The Hub
Mental Health Resources
This page consists of resources to help education professionals and children and young people with their mental health.
Training
Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses are for everyone who works with, lives with or supports young people aged eight to 18. They will teach you the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need. In doing so, you can speed up a young person’s recovery and stop a mental health issue from getting worse.
The Council are delivering free courses for school staff. Please look out for emails from the public health team for upcoming courses
Opportunities / Upcoming Projects
Kooth is a free NHS and Local Authority-funded counselling service which provides free online mental health and wellbeing support to all young people (11-25 years old) in Waltham Forest. Young people can register anonymously and access online counselling 365 days of the year, digital magazines, wellbeing activities, and connect with other young people. Professional counsellors are available for one-to-one chat sessions from 12pm until 10pm on weekdays and 6pm until 10pm on weekends.
The School Mental Health Ambassador Project
The School Mental Health Ambassador (SMHA) project will provide emotional support to secondary-aged young people to help them meet their recovery goals. Young people aged 18 to 25 years will support secondary school pupils to inspire hope and belief that recovery is possible, helping young people to feel more positively about their future. SMHAs will have peer support training and support from a suitable member of the CAMHS service.
Toolkits
Waltham Forest council and partners launched the Young People’s Mental Health Charter on 10 October 2019. The charter consists of twenty statements of intent, detailing ways in which different organisations and individuals can foster good mental health in young people.
Anna Freud is a world leading mental health charity for children and families. One of the initiatives led by this charity is Mentally Healthy Schools. This project brings together quality-assured mental health resources, information and advice for schools and further education settings.
Toolkits
Brain breaks: helping children settle back into the classroom
Since lockdown, children may find it difficult to return to the formality of sitting at desks and concentrating for longer periods of time. Intersperse your lessons with brain breaks, which are short bursts of activity to keep their brain and body active.
Download'Back to better' resource pack - Red Cross
Mindful crafts, breathing exercises and other self-care ideas, informative videos, emotional expression worksheets and helpful strategies to address anxiety during the pandemic.
DownloadReflecting on lockdown activity
Some children may find the transition back to school difficult after lockdown. It may be useful in the first few weeks of school to reflect on the lockdown period. This resource helps children think about what they have experienced and cope with the changes that have occurred.
DownloadGoing back to school worksheet - Partnership for Children
Pupils can fill out this worksheet to explore the things they may be worried about when going back to school, and ways to calm those worries.
DownloadStaff wellbeing packs
Advice for senior leaders in schools, to help them support the wellbeing of their staff during the coronavirus pandemic and the return to school.
DownloadSeparation anxiety: tools for teachers
Following lockdown, some children may have increased anxiety about returning to school, particularly separation anxiety at leaving their parents and carers. This document has been produced to guide teachers in supporting pupils exhibiting anxiety.
DownloadLoss and bereavement advice - MindEd
Some children may have experienced bereavement in the time they have been away from school, and there has been a sense of loss for many. This webpage includes lots of useful advice for schools on how to support children during this time.
Find out moreReturn to school resources - Place2Be
A selection of assembly ideas and class-based activities to support your school community as it comes back together.
Download