No matter what stage a young person is at with their mental health, it is never too early to help maintain and support their emotional wellbeing.
There are lots of ways that pupils and students can get support in school, at home, and in the community.
Mental Health Support Teams
The government and NHS England are introducing Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in schools across England. MHSTs provide mental health support for young people and their families.
In North Somerset, Off the Record (OTR) and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) are organising the MHSTs.
These teams:
- offer support to children and young people for mild to moderate mental health difficulties (for example anxiety, low mood, exam stress, and friendship issues)
- use a type of support that is based on evidence called Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help children and young people tackle their challenges
- support the designated senior mental health lead in each school. They will work to introduce/develop a whole school approach to supporting the emotional wellbeing of children and young people
- give advice to school staff and help contact other specialist services. This is to give children and young people the right support to stay in education
There are currently MHSTs working with a small number of schools in North Somerset. Plans are in place to introduce them more widely.