Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS)

The child draws what they like and talks about what they draw. A usual set of sessions would last for 12 weeks. A child works 1:1 with an adult for 20 to 30 minutes per week. It is particularly useful for children who have underlying emotional or behavioural problems that do not appear to have been helped by other interventions.

How it helps children

Drawing and talking has the following benefits:

• children feel more able to talk about their pictures than about their problems
• it gives the child time and space with an empathetic adult
• it provides an outlet for the child’s feelings and they can take risks in what they draw
• children's behaviour normally improves

Evidence from the Northamptonshire TaMHS Project and other Education authorities suggests that many children have been helped by this method. Children that have worked in Northamptonshire have improved significantly in their behaviour and ability to access school.

How to access training in Drawing and Talking

See our training courses to access centralised training in both foundation and advanced levels.

For more information about emotional health and wellbeing training please contact us by emailing: [email protected]

Motivational interviewing is a technique that was designed to assist in bringing about change in the manner in which a person behaves.

It was developed within a context where patterns of behaviour were entrenched and could be self-defeating, and where more traditional approaches to eliciting change were failing.

It is a technique that is designed to strengthen an individual’s motivation for and movement towards a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own arguments for change.

It has been found to have evidence-based results in a variety of contexts and can be useful in assisting older children to change self-defeating behaviours.

How it helps children and young people

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative process that strengthens a person’s confidence so they can change in a direction that they recognise as more healthy in the context of their whole development.

It provides children with opportunities to explore their thoughts and feelings and to make healthy decisions.

How to access training in motivational interviewing

See our training courses to access centralised training.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

For more information about emotional parent support practitioner training please contact us by emailing: [email protected]

The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) project is a preventative capacity-building development programme for Teaching Assistants working in primary and secondary schools. 

Through the training sessions, Teaching Assistants are supported to develop a greater psychological and theoretical understanding of children and young people with social, emotional, behavioural and mental health needs. Practical strategies and a range of evidence-based programmes for supporting vulnerable learners are shared. 

Following the training days, ELSAs are expected to meet together once every academic term (six times a year) in small supervision groups. The group sessions are led by an Educational Psychologist who provides clinical supervision, shares local good practice and models problem-solving approaches.

How it helps children 

The ELSA project supports school staff to develop confidence and competence in delivering focused interventions for pupils to enhance emotional literacy skills and build levels of resilience. With increased levels of emotional wellbeing children and young people are able to:

• access learning more readily
• face new challenges more effectively
• develop better coping strategies
• interact more successfully with others
• enjoy school and home life more
• go on to lead richer and more fulfilling lives

The ELSA project has run successfully in 45 local authorities across the UK. Evaluations of the ELSA programme in other local authorities indicate the intervention has a positive impact and children and young people have shown improvements in learning.

Staff feel more confident to manage problems and particularly value ongoing ELSA supervision.

Some of the reported benefits include:

• increased feelings of self-efficacy and confidence in Teaching Assistants undertaking the ELSA role
• improvements in self-esteem and self-awareness for pupils
• a perception amongst school staff of an improvement in the overall behaviour and emotional wellbeing of children specifically supported by ELSAs, which in some cases has been generalised across the whole school

How to access ELSA training

To find out more about the ELSA Programme within West Northamptonshire please email [email protected] and for North Northamptonshire please email [email protected] with the subject heading - ELSA

A Cognitive Behavioural Approaches programme to promote resilience and coping skills in children and young people.

This programme introduces children and young people to helpful strategies and ways of thinking based on Cognitive Behavioural Approaches (CBA). It provides schools with session plans and resources to use with students, in order to:

• teach life skills for coping with challenging situations
• normalise states of emotional distress, and develop self-regulation and self-soothing skills
• recognise the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours
• build positive social networks and role models, and teach constructive peer relationship skills, thus reducing bullying
• improve attitudes to learning and academic performance

How it helps children

There is increasing evidence that Cognitive Behavioural Approaches can be effective for children and young people, enabling them to:

• better understand their individual problems or challenges
• identify links between their thoughts, emotions and behaviour
• try out different ways to problem solve

Research into other programmes underpinned by Cognitive Behaviour Approaches indicates that such programmes help children and young people to:

• manage and prevent anxiety difficulties
• become more socially competent
• develop positive coping strategies
• increase self-esteem
• develop emotional literacy skills
• build resilience in coping with the stresses arising from everyday life

How to access ARC training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

How it helps children

The child is able to relate to their picture without having to admit to their problems. The child is able to talk in a quiet, safe, trusting environment.

In 1:1 work carried out by the Education Officer for Mental Health in Northamptonshire, the majority of children engage with either drawing and talking, stories or puppets or any combination. 

How to access training

See our training courses for more information on how to access this training externally.

