Mental Health, Wellbeing & Early Help
Mental health is something we all must live with, monitor and manage. Much like our physical health, it is natural that there will be days when we feel better than others. There will be times when we feel low, sad or maybe even anxious – this is perfectly normal, and you don’t need to panic.
This page is designed to support students and parents in dealing with these feelings at home. Below, you will find a selection of resources which we hope will give families the information and confidence to manage the “bad days”.
We will continue to support students every day in school. Over the school year we run a number of initiatives to help support all students with their wellbeing and mental health. There is however no-one better placed to support your child than themselves or the adults in the home, and we want to empower everyone to be able to do this.
These resources are designed to be a starting point. Also on this page is information regarding what external support may be available if the problems persist or worsen.
Be sure to check back as we will be regularly updating this page with resources, links and services you can refer to as we discover new ones.
School Policies
Step 1: Help at Home
Guides & Downloadable Resources – Mental Health & Wellbeing
A collection of guides and downloadable resources recommended by our Pastoral team.
Upcoming Courses for Parents/Carers – Mental Health & Wellbeing
Upcoming courses related to mental health and wellbeing, transition to secondary school, attendance, school avoidance, etc.
Apps & Websites – Mental Health & Wellbeing
Apps and websites for adults and young people to support mental health and wellbeing.
Step 2: Seeking Help
NHS Talking Therapies
Talking therapies can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression. Talking therapies might include guided self-help with a workbook or an online course; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); or counselling. You can access this service free on the NHS, without a GP referral.
You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service. You can get support whenever you start having difficulties, including: feeling anxious, stressed, low, or hopeless; having panic attacks; finding it hard to cope with day-to-day life; or struggling with flashbacks and nightmares.
Shout
Shout is the UK’s first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. However you’re feeling right now, you don’t have to face it alone.
Volunteers at Shout work with people to make them feel calmer, and to help them take their next steps to feeling better and handling future issues. They might also be able to signpost you to further support services for more continuous and long-term support.
Just text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 whenever you need to talk to someone, day or night. See their website for more information.
Samaritans
Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you with no judgement or no pressure. There are many different ways to get in touch any time of day or night.
You can call them to talk to someone right now, write them an email, send a letter (sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand them), chat online, speak to someone face-to-face, or download their self-help app.
They’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: call 116 123 for free, or visit the website for other ways to get help.
Papyrus
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people. We believe that no young person should have to struggle alone with thoughts of suicide.
Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice, contact HOPELINE247. Call 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039976, or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.
Talk to your GP
It’s not always easy to start a conversation about your personal feelings with your GP. But it’s usually the first step towards working out what kind of treatment and support might help you.
Mind, a leading mental health charity, has lots of great resources about how to approach your GP, including:
- How to find and register for a GP
- How to prepare for and get the most out of your appointment
- Making sense of your options following your appointment
Is This OK?
A free, anonymous, and confidential service, bringing trained professionals together to provide support to young people through a chat service. You don’t need to provide your real name (a nickname is fine for us!), and we don’t need to know your address. Supporting young people since 2019, their trained professionals can help you through anything you are finding difficult.
If you’re worried about something, or someone you know, their website also has information and advice for young people on topics like sex, relationships, gangs, or running away.
CAMHS
CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. It is an NHS service that assesses and treats young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. There are local NHS CAMHS services around the UK, with teams made up of nurses, therapists, psychologists, support workers, and more.
The first step to getting help from CAMHS is usually that you will be referred for a CAMHS assessment. This referral can come from your parents/carers, a teacher, GP, or the pupil themselves if they are old enough (depending on where you live). Most local CAMHS teams have a website where you can look up how to get access to their service.
YoungMinds Parents Helpline
Parents/carers – if your child has been denied support from CAMHS, or you are still waiting to be seen, YoungMinds are here to support you. You can call their Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 from 9:30am–4pm, Monday–Friday.
You’ll be connected to one of their trained advisors, who will listen to your concerns, and ask key questions to understand your situation as best as they can. They will tailor advice to your situation and suggest practical steps you can take and ways to support your child whilst waiting to access help from services. This could include contact details for relevant support services, practical tips you can implement at home or giving you advice around alternative options for support.
Step 3: Get in Touch
If you have taken advantage of all of the resources above and you/your child are still struggling, we’re here to help. Please talk to us about your concerns, so that we can work together to find the best solution. These email addresses are monitored during term time, and can be used to contact the school about any mental health or wellbeing issues:
- Mental health/wellbeing concerns: pastoral@sjcs.org.uk
- Safeguarding concerns: safeguarding@sjcs.org.uk (see this page for more information about safeguarding)
- Report incidents of bullying: stop@sjcs.org.uk
All pupils have also been informed that they should speak with their ‘go to’ person (i.e. their Form Tutor) or a member of staff they trust if they have any concerns about the safety of themselves or a fellow pupil.
Pupils can also visit our school nurse for advice and support on a range of health issues. Our school nurse is in every Wednesday lunchtime.
See OUR SCHOOL in action
Next Open Morning: Thursday 20th November
Are you looking at secondary school options for your Year 5 child? We'd love to welcome you for a tour of our small and inclusive school.
Join us on Thursday 20th November between 9:30am–12pm for a pupil-led tour of our school. You can arrive at any time between these hours, and you can bring other siblings/family members along with you.