Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing
With all that is going on in our world at the moment, looking after our mental health and well being is more important than ever. We have created this page to provide some useful tools for self care so that you can keep you and your family healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Get Active!
It has been proven that exercise is important for maintaining positive health and wellbeing. Why not have a go at different PE activities as a family and lift your mood and keep active.
We love using GoNoodle at school, you could access this at home too! Getting outside and making the most of the sunshine, exploring and going on walks, is also good for wellbeing.
Wellbeing Activities
Positive mental health and wellbeing for all the family
If you or someone you know needs support with mental health please speak to us at school and we will do all we can to help. You can also find support through websites below;
For support on specific mental health needs:
Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk
OCD UK www.ocduk.org
Depression Alliance www.depressoinalliance.org
Eating Disorders www.b-eat.co.uk and www.inourhands.com
National Self-Harm Network www.nshn.co.uk www.selfharm.co.uk
Suicidal thoughts Prevention of young suicide UK – PAPYRUS: www.papyrus-uk.org
For general information and support:
www.youngminds.org.uk champions young people’s mental health and wellbeing
www.mind.org.uk advice and support on mental health problems
www.minded.org.uk (e-learning)
www.time-to-change.org.uk tackles the stigma of mental health
www.rethink.org challenges attitudes towards mental health
Bridgeway project at St Lukes | Offers one to one support for young people aged between 14-22 years around mental and emotional wellbeing. | St Luke's Church | Drop in usually available. During covid telephone support available on 07879035472, Reverend Bryan Stephenson. |
CAMHS | Children and Adolescent mental health team. Provide therapeutic intervention for any young person who are experiencing poor mental health. | Solent NHS | Referral through school GP or social care. |
Frankie workers | Counselling service available to all young people who have experienced sexual abuse or exploitation. Play therapist available for younger children. | PARCS (sit within Edge of Care service). | Referrals available through; |
Kooth | Kooth is a free online counselling and emotional well-being support service providing young people aged 11-18 years (up to 19th birthday) in Portsmouth with a safe and secure means of accessing support with their emotional health and wellbeing needs from a professional team of qualified counsellors. | Kooth | Kooth.com |
Harmful practices | Outreach service to support young people identifying signs of abuse and breaking cycles of abuse. | Southern Domestic Abuse Service- community development officer. | |
PARCS prevention service | Offer children and young people support with sexual abuse & exploitation issues, including raising awareness and reducing the incidence/impact. | PARCS (charity) | Online, referral, phone, etc. |
Refugee council | Specialist support to asylum seekers, including mental health support. | Refugee council | https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/service-category/children-young-people/ |
Useful Information
Helping my child return to school after Coronavirus
As we return to school and are still in the midst of the Coranvirus pandemic, it is a good opportunity to consider how your child is feeling and how we can prepare them emotionally and psychologically for the ever changing situation. We have been through unusual and unsettling times. This booklet anticipates some of the difficulties and anxieties that our children may be feeling. Advice for successful transitions reminds us to focus on relationships as well as recognising the growth, development and learning that has occurred while our children have not been in the school over recent months. We should also remember that transition is not just an experience for the individual child but for everyone around the child.
Child Friendly Information
Here is a child friendly book:
These additional social stories may useful in light of potential school opening for some children & to prepare children for the changes they may see around them - such as, getting a haircut / going to the doctors/ greeting people / visiting shops and families.
Coming back to school in a bubble
Returning to school during Covid 19
Seeing other people wearing masks
Wellbeing ideas and activities
Take a look at the range of resources below that you can use with your child to support positive mental health and wellbeing.
- Here is a document that has been provided for schools. It has a range of ideas for promoting the mental health and wellbeing of children upon returning to school. It is designed for teacher use however there are some lovely actiities that can be done at home if you wish. Activities to prepare for returning to school.
- 7 ways to support children and young people who are worried; clinicians at the Anna Freud Centre have developed seven ways that they consider to be best practice in responding to children and young people’s fears.
- Mindfulness calendar; daily five-minute activities with suggested short mindfulness activities for each day
- 7 days of kindness calendar which encourages primary aged children to do two kind things each day – one for someone else, and one for themselves.
- Self Care Summer Self-care is all about what you can do to help yourself feel better or to keep yourself feeling good. It’s a way that we can look after our own mental health and wellbeing. It can help your body and mind to relax, drift away, or be more energised. These activities are designed to help improve mood.
- Follow this link for a range of mindfulness ideas https://www.firstdiscoverers.co.uk/mindfulness-activities-kids/
Practising these skills of mindfulness and focusing can be hugely beneficial to children in several ways:
- It helps to increase their attention span
- It helps them to understand and regulate their emotions
- It helps with stress management and general wellbeing
- It helps them become more aware of their bodies and their senses
- It helps to build a connection with the natural world
- It helps them to develop empathy and compassion for others