Peer support and peer mentoring provide younger pupils with an initial, accessible point of contact (e.g. an older pupil) from which to seek support and build life skills in a language and manner that is both familiar and acceptable.

It can be applied to many aspects of school life but especially to emotional, and social development and learning.

How it helps children

A combination of national and local research studies and evaluations indicate that peer support and mentoring:

• builds confidence, and self-esteem and encourages more positive participation in school life for both supporter and supportee
• helps children to address school-related problems (e.g. resolving issues in the playground more independently) and other problems
• contributes to school inclusion
• builds capacity within a school for improving children’s mental health and so also frees up staff time to focus on higher-level concerns

From 3 local TaMHS Project schools running peer support or peer mentoring programmes, the average overall impact rating out of 10 is:

• 8 for vulnerable children
• 7.7 for the school overall

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

All children and young people can get anxious and this is normal as they grow up to develop their survival skills. However sometimes anxiety can occur too often and at the wrong time and this may affect a child’s everyday life, development and relationships. Recent research suggests that as many as 1 in 6 young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives, this means that up to 5 people in a class may be living with higher levels of anxiety, whether that be OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), social anxiety and shyness, exam stress, worry or panic attacks.

Schools can help by:

• recognising what is typical anxiety and when it is impacting the child / young person’s day-to-day functioning
• knowing about the different forms of anxiety, and how best to support children and young people with different problems
• knowing about evidence-based approaches/strategies that can support children and young people who experience anxiety such as Cognitive Behavioural Approaches; Mindfulness and psycho-education

There is a strong evidence base supporting the usefulness of raising awareness of various mental health issues in school, including anxiety and anxiety-driven behaviours. CBT-based approaches are particularly useful in helping to overcome anxiety. There is also growing evidence of the efficacy of other approaches.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Children who present as aloof, rigid and with social communication difficulties, need staff who have:

• understanding of the difficulties and strengths associated with ASD and of the concept of ASD
• knowledge about the pathway for staff to follow where there are concerns that a child may have ASD
• an awareness of strategies that can be used to accommodate the needs of youngsters with ASD

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

The impact of domestic abuse on children can be profound. Feeling fear in what should be a place of safety. Feeling afraid for and of the adults who are supposed to be caring for a child. The effects can be long-lasting - something which happened when a student was very young may still have a major impact when they are in secondary school.

Domestic abuse is a hidden issue, it happens within families or intimate relationships, and it results in shame and fear. Because it is hidden many of us aren’t aware of how common it is or of the reasons why it is so difficult for those who experience it to deal with it. 

Schools can help by:

• having an understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on parents and children
• recognising the signs of domestic abuse including what you might see in school if a child is/has experienced domestic abuse
• understanding how experiencing domestic abuse may affect a child’s learning and presentation in school
• understanding how you can support children and young people who are affected or experiencing it directly and their parent(s), including strategies and interventions which may be helpful
• knowing about services that can provide practical support to families who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Schools have a legal duty to ensure that they eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity for any pupils with this protected characteristic. Under the same piece of legislation, schools have a duty to foster good relations between pupils who have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment and those that don’t. Furthermore, Ofsted inspects how schools comply with the Equality Act 2010, and how they prevent and tackle issues such as transphobic bullying and abuse.

How to access training

Training on gender identity can also be accessed through the following organisations.

• Stonewall - the national LGBT charity, offers a range of age-appropriate resources and training for primary and secondary schools wanting to learn how to create a trans-inclusive school
• Mermaids - directly support gender-diverse and trans children and young people, as well as their families, they can also deliver tailored training in schools
• Gendered Intelligence - specialises in supporting trans young people under the age of 21, they also deliver training for school staff and workshops for students

Local support groups

• The Lowdown - runs Out There LGBTQ youth group for young people aged 13 to 17 on a Friday evening in Northampton
• Youth Works runs Hide and Seek LGBTQ youth group for young people aged 14 to 18 on a Monday evening in Kettering

The nature of a child’s primary attachments to caregivers lay the foundations for socio-emotional well-being and therefore children’s capacity to learn.

Educators need to establish an attachment-like relationship with their pupils, particularly with challenging and vulnerable pupils, to enhance learning opportunities for all.

School staff can support children with attachment needs by:

• understanding what attachment is and why it is so important
• knowing how to support when attachment style impacts learning

How it helps children

Teachers and other significant adults in a child’s life can provide important attachments for children such as:

• positive associations found between the quality of practitioner-child relationships and achievement
• high-quality practitioner-child relationships help buffer children from the negative effects of insecure attachment on achievement
• emotional resilience and the ability to learn which are inextricably linked
• secure attachment relationships correlating strongly with higher academic attainment, better self-regulation and social competence

Research suggests that an insecure pattern established early in life can have a negative impact on emotional wellbeing and relationships in childhood, and throughout adult life.

