emotions and distress, this may include anger, self harm, and behavioural issues that present at home/school.
Anxiety - Where there is a concern that anxiety may be impairing functioning at school / home. This might include generalised anxiety, panic attacks, emotional regulation, phobias and separation anxiety.
Trauma, loss and attachment difficulties - Where there are concerns that the cyp has experienced trauma, loss or attachment difficulties and this is impacting on their mental health.
Eating problems - Sporadic and chaotic eating that is causing concern at school and home. Increased exercise and restricted diet.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD/ADD - Support with potential early identification and referral to specialist CAMHS for screening and support to school to implement helpful strategies.