• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Home
• Keeping Safe & Healthy
• Looking after yourself
• Improve Your Health
• MH Info Point
• Information for Professionals

Information for Professionals

Need Help Now?

Resources to support the return to school and college

Although some children and young people have returned to school already, for many, the new autumn term will be their first time stepping into a classroom since lockdown began. Understandably, this may be a strange or worrying time for some children, parents and carers, and schools. Please see a variety of resources below to help you support children and young people’s return to school.

• ​​​ Beacon school support- practical advice on welcoming children back
• ​​ Covid 19- back to school resources inclusive teach
• National Autistic Society- back to school guide for teachers
• Staff wellbeing resources
• Education Support- Free telephone support and counselling for school staff

If schools have any concerns about a child or young person’s mental health please seek guidance and advice from the following: SENCO, Educational Psychologist, CAMHS or school nurse

Resources for parents and carers

Schools can share the below resources with parents to complete over the summer break

• Self-care summer activity pack for primary aged children help children create their own self care plan for the summer holidays
• ​​ Tips for returning to school straightforward suggestions for parents and teachers to deal with any potential apprehension or anxiety children may experience on returning to school. There is also an accompanying factsheet
• FREE mindfulness app -Smiling Mind Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to support the development of mindfulness practices for every age group. Meditations can be played for kids to do on their own, and you can participate together
• GoNoodle Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts available for free
• Cosmic Kids Yoga and mindfulness for kids

Resources for schools and Colleges

Whole school / setting approach

A mentally healthy school is one that adopts a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. A whole-school approach involves all parts of the school working together and being committed. It needs partnership working between governors, senior leaders, teachers and all school staff, as well as parents, carers and the wider community. Please see a variety of resources available below

• Mindful teachers Resources for practising and teaching mindfulness
• Mental Health and Resilience in Schools (MHARS) Guidance
• Mental Health and Resilience in Schools (MHARS) quick needs assessment
• 5 ways to wellbeing guidance for schools
• Mentally Healthy Schools- Resources for a whole school approach
• Minded- FREE educational resource including e learning on children and young people's mental health
• Supporting staff wellbeing in schools This booklet offers practical guidance about what school staff and senior leaders can do to support their own and their colleagues' wellbeing
• 10 steps towards staff wellbeing
• ​​ Teaching about mental wellbeing guidance
• Watch a short animation, which explains the core story of brain development: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/2547/sharing-the-brain-story-metaphors-summary-booklet.pdf​​​
• Support your own wellbeing through mindfulness - self-care for teachers
• Kooth Information Pack to help you promote Kooth’s FREE online counselling support via web chat for to 25 year olds

Resources for primary schools

• Mentally Healthy Schools- quality assured resources to help promote children and young people's mental health and wellbeing
• ​ Public Health England- Rise Above PSHE lesson plans and resources PSHE curriculum topics to Upper KS2; what to do about worry, social media, sleep, dealing with change, transition to secondary school, puberty, bullying and cyber bullying, smoking, online stress and FOMO, alcohol, exam stress, body image in a digital world and forming positive relationships
• Teaching about mental wellbeing guidance
• Boing boing- resilience framework
• Young Minds- Academic resilience resources 
• Anna Freud self-care resources for primary school children The My self-care plan booklet includes activities designed to help them look after their mental health and wellbeing while enjoying themselves
• Kooth Information Pack to help you promote Kooth’s FREE online counselling support via web chat for to 25 year olds
• Whole school approach to improving mental health and wellbeing - Primary offer​​

Resources for secondary schools and Colleges

• ​ We all have mental health campaign- teacher toolkit Provides KS3 with consistent and accessible language to talk about mental health, a better understanding of mental health self-care and to know who to ask for support when it is needed
• Public Health England- Rise Above PSHE lesson plans and resources PSHE curriculum topics for KS3 and KS4; what to do about worry, social media, sleep, dealing with change, transition to secondary school, puberty, bullying and cyber bullying, smoking, online stress and FOMO, alcohol, exam stress, body image in a digital world and forming positive relationships
• DEAL: Developing Emotional Awareness and Listening- FREE teaching resources aimed at students 14 and over Contains session plans and activities that are divided into four themes: emotional health, coping strategies, dealing with feelings and connecting with others
• ​ Teaching about mental wellbeing guidance
• Boing boing- resilience framework
• Young Minds- Academic resilience resources
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources for teachers and teaching staff on supporting wellbeing, bereavement, sleep problems.
• Encouraging children to contact child line if they need to talk posters for schools
• Anna Freud self-care resources for secondary school children​ The Creating a self-care plan booklet is designed to help them create their own self-care plan based on Anna Freuds popular self-care webpage which features over 92 strategies which young people have told us they have found helpful
• Children and Young people self-care ideas​
• Whole school approach to improving mental health and wellbeing - Secondary offer​​

Supporting children and young people with fear, anxiety and uncertainty

If a child or young person is feeling anxious there are a variety of strategies that may be helpful to them.

• ​​​​​​Seven techniques for helping kids keep calm Simple relaxation and mindfulness activities to help children learn to calm down when they feel stressed or anxious.
• ​​​ 7 ways to support children and young people who are worried  identifies seven ways you can use CBT to help children and young people who may be experiencing anxiety.
• Mental Health UK- Bloom resilience building resources for 14-18 year olds
• ​​​ FREE mindfulness app -Smiling Mind Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to support the development of mindfulness practices for every age group. Meditations can be played for kids to do on their own, and you can participate together
• ​ Anna Freud self-care resources for primary school children The My self-care plan booklet includes activities designed to help them look after their mental health and wellbeing while enjoying themselves
• Anna Freud self-care resources for secondary school children The Creating a self-care plan booklet is designed to help them create their own self-care plan based on Anna Freuds popular self-care webpage which features over 92 strategies which young people have told us they have found helpful
• Children and Young people self-care ideas

Supporting children and young people to improve wellbeing and resilience

Resilience isn’t something we are born with it is a skill we learn and being resilient helps us to overcome difficulties we may come across

• ​ https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/ Mentally Healthy Schools brings together quality-assured resources to help primary schools promote children’s mental health and wellbeing
• Boing boing- resilience framework
• Resilience- premier league primary stars A series of activities, which can either be used in the classroom or at home, teaching children about positive thinking and resilience through football.
• ​​ Building Resilience with Sesame Street This digital resource from US children’s TV show Sesame Street is full of great videos, printable activities and useful tips for parents and carers.
• Positive Psychology resilience activities worksheets for children, young people and adults
• Building confidence and resilience Clear advice and signposting for parents and carers on helping children deal with change and difficult situations.

S​upporting children and young people in crisis

Supporting autistic children and young people through crisis

Support booklets for Children and young people who Self-Harm

Self injury support booklet for children and young people - This workbook is designed to help adults support children and young people who self-harm. It provides practical advice, activities, and resources to understand and address self-injury in a compassionate and effective way.

Self Injury support booklet for parents and carers ​- This booklet is for parents and carers of children who may be self-harming. It contains helpful information and resources. This booklet should be given to parents/carers of children being supported to work through the self-injury booklet for children and young people​