Researchers have found that attachment patterns established early in life can lead to several outcomes. For example, children who are securely attached as infants tend to develop stronger self-esteem and better self-reliance as they grow older. These children also tend to be more independent, perform better in school, have successful social relationships, and experience less depression and anxiety.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Research has confirmed that loneliness is experienced universally by children and adults and has implications for mental health. Children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have described loneliness as a negative experience and a multidimensional phenomenon, experienced in various locations including school. They associated loneliness with various factors within and outside of school and with both social and psychological isolation. Although the children were able to talk about loneliness, they had few ideas about what could be done about it. 

Schools can help by:

• having an awareness of the implications of research into loneliness generally and the implications for mental health
• having an awareness of primary school children’s views about loneliness and in particular what they said about loneliness in school
• having ideas for exploring children’s experiences of loneliness
• planning to include teaching about loneliness and strategies to manage loneliness within their schools

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Schools can help by:

• having an awareness of the wide range of losses experienced by children and young people
• understanding the strategies and resources that adults can access to help children cope, including the use of DVD material and websites
• having an understanding of how age affects the way children deal with loss
• having an awareness of the Northamptonshire child and adolescent bereavement Service, and other organisations that support children and young people who have experienced a loss or bereavement

We know that these are issues faced by all children and they tell us what they need including:

• adequate and appropriate information
• kindness and comfort from adults at school
• the opportunity to talk
• modelled grief behaviours
• validation of feelings
• fears and anxieties addressed
• careful watching and listening

A skilled adult in your school will help enormously.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Schools can help by:

• knowing how to support children and young people who engage in self-harming behaviours
• understanding why children and young people self-harm and exploring the self-harm cycle
• knowing how to develop and implement a self-harm policy
• seeing self-harm from a safeguarding perspective
• appropriately involving other professionals and agencies in supporting children and young people who engage in self-harming behaviours
• understanding of how parents can help their child
• knowing where further help and resources can be accessed

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book for this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff, can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: at [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Emotion coaching is a relational approach which helps children to become more aware of their emotions and to manage their feelings, particularly during instances of misbehaviour. It entails validating children’s emotions, setting limits where appropriate and problem-solving with the child to develop more effective behavioural strategies. Emotion coaching techniques instil the tools that will aid children’s ability to self-regulate their emotions and behaviour.

It enables practitioners to create an ethos of positive learning behaviour and to have the confidence to de-escalate situations when behaviour is challenging. Emotion coaching provides a value-added dimension to behaviour management strategies and creates opportunities for longer-term solutions to children’s wellbeing and resilience. Emotion coaching incorporates neuropsychology, attachment theory and a focus on developing and maintaining relationships with children to support their social, emotional and mental health and attainment.

How it helps children

Research has shown that emotion coached children:

• achieve more academically in school
• are more popular
• have fewer behavioural problems
• have fewer infectious illnesses
• are more emotionally stable
• are more resilient

Research at Bath Spa University has found that emotion coaching has helped to reduce the number of negative behavioural incidents in school and early years settings. The research demonstrates that emotion coaching helps:

• children to regulate, improve and take ownership of their behaviour
• children to calm down and better understand their emotions
• practitioners to be more sensitive to children’s needs
• create more consistent responses to children’s behaviour
• practitioners to feel more ‘in control’ during incidents
• promote positive relationships

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist. 

Mindfulness involves training our attention to experience the present moment with greater curiosity and kindness. This helps us not only appreciate what is going well but to respond more skilfully in the here and now to life's inevitable challenges. It is an approach to building resilience and to coping better with the stresses of life.

Mindfulness is reported to have benefits to psychological health and wellbeing including:

• feeling calmer and more positive
• helping cope with stress and anxiety
• improving concentration and focus
• getting on better with others
• the potential to improve some pupils’ behaviour, psychological health, and executive functioning, including regulating attention and behaviour.

By attending training on mindfulness, staff can consider the potential of mindfulness in school situations both in terms of staff development and approaches to working with children and young people. The training will enable you to extend your knowledge of mindfulness-based approaches with easy-to-use ideas to apply in your own work with children and young people, thus having a positive impact on their emotional wellbeing, as well as behaviour and attention.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist. 

In order to help children regulate their emotions, school staff need to be able to:

• regulate emotions with children, as in a healthy attachment
• understand the relationship between the brain, feelings and the body
• be able to model a language of feelings to all children
• understand and apply relaxation techniques
• help children who have gone through adverse childhood experiences, with safety as a key concept
• understand how mindfulness and the use of all our senses can support emotional regulation
• have time to consider what they will put in their toolkits, as well as time to create the toolkits

How it helps children

• reduces anxiety levels
• improves concentration
• boosts self-esteem
• helps children to regulate their emotions with an attuned adult
• increases their body awareness
• promotes fun and laughter
• helps the adults to feel calm and relaxed and increases the adults’ awareness of feelings and self-regulation.

