Help at hand for troubled North pupils
Jan 28 2008 by Graeme Whitfield, The Journal
SCHOOLS in parts of the North-East will work more closely with the experts from the National Health Service to help children at risk of mental health problems.
Northumberland, Gateshead and Sunderland are among 25 local education authorities around the country which will pilot the Targeted Mental Health in Schools project.
Each authority will link with its Primary Care Trust to work with secondary schools and their feeder primaries to deliver better support for those children who are at risk or are already experiencing mental health problems.
In Sunderland, the project will see school staff trained at providing help for children and their parents. Five secondary schools and their 20 feeder primaries will be involved.
The Northumberland pathfinder will complement the range of existing emotional health and well-being programmes being run in the county and aims to increase resources to schools to identify the needs of children with emerging mental health issues.
It will build upon the success of the Place 2 Be project, with four school partnerships identified to take part in the project.
Young People’s Minister Kevin Brennan said: “Good mental health and wellbeing are crucial to ensuring that all our children and young people can learn, achieve and fulfil their potential.
“Early detection and intervention through schools and nurseries is vital in doing this.
“I would like to congratulate each of the local authorities that will be taking part in these important pilots. Each pilot will be implementing innovative ways to ensure a better service to some of their most vulnerable children and families and their success will inform the national roll-out of this project.”
Funding for the projects will come from a £60m pot that Education Secretary Ed Balls announced in July to promote mental wellbeing in schools.
It will be used to provide more school staff to work with troubled youngsters, experts from the voluntary sector and training courses to boost support available in schools.
The pilot schemes will be evaluated to identify successful models of mental health support and the findings will inform the roll-out of Targeted Mental Health in Schools nationally in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
