Emotional Health and Well-being
NHS: Crisis Support
If a child or young person is in crisis, they can call the crisis care line any time, but they should only present to Accident Emergency Department if they need medical treatment or are struggling to keep themselves safe in the immediate moment.
The Alder Hey Crisis Care Team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0151 293 3577 or free phone 0808 196 3550.
Face-to-face support is still available when essential, risk assessments will be undertaken regarding these cases.
https://www.seftonliverpoolcamhs.com/
https://www.seftonliverpoolcamhs.com/resources
Support in School
At Hatton Hill, we work as a team to help support the well-being of our whole school community. Mrs Hickey, our Learning Mentor, is a fountain of knowledge and is able to help children and/or families who may be struggling for a variety of reasons. This may be through in-house support or by helping you access other professional agencies. We may also recommend that you seek the advice of your GP.
Our SENDco, Mrs Jones, also works closely with the families of children who have special education needs or disabilities. She ensures that our teachers and teaching assistants maintain a high level of skill. She also liaises with other professionals to ensure that our children access the range of support they may need.
Our Mental Health Support Team (MHST) and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), Mrs Woods, also provide targeted support to children.
Sefton Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Mental Health Support Teams in Schools (MHST) are part of a national programme to reduce inequalities and increase access to mental health support for children and young people. The Alder Hey MHST’s work with over 160 schools across Liverpool and Sefton, including Hatton Hill, in collaboration with partner agencies.
The team offers support to children and young people who are experiencing:
low mood
worry
anxiety and avoidance (eg simple phobias or separation anxiety)
sleep difficulties
Through the MHST, children, school staff and parents can access support, guidance and training around specific issues of mental health and emotional wellbeing. Sefton school MHST's aim is to help every child going to school in Sefton know how to look after their emotional wellbeing. The team aims to do this in a non-stigmatising way, so that emotional wellbeing and mental health can be ‘championed’ and talked about in exactly the same way as physical health. The MHST offers timely, direct, psychological interventions to prevent deterioration of emotional wellbeing aiming to get the right treatment to the right person at the right time, which may include sign posting to a more appropriate local provider, or support referral to specialist CAMH services.
Referral criteria
MHST provides support to children and young people aged 5-18 years. MHST is an early-intervention service for children and young people who are experiencing low to moderate mental health concerns.
Referral process
Mental health concerns regarding specific children and young people are referred by the school’s mental health leads, Mrs James and Mrs Hickey, following discussion with the MHST team. Consent is obtained from parents/carers prior to consultation. Advice and signposting to other appropriate services can also be provided by MHST. If you feel your child is need of this support, please contact Mrs James or Mrs Hickey. Our named practioner, Mr Connor, visits our school bi-weekly.
Our School Health Teamcan also be contacted to arrange an appointment: Tel: 0151 247 6354 or via email: [email protected].
Important: if you are seriously concerned about your child's mental well-being and feel they may be at risk of harm, you should attend A&E.
We loved this clip called 'Harry Kane: Resilience', which the MHST team shared with our junior classes during a recent assembly. It is aimed at all ages and promotes the importance of positive thinking; self-belief and having the support of others.
British gold medal-winning sprinter and former gymnast, Asha Philip, tells the story of her success - and her tough journey along the way.
Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)
An ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant with a wealth of experience of working with children. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by the Educational Psychologists in Sefton. An ELSA is a warm and caring person who wants to help your child feel happy in school and to reach their potential educationally. Their aim is to remove the barriers to learning and to have happy children in school and at home.
Mrs Woods is Hatton Hill’s Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA).
There will always be children in school facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning, and some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. When our children find themselves struggling and encounter difficulties with their emotional health our ELSA will be there to listen, provide additional TLC and support them. To do this they plan and deliver programmes of support and these can be delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially in the areas of social and friendship skills. Sessions are fun and we use a range of activities such as: games, role-play with puppets or arts and craft. ELSA sessions take place in spaces which provides a calm, safe space for the child to feel supported and nurtured.
Our ELSA can help with:
Loss and bereavement
Self-esteem
Social Skills
Emotions
Friendship issues
Relationships
Anger Management
Anxiety
Conflict
Relaxation Techniques
How does ELSA work?
Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, Senior Leaders or on occasion the SENCo. The referral forms are reviewed regularly to identify and prioritise which children require a programme of support. With the programme aims in mind, we then plan support sessions to facilitate the pupil in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.
Each session lasts from 30 - 45 minutes once a week. Each session includes time to talk (emotional check-in) a planned main activity which will be interactive and may include a game, followed by some quiet relaxation time.
We aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a pupil and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings. We can't necessarily fix their problems but we CAN provide emotional support. Also, change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the context and complexity of the presenting issues. For children with complex or long-term needs it is unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all their difficulties, however support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child's need. If additional support is needed, our ELSA, along with Mrs Jones, SENCo, and Mrs Hickey, Learning Mentor, can work with our families to organise extra help from other agencies.
More information can be found in our leaflet by clicking this link, or see below.
Ollee
It is normal for children to have worries from time-to-time; however, it is good to talk them through so they don’t become too big to manage. Ollee is a digital friend for children aged 8-11, created by Parent Zone and funded by the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. It aims to support children’s emotional well-being and can be accessed completely free of charge at: http://ollee.org.uk/ Ollee gives good advice on a range of issues and could be used by a child independently, or by a parent and child together.
“Ollee is a digital friend that supports parent and child communication, particularly around what can be difficult topics,” says Lucy, Partnerships Manager at Parent Zone. “Ollee supports a child’s and a family’s emotional wellbeing by promoting discussion and enabling children to express themselves. It’s designed to help children reflect on how they feel.”
So how does it work?
First, children pick a subject they want to talk about. Then, they choose an emotion they are feeling. It could be worried, stressed, happy, confused, or another emotion. With prompts such as, “I feel lonely”, “no one listens to me” or “I am being bullied”, Ollee then gives children supportive advice about that subject and how they feel. Watch the short clip below to find out more.
The Ollee app is free to download and available on Apple and Android devices.
Useful websites: links
South Sefton Support for Children
Papyrus (suicide prevention support)
Report Harmful Content (for online bullying and online harms)
Childnet International (for online bullying and online harms)
Internet Matters (for online bullying and online harms)
Free Online E-Learning Courses: safeguarding children; health & well-being
Supporting a Child or Young Adult with Mental Health Needs