For children who have difficulties with anxiety, anger, concentration and self-esteem, emotional regulation techniques help them enormously. Studies have found that ‘Peer Massage’ has a range of benefits including

• improved calmness and concentration
• increased confidence and self-esteem
• improved social interaction with peers and adults
• greater empathy skills and a reduction in bullying and aggressive behaviours

Well-conducted mindfulness interventions can improve the mental, emotional, social and physical health and wellbeing of young people who take part. Deep and slow breathing can be used as an effective way to manage anxiety disorders. In Northamptonshire, Relaxation and Massage has been evaluated through the TaMHS Programme and has become increasingly recognised in work with children in care, and the need for adults to co-regulate emotions with them, as this is often missing in their early childhood.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Critical incidents or tragic events happen when we least expect them and sometimes when we are least prepared. The routine of the school can immediately be disrupted. Staff and children or young people can emotionally be thrown into turmoil by the immediate impact of an incident.

Staff within the school are expected to respond quickly and sensitively in order to ensure the safety of everyone in the school. Information needs to be contained and effective communication strategies need to be in place. You may be part of the key management of the incident or you may be supporting your class of children, but whatever your role, you need to cope as best you can with your own reactions and difficult feelings as well as those of the staff or children or young people in your care.

Being prepared for such an event in your school ensures you can make the best decisions quickly and have resources and tools available.

How effective preparation for critical incidents supports staff and children

Experiencing or witnessing traumatic events or receiving shocking and disturbing news can affect us emotionally, physiologically, behaviourally and cognitively. Understanding common responses and reactions to trauma helps those in leadership and caring roles to identify with and acknowledge the range of presenting symptoms and then make appropriate plans to support those in their care.

Mental rehearsal of possible scenarios helps to ensure rapid and effective organisational decisions are made which contain as much as possible the disruption of school routines.

The application of research-informed principles of support to reduce stress and anxiety can form the basis of a range of approaches to supporting individuals or groups within the school. 

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Peer massage, is an inclusive programme for all children 4 to 12 years old. It is a respected, unique, child-centred massage programme that is firmly rooted in the principles of rights, responsibilities, respect and choice. It uses massage to encourage learning and develop social and emotional skills within a safe school environment.

How it helps children

Children learn to:

• be calmer and more relaxed both during and after the session, in school and at home
• improve self-esteem and friendships
• lower stress levels, increasing their chance for better concentration at school and better sleep at home
• improve the class working as a team and their attitude towards one another
• have a positive impact on behaviour
• improve their sense of personal space

Research suggests that participation in the peer massage programme:

• has a positive effect on children’s relationships both in the classroom and the playground
• increasing social networks, creating a sense of calm and reducing aggressive behaviours decreases hyperactivity and fidgeting and increases the concentration in children with ADHD
• reduces stereotypical behaviour and social difficulties in children diagnosed with autism
• reduces aggression
• enhances alertness
• improves mood
• decreases depression

How to access training

Massage in Schools Programme is a 2-day intensive course with an internationally approved curriculum. With the 2-day course, every instructor receives a very comprehensive workbook that becomes a basic tool for the successful implementation of the programme and the Touch IN Schools Book.

See the Massage in Schools website for further information. 

Roots of Empathy is an experiential evidence-based classroom programme for primary school children that has shown a significant effect in reducing levels of aggression and bullying among school children while raising social and emotional competence and increasing empathy.

How it helps children

Certified roots of empathy instructors create a safe environment in which:

• children use observations to identify and reflect upon their own feelings
• children listen to the thoughts and feelings of their classmates and develop empathy - understanding and caring about how others feel
• empathy helps children connect more to themselves and others
• children develop emotional literacy which is a first and essential step in learning how to regulate emotions
• children gain further experience in self-regulation as they observe the mother regulating the baby’s emotions - at the end of the year this change from within results in an increase in self-regulation, resilience and wellbeing
• children gain knowledge about baby development and how to keep babies safe

Research over shows that Roots of Empathy:

• reduces aggression and bullying
• increases prosocial behaviours (e.g. sharing, caring, kindness, helping and including)
• impacts last over time

How to access training

Contact Katie Cohen Roots of Empathy manager for England and Wales: [email protected]

Please visit the Roots of Empathy website for more information.

