Resources
More information about mental health and getting help
For Young People
Helplines for urgent support – Get urgent help
Young Minds – Mental health help and advice for young people, parents and professionals
BEAT – Information and support for eating disorders
For Parents/Carers, Education Staff and Mental Health Professionals
Young Minds Parents Helpline – Tailored information, advice and support to parents and carers
Young Minds resources for professionals – Resources for professionals working with young people
MindEd – Educational resources on mental health for families, education staff and mental health workers
MindEd for Families – Safe and reliable advice about young people’s mental health
Top Tips for Staff in Education Settings – General information and discussions about health and related subjects
Learning programmes and tips for Education and Healthcare Staff working in Education Settings – MindEd for Education Settings
More information about the ‘Exploring Mental Health Support Teams in schools’ project
Summary – Early evaluation:
This study explored the effectiveness of the programme’s ‘Trailblazer’ wave, which funded new Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges across 25 sites.
The key findings were:
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- Schools reported positive outcomes early on, with staff members feeling supported by quicker access to mental health advice and support.
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- Some young people were unaware of the Mental Health Support Team in their school or its role, but those who received direct support reported positive experiences.
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- However, some children and young people faced mental health challenges that were not severe enough for specialist referrals but were too complex for school practitioners to address effectively.
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- Certain groups of young people were underserved by the Mental Health Support Teams. These included those with special educational needs (SEN) and neurodiversity, young people from ethnic minority and religious backgrounds, and those facing challenging social circumstances.
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- A greater focus was placed on providing direct support to individual children and young people, rather than adopting a “whole school” approach to wellbeing.
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- While professional mental health roles in schools were popular, staff retention proved challenging, leading to shortages within support teams.
‘Implementing mental health support teams in schools and colleges: the perspectives of programme implementers and service providers’
Ellins, J, Hocking, L, Al-Haboubi, M, Newbould, J, Fenton, S-J, Daniel, K, Stockwell, S, Leach, B, Sidhu, M, Bousfield, J, McKenna, G, Saunders, C, O’Neill, S & Mays, N 2023, ‘Implementing mental health support teams in schools and colleges: the perspectives of programme implementers and service providers’, Journal of Mental Health.
National Institute for Health Research 2023, ‘Evaluating the implementation of the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision Green Paper’, Applied Research Collaboration.