At Stoke Prior First School we recognise the importance of emotional wellbeing and mental health. We understand that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. Part of our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential and can access help when they need it.

Our Wellbeing and Mental Health Team 

Senior Mental Health Lead: Mrs Paisley

SENDCO: Mrs Pincher

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant & Mental Health First Aider: Mrs Harris

Below are links to sites and resources, that may provide you with information and support relating to wellbeing.

Childline Calm Zone

Here is a website that provides lots of activities, games, resources and videos which encourage children to find their own way to feel calm and to cope with how they are feeling. 

• Childline Calm Zone

Emotional Health Activities

Here is a link to a website that gives advice, suggestions and activities on a variety of issues, such as self-confidence and self-esteem, resilience, low mood, anxiety and worries, self care and anger.

• Emotional Health Activities from the NHS

Children's Mental Health Week

Every year in February, Children's mental health week is held, with a different theme and focus. It encourages children to express how they're feeling in a variety of ways and to talk to a trusted grown up about their feelings. These activities and resources can be used with children at any time.

Here is a mental health tool kit with ideas for parents and school:

• Children's mental health week toolkit
• Children's Mental Health Week This link takes you to Place2Be's children's mental health week website, where there is a range of ideas and resources.

 

 

• Starting Well Partnership Here is a link that takes you to the Starting Well website, where you can click to request parenting support.

Supporting Parents Help finder 

• Young Minds Here is a link to the Young Minds website, where you can answer six questions to find out how you can best support your child's mental health during the pandemic.

Now We're Talking Poster

Here is a PDF version of the poster above for you to download onto your device:

• Healthy Minds Poster

Anxiety

These three resources are linked to anxiety, how it can present in children and what you can do to help: 

• 7 Ways to Support Children who are Worried
• Information and Support around Anxiety in Children
• Rebuild and Recover - Anxiety Tools for parents

Website Links:

• Reach4Wellbeing This website provides emotional wellbeing support for children and young people aged 5-19 years old. They can offer short-term group support programmes for those experiencing emotional difficulties, specifically anxiety, low mood and self-harm.

• MindEd Is your child in crisis? Are you worried about them? Perhaps you just want some parenting tips. This site will help you understand and support your child.

• Kooth Kooth.com website is open to children and young people in Worcestershire aged between 11-19. The site is staffed by fully trained and qualified counsellors and is available until 10pm each night, 365 days per year. It is free, safe, confidential and provides a non-stigmatising way for young people to receive counselling, advice and support on-line.

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provides support to children and families where the young person is experiencing significant mental health difficulties.

Go Outside!

Don't forget to spend time outside. There have been numerous studies into the benefit of being outside, for example, it has been found that:

'exposure to nature can reduce hypertension, respiratory tract and cardiovascular illnesses; improve vitality and mood; benefit issues of mental wellbeing such as anxiety; and restore attention capacity and mental fatigue. But more than that, feeling a part of nature has been shown to significantly correlate with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.' (Jeremy Coles, 2016)

See the link below for more information.

• How nature is good for our health and happiness This is a little reminder of why spending time outside makes us feel better.

Attendance and mental Wellbeing Information

• Attendance and mental wellbeing in schools and colleges : Mentally Healthy Schools

CAMHS SPA for Worcestershire

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 

Lumi Nova: New free App to support children (7-12) with anxiety, fears and worries 

Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage is a digital therapeutic mobile game supporting children with fears, worries and anxiety. Designed for children aged 7-12 years, Lumi Nova helps children to reflect on their feelings, build resilience, and learn lifelong skills to self-manage their worries in a fun intergalactic adventure. Key features: 

• Recommended by NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)

 • Lumi Nova offers a Gold Standard of Care by facilitating graded exposures (the active ingredient of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with psychoeducation 

• Parent/guardian supported intervention 

• Built in safeguarding & accessibility features 

Watch this short-animated video to learn more: Lumi Nova Introduction Video 

For instant access: luminova.app/handw. 

For more information, please visit the Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage website or email luminova@bfb-labs.com.