The term ‘transition’ can include moving between classes or moving between schools, either at the end of a key stage or at another time. The transition should be seen as a process, rather than a single event. An individual’s experiences of transition can have a powerful and long-lasting effect on academic outcomes, self esteem and emotional wellbeing. Whilst transition can be a time of great excitement and opportunity, children and young people may also experience:

• a loss of attachment to familiar people, friends, and the environment
• role and identity uncertainty
• entry into an environment that is less predictable
• a perceived loss of control
• a feeling of being de-skilled and less valued
• uncertainty about the future

Whilst change can be a normal part of life and bring opportunities for personal growth, it can also be an anxious time for children and young people, so will need handling sensitively. Communication between settings and new teachers is key. Having a lead for transitions in each setting who can focus on this is helpful and allows for clear information sharing.

Help ensure a positive transition by:

• having an individual approach - identify children or young people who may find the transition particularly difficult early on and make sure you work with them to find strategies that work
• involving parents and carers - parents and carers have an important role to play in information sharing and ensuring positive messages about transitions are given to their children
• giving a positive message - children and young people pick up on the feelings of those around them, staying positive and maintaining positive body language will be essential in supporting them
• remembering that transition is a process - it needs to be considered throughout the year and planned well in stages, rather than being left until the end of the term
• helping children and young people make new connections - this could be teaching staff or other children and young people who will be in their class or school
• being available to listen - children and young people may have concerns or worries which need to be acknowledged, it is also important to remember that a trusted adult needs to be available to listen to concerns or worries after the transition
• helping to build self-efficacy - support children to have an element of control and independence, for example, creating checklists of equipment they will need to take in each day if transitioning to secondary school

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist

This is a tailor-made bespoke package (tracking process and wheel resource) which supports and informs professionals working with families and children in schools or other child-based settings. The Wellbeing Wheels engages staff, families and children by including their ideas to create a personalised tool to support children’s wellbeing and mental health. The Wellbeing Wheel is versatile and had been used at all levels; universal and whole school, individual or group levels for vulnerable children and supporting staff.

How it helps children

The Wellbeing Wheel helps children to:

• find and use strategies to solve or manage wellbeing concerns
• talk about life’s problems with confidence and empathy
• help their friends with suggestions for successful strategies
• raise awareness of good positive mental health
• promote and share their own solutions to problems
• gain information and be identified for interventions supporting their wellbeing
• use the wheel as a helpful prompt or starter with others

The first wheel was developed by an outstanding primary school (as credited by Ofsted) to support wellbeing provision for children. Since then, the model had been adapted and applied by a Specialist Teacher to a number of different situations to support mental health.

The wheel:

• helps target the most vulnerable children in need of support
• provides a way to monitor and evaluate the interventions used
• improves information sharing between staff during transitioning between classes 

How to access training

To find out more about creating a ‘Wellbeing Wheel’ for your school email: [email protected]

Zippy’s Friends, Apple’s Friends and Passport are:

• school-based programmes which help children to develop coping and social skills
• evidence-based programmes which work with the whole class to promote mental health

The programmes cover a range of themes including feelings, communication, friendship, solving problems, changes, and moving forward. The programmes are clearly structured and cumulative, building on previous learning. They can also be taught separately. Resources include everything needed to teach the programme:

• lesson plans
• children’s activities
• home activities to engage parents
• an inclusion supplement to support children with SEN - these can be re-used every year

How the course helps children

These programmes were created to:

• teach children coping skills and problem-solving skills
• encourage children to help others with their problems
• build self-awareness and emotional resilience

They are based on research which shows that Social and Emotional learning programmes significantly improve children’s academic performance.

How to access training

See our training courses for more information on how to access this training externally.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned from the Educational Psychology Service by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist. 

PSHE Education should use programmes that:

• use a sequenced step-by-step training approach
• use active forms of learning
• focus sufficient time on skill development
• have explicit learning goals

When selecting a PSHE Programme, schools should consider if the programme:

• uses a connected and coordinated set of activities to achieve its objectives relative to skill development
• uses active forms of learning to help students learn new skills
• has at least one component devoted to developing personal or social skills
• teaches specific skills focusing on social and emotional learning rather than targeting skills or positive development in general terms

Teachers need to be equipped with the correct skills and knowledge to enable them to deliver effective PSHE education. A whole school approach should be taken to health and well-being, as this is linked to pupils’ readiness to learn.

The importance of PSHE Education

• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 29 states: States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential - In order to achieve this, the teaching of social and emotional skills should be considered a core objective of schools
• social and emotional development is crucial to overall development, both in terms of personality development as well as academic progress and school career
• social and emotional skills can be seen as protective factors that reduce the probability that students exposed to risk factors will engage in problem behaviour
• children with better emotional wellbeing make more progress in primary school, and are more engaged in secondary school
• PSHE education helps students to develop: The knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society, now and in the future (PSHE Association, 2014)
• social, emotional and behavioural (SEB) universal interventions / programmes, whose content is sufficiently similar to PSHE Programmes, includes aspects of emotional intelligence - This includes competencies that allow students to recognize and manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and establish positive relationships with others
• universal SEB interventions / programmes enhance social and emotional competencies and positive self-perceptions / self-esteem - They are cause a reduction in anxiety and depression or emotional distress; help to prevent conduct problems and aggressive or antisocial behaviour; and promote positive and prosocial behaviour
• high-quality PSHE lessons correlate with a reduction in levels of bullying and an increase in feelings of school belonging

Further information on PSHE

You can find out more about PSHE and developing a PSHE curriculum by visiting the PSHE Association website.

