Social, Emotional and Mental Health.
At Littlemoor School, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers). We understand the importance of positive mental health and understand that this is just as important as physical health.
Our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We are striving to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what affects their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support.
Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.
As a school we have ensured that Social, Emotional and Mental Health is at the heart of our school. We aim to support children in recognising their emotions and develop strategies to regulate their emotions and have a toolkit of calming activities which support children as individuals. Each classroom has a calm corner, to enable children to have the time and space to regulate their emotions and practice de-escalation strategies to ensure that they are ‘Ready to Learn’. We have dedicated staff who have accessed a range of training opportunities to embed interventions such as ELSA and Forest School.
Hopefully you will find the links below helpful, however if you feel that you need a more personalised support plan, please email the school admin account – info@littlemoor.oldham.sch.uk and we will respond to you with additional support.
Below are a range of links which have been created by CAHMS to support children and parents/carers.
Well-being activities
Creating a routine:
Our Feelings diary:
Feelings chart:
Coping Toolbox:
Dealing with change:
Staying Connected:
Worry Jar
https://www.partnershipforchildren.org.uk/uploads/Files/PDFs/Resilience%20Activities/Worry%20Jar.pdf
Ways to feel better:
SEN resources visuals to support children and emotions
https://www.partnershipforchildren.org.uk/uploads/Files/Zippy’s%20Friends%20SNS%20sample.pdf
Resilience Building activities
Feelings
Communication
What makes a good friend
Dealing with Anger
Change and Loss
3 Maintaining positive relationships (click on this link)
There are also a range of fantastic app’s which are available for children and parents to access:
Apps:
Calm Harm—to support those who feel the urge to self harm
Stay Alive—Suicide prevention app, helping users stay safe
MindShift—to support teens and young people manage anxiety symptoms
Catch It—A mood-recording app. Great to recognise/understand triggers
Moodtrack—Another mood-recording app. Using graphs/visual aids.
Daylio-Mood-recording app with diary function that requires no typing/writing
BBC Own it—App designed to help children stay safe and positive online
Headspace—Mindfulness app
Smiling Mind—Meditation/breathing exercises app
Chill Panda—Encourages use of breathing techniques to worry less (iphone only)
Silvercloud—8 week course to help manage stress/anxiety/depression (16+)
MeeTwo—Forum for teens to discuss issues with professionals/other teens
Google: Every Mind Matters NHS—expert advice and practical tips
Kooth.com
Website: www.kooth.com
Info: Free, safe and anonymous online counselling and support for young people.
Mon-Fri 12pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 6pm-10pm. Sign up anonymously, all that is required is a post code and log-in information.
Mind
Website: www.mind.org.uk
Info: The national Mind charity website has a lot of detailed information about mental health and wellbeing. Information varies from descriptions of different mental health conditions to stories from everyday people about how they cope with their mental health. It aims to help and support everyone to learn and understand all aspects of mental health, so people don’t feel so alone.
Young Minds
Website: www.youngminds.org.uk
Info: A UK based charity (separate to Mind) focussed on improving the lives of young people through better mental health support. The website is young-person friendly and contains information about different signs/symptoms young people could experience along with advice/guidance on how to manage difficulties such as bullying, exam-stress, grief, eating problems and self harm. There is a parental support section of the website as well as information on medication for young people with mental health difficulties.
Phone: 0808 802 5544 (Parents Helpline) / 8258 (Crisis messaging service via text)