The Keys for Happier Living is a presentation of the work from Action for Happiness. Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. Their aim is to promote what truly leads to a happier more fulfilled life. Action for Happiness promote this research through their “10 Keys to Happier Living” which are supported by research, as strategies that will help us unlock the happiness our lives can offer us.

Our happiness is influenced by our genes, upbringing and our external circumstances - such as our health, our work and our financial situation. But crucially it is also heavily influenced by our choices - our inner attitudes, how we approach our relationships, our personal values and our sense of purpose.

The research shows that we need a change of priorities, both at the societal level and as individuals. Research shows that happiness and fulfilment come less from material wealth and more from relationships; less from focusing on ourselves and more from helping others; less from external factors outside our control and more from the way in which we choose to react to what happens to us. If these priorities are shared with staff and pupils alike and embedded in the educational setting, it is a means of increasing the happiness and fulfilment of the whole school community.

Information about the PSHE Association Quality Assured Keys for Happier Living Toolkit for Primary Schools can also be obtained via this training.

Feedback from schools that have used these resources has been that:

• 95% of the children enjoyed the programme
• 94% found the programme helpful
• 95% thought all primary schools should teach these lessons

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Over the past 2 decades, there has been a sharp increase in children’s use of digital media. Not only are they spending a growing amount of their time online, but they are curating their own online environments and identities, often broadcasting their lives and thoughts to the world with little input from adults. 

The Office for National Statistics has also found a clear association between longer time spent on social media and mental health problems. Time spent online potentially has a wider-ranging impact that may have implications for academic attainment.

How it helps children

Children and young people’s resilience is strongly implicated in how online risks are experienced, and their ability to cope when problems arise. Research from organisations such as the highlights the role of adults in nurturing online resilience in children, and the importance of allowing young internet users to develop the ability to cope with whatever the online world throws at them through managed, independent use.

Schools can help by:

• having a better understanding of the online behaviours of children and young people
• supporting children and young people in navigating the online world safely
• knowing how we can develop children and young people’s digital resilience so that they are more able to bounce back when they experience challenges in the online and offline world

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

We all know that working in education can be tough, with school staff facing many challenges on a daily basis. Various surveys have highlighted that many people working in education have experienced difficulties with their mental health and wellbeing, and that working within education can impact negatively upon their wellbeing and mental health.

When schools do support and promote staff wellbeing, it has a positive impact on staff retention, job satisfaction and productivity. It also leads to a reduction in sickness and absence and improved teaching ability.

Supports for positive staff wellbeing

Research suggests that the following are important in promoting and maintaining positive staff wellbeing:

• being organised and able to prioritise are two essential skills teachers need to learn to maintain good wellbeing
• creating a positive working environment is one of the main ways that senior leaders can improve staff wellbeing and enhance retention

A Systematic Literature Review undertaken by Acton and Glasgow (2015) identified the following factors as impacting positively on staff wellbeing:

• individual factors such as demonstrating an emotional intelligence that allows staff to think positively about the demands of the job and applying realistic coping strategies; and having a sense of professional competence
• feeling valued, respected, supported and cared for in the workplace enhances staff wellbeing -
  This includes: open two-way communication between school leaders and teaching staff based on collegiality and trust; a focus on developing a working community where demands are shared, challenges discussed and solutions explored collaboratively; opportunities and support for career development and professional learning; and creating a community where staff feel they belong
• the provision of additional training in effective emotional coping strategies may raise awareness of the role of emotions in teaching and help support teachers to implement practices that develop and maintain wellbeing in the profession
• the implementation of whole school wellness plans that target both staff and students can be an important strategy in developing a positive collegial school culture

The impact of staff wellbeing on children and young people

Research suggests that positive staff wellbeing has a positive impact on the wellbeing of children and young people, as well as impacting positively on educational attainment. For example:

• children learn more when their teacher is happy and performing well
• staff wellbeing can have a paramount effect on relationships forged with students, which indirectly mediates positive student wellbeing
• performance in SATs was found to be positively associated with teacher wellbeing, especially in relation to ‘job stimulation and enjoyment 

TaMHS and the Educational Psychology Service can help you

There are many ways in which the EPS and TaMHS can support staff wellbeing including:

• by coaching, the application of psychology to enhance the performance, development, learning and well-being of others. An EP will work with individual staff to help them achieve goals related to their day-to-day practice using collaborative solution-focused approaches
• by supervision, an opportunity for individuals or groups of staff to receive emotional support where they are able to reflect and review their practice, considering any challenges they may be experiencing, and exploring possible solutions
• staff training on effective strategies to promote individual emotional wellbeing and coping strategies e.g. The Great Dream or Mindfulness
• facilitating discussions, using different psychological frameworks, to explore factors that support and hinder staff wellbeing within the school system and possible ways in which these factors can be addressed in order to further enhance staff wellbeing

To find out more about any of the above, please speak to your Link EP or email: [email protected]

Solihull Approach Parenting Group is designed for families with children aged 0 to 18 years. Groups, for parents or carers, are usually run in the following age ranges:

• 0 to 4 years
• 5 to 11 years
• 12 to 18 years

The aim of the group is to:

• promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of their developmental age and issues
• increase confidence and self-esteem in both parent and child
• develop a framework for thinking about parent / child relationships, which can be developed into a life-long skill - it gives parents or carers strategies for repair when things go wrong
• promote reciprocity in parent / child relationships, alongside reflective, sensitive and effective parenting

How it helps children

The Solihull Approach Parenting Group enables parents and carers to reflect on their own and their child’s feelings and how these can impact behaviour. It helps parents and carers to recognise their child’s behaviour as their child’s communication of how they feel - and what developmental stage or issue the child is experiencing at that time.

When feeling overwhelmed and not understood, many children and young people are likely to behave in ways that get them noticed - which may include withdrawal or passive as well as ‘acting out’ behaviour. The framework empowers parents or carers by enhancing understanding, improving communication and perspective taking and leads to more effective management of their child’s behaviour.

Evaluation studies have shown that it:

• leads to a reduction in parental anxiety and in child behaviour problems
• promotes positive mental health and wellbeing within families

Criteria for attending the training

Facilitators are required to:

• have completed the Solihull Approach Two Day Foundation training and have used it in their practice for 3 to 6 months
• work with families with children

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

A nationally recognised and locally endorsed theoretical approach to working practically with children of school age and their parents and carers. The Solihull Approach focuses attention on promoting the emotional wellbeing and mental health in infants, children, adolescents and families. It draws on psychodynamic theories, child development, including attachment and behaviourism, and brings them together in a practical way. The model integrates the concepts of containment, reciprocity and behaviour management.

How it helps children

The Solihull Approach enables people to recognise how behaviour is a sign of the extent to which both children and adults feel understood and able to deal with their emotions at that time. For example, when feeling overwhelmed and not understood, many people are likely to behave in ways that get noticed. Use of the approach enhances relationships between staff and children; and staff and parents as well as between colleagues.

A combination of national and local research studies, identify that the Solihull Approach:

• matches the common values for practitioners and required skills and knowledge set out in the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce (DfES/1189/2005)
• promotes the priorities identified through the NSF (Standard 9), focusing on child and adolescent mental health and emotional wellbeing in early years and school work
• enables staff to increase their understanding of the complexity of how the baby's brain grows and the role emotions have on the developmental trajectory. (Gerhardt 2006)
• develops consistency in approach between all staff, professionals and volunteers working with families and children: including adolescents
• promotes shared understanding between professionals or volunteers and supporting Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
• is easily understood by school staff, parents, carers and children, including adolescents
• promotes positive outcomes for children and families (Douglas & Ginty 2001)
• promotes job satisfaction for practitioners who regularly use the approach in their work (Whitehead & Douglas 2005)

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Protective behaviours is a practical down to earth approach to working with children regardless of their ability. It has been used in different areas of life including:

• safeguarding
• restorative justice
• PSHE
• anxiety management
• deliberate self-harm
• various mental health
• emotional issues
• as an empowering process for adults and children

More information about PBs can be found on the Protective Behaviours People website.

Protective Behaviours has been used successfully in Northamptonshire schools since the mid-1990s. It has been used in transition work from primary to secondary school and in group work for young people who struggle with school life. Numerous referrals have been made, asking for Protective Behaviours for individual children and young people, who have been exhibiting ‘unsafe behaviours’ and have also experienced a range of adverse childhood experiences. It is one of the Foundation Level Building Blocks of a Mentally Healthy School.

Schools can help by:

• being able to identify ‘feeling safe,’ for themselves
• knowing how the body reacts when a person is not feeling safe
• knowing what to do when a person doesn’t feel safe
• remembering and understanding the 2 themes of protective behaviours
• identifying a personal network and how to teach that to children
• being aware of how PBs can be used with children in their setting

How to access training

See our training courses for more information on how to access this training externally.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

A restorative approach is evidence-based for promoting positive behaviours and reducing inappropriate ones to enable schools to become Restorative Schools.

A Restorative School focuses on the importance of relationships for maintaining emotional wellbeing, resolving conflict and preventing harm. Becoming a Restorative School has many benefits including:

• increased attendance
• reduced exclusions
• improved achievement 

The course focuses on:

• the foundations and principles of restorative approaches
• exploring the evidence base and impact on schools and young people
• strategies and practical steps for implementing and embedding the approach
• being clear about the next steps and where to seek further guidance on restorative approaches

We know from evidence nationally that working in a consistently restorative way has positive benefits for all those involved. Research found that the impact of restorative practice can be:

• improvements in emotional literacy across the school
• improved relationships
• increased staff confidence when dealing with challenging behaviours
• increased feelings of belonging, connectedness, community, respect and wellbeing for both staff and pupils

Reductions in fixed-term exclusion rates lower incidents of anti-social behaviour and bullying.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

The Green Paper (Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision) published by the government in December 2017 recommends that every school should have a Designated Lead for Mental Health, and as a part of the TaMHS programme, this role underpins and drives the development of all levels of provision shown in the ‘Building Blocks of Provision’ model.

The role of a team (usually for larger schools) or lead person (usually for smaller schools) involves maintaining an overview of the mental health and emotional wellbeing needs of the school community. This includes staff, pupils, parents and carers. This may involve such areas as:

• ensuring that the whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing is reflected in the design of school policies (including relationship and behaviour policies)
• consideration of how the school approach can be reflected in the delivery of curriculum and pastoral support
• supporting the identification of those children and young people who might be at risk of experiencing difficulties with their mental health
• being the link between local mental health services and the school to ensure effective joined-up working between professionals
• overseeing the delivery and measuring the effectiveness of interventions designed to promote positive wellbeing and mental health
• strengthening other school staff in their skills and confidence around working effectively to support the mental health and wellbeing in others

(Summarised from Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision, 2017)

How it helps children and young people

Children’s and young people’s mental health and wellbeing is now a priority area for many professionals who work with children, young people and their families. Given the number of different individuals and agencies that could be involved in providing support across the different areas of a child’s or young person’s life, effective co-ordination is essential for support to be most successful.

The mental health lead in school is the coordinator across the wide-ranging aspects of school life that can potentially impact upon pupil wellbeing. They hold an overview of the school system, which enables them to organise and drive the development of provisions to meet the varying needs of children and young people, and the staff and families who support them.

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

Every child has the right to be involved in decisions made about them as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and numerous other sources of law and guidance.

Involving the child in decisions about them as well as the process of changing their own behaviours enhances their sense of autonomy, competence and belonging; increases their motivation and contributes to positive emotional wellbeing.

The use of psychological theory and techniques including Personal Construct Psychology and Solution Focused Approaches, helps practitioners to understand and gain the child’s perspective of a particular situation, thus enabling them to share their views. It enables their voices to be heard so that they are at the centre of any decisions being made about them.

Schools can help by:

• understanding the benefits of gaining a rich picture of the child’s perspective
• having an awareness of the key principles for consulting with children and young people
• recognising how to talk with children and young people
• having knowledge of effective techniques for eliciting children's and young people’s views

How to access training

See our training courses for information about what courses are available to book onto this academic year.

Training at your school, or within clusters, for your staff can be commissioned by contacting the TaMHS Administrator: [email protected] or by speaking to your Link Educational Psychologist.

For what age? At what level? Key Stage 4 Essential Foundation programmes and approaches

MHSP is an initiative driven by young people to increase awareness of mental health needs, draw attention to the stigma experienced by young people with mental health needs and challenge the negative perceptions of mental health. A number of resources have been developed:

• an education pack consisting of the DVD ‘Talk out Loud’
• 4 lesson plans, with resources necessary to deliver them, looking at mental health needs and the stigmas associated with them and encouraging young people to take responsibility for tackling mental health stigma in their school or college
• All I Ask guide - a booklet containing messages from young people to parents, carers and professionals with lots of helpful tips and advice to help them to understand how young people feel and how they can offer support.
• an annual Mental Health Awareness day takes place every February - schools are provided with support via ‘Challenge Tessa’ and are provided with resources for use on the day
• short films, information leaflets, chatterboxes, PowerPoint Presentations and other subject-specific lesson plans

How it helps children

The Mental Health Stigma Programme (MHSP) helps by:

• giving young people the confidence to acknowledge or tell somebody that they have mental health needs
• ensuring that young people know how and where to find out about mental health services and support
• helping those who have not had mental health needs better understand mental health needs and the symptoms associated with them
• reducing mental health stigma in school or college

MHSP has been running for 6 years and is successfully implemented in many schools across Northamptonshire.