Place2Be.

Mental health in schools.

Paula Nagel | Principal Educational Psychologist.

Who is Place2Be?

• A leading UK children’s mental health charity with 24 years’

experience of working with schools and local communities.

• Present in 286 primary and secondary schools, providing

“whole-school” mental health services reaching 129,000

children and young people.

• Last year, 232 schools participated in our in-depth ‘Mental

Health Champions’ training and consultation programmes

• Annually, over 1000 child counsellors take up one of our

accredited qualifications from entry level to Postgraduate

Diploma and Masters.

The need.

• 1 in 10 children has a diagnosable mental health problem –

equivalent to 3 in every classroom.

• 50% of adult mental illness starts before the age of 14.

• On average, children and young people go 10 years between

first becoming unwell and first getting any help. (source: Centre for

Mental Health)

• 93% of school leaders are unable to access specialist mental

health support for pupils when they need it. (source: NAHT)

• Only 56% of primary schools offer counselling services,

compared to 84% of secondary schools. (source: DfE)

Green paper.

Creating mentally healthy schools

• Designated senior lead for mental

health in schools.

• Mental health support teams.

• Health and wellbeing education.

• Build on good practice and what’s

already in place.

Adam’s story.

• 8 year old boy.

• Referred for 1-1 counselling in school due to concerns about

disruptive behaviour.

• Previous counselling through GP referral ended due to ‘unsafe

behaviour’ and access issues.

• Disruptive - behaviour worsening. Described as ‘spaced out’,

‘impulsive’, ‘attention seeking’.

• Recent family bereavement.

• Teacher on long term sick.

• Parent struggling to cope with Adam at home.

• Heading for exclusion.

A ‘whole school’ approach

Self-referral service – ‘Place2Talk’.

• Pupils can book their own short

appointments during lunch or

break times.

• Over 40,000 (c. 1 in 3) booked an

appointment last year.

• Issues included friendships,

relationships, sadness, anger and

school-related concerns.

• 43% of safeguarding concerns are

raised in these sessions.

Adam’s story.

• Adam already known

to school project

manager through

intermittent use of

Place2Talk.

• School project

manager aware of

Adam through

embedded provision

for all children.

Adults around the child.

Parents and carers:

• 12,783 ‘parent partnership’

advice and support

sessions.

• For both parents of children

in counselling and other

parents in school.

• 5,447 parent counselling

sessions.

Teachers and school staff:

• School staff have access to

professional expertise on-site.

• Consultation sessions.

• Learning and development

opportunities.

Adam’s story.

• Adam’s mum connected with

school project manager

through parent partnership.

• Agreed to a referral to parent

counsellor.

• Asked for support to re-

engage and re-refer to

paediatric services.

Over 5,600 pupils

received one-to-one

weekly therapeutic

support in the last year.

Impulsivity and attention

problems are among

the most regularly

reported presenting

issues.

Targeted one-to-one support.

Characteristics of children and young people in one-to-one counselling

Source: Place2Be one-to-one counselling database 2016-17 Place2Be N= 5126

Children’s goals for counselling.

• 22% want to improve their relationships with their friends and

peers.

• 22% want to learn how to manage their anger and frustration.

• 18% want to be happier – to smile more, be less sad and be

more energetic and excited.

• 16% want to have fewer worries or fears.

• 15% want to gain confidence and improve their self-esteem.

Adam’s story.

• 1-1 counselling ‘chaotic’, ‘unsafe’,

‘inappropriate’?

• Consultation with Place2be EP.

• Differentiated and personalised

approach to 1-1 sessions.

• Sessions accessible, boundaried,

structured and safe.

Helping schools work with CAMHS.

CAMHS

Place2Be in school Place2Be in school

Step

Up

Step

Down

CYP who no longer reach the

threshold after completing CAMHS

treatment are referred back to the

support of Place2Be

Ongoing contact,

monitoring and

case discussion

between the

CAMHS link

person, Place2Be

and the school

Early

screening to

facilitate

referral

Referrals of CYP

into CAMHS are

facilitated by the

nominated link

person from

Place2Be,

CAMHS and the

school

• Nominated link person at Place2Be, CAMHS

and school

• Training / knowledge sharing between Head

Teachers and link personnel on thresholds,

referral criteria, documentation and the “Step

up–Step down” process

Adam’s story.

• Mum supported to access

CAMHS, and prepare for

appointments.

• Staff offered Place2Think

support to consider mental

health needs.

A whole school approach to

mental health. Adam’s story

• Accessed personalised counselling support – Adam was able to build

a relationship with his counsellor, feel heard and explore some of the

emotions underpinning his behaviour.

• Self referral drop in support continued as and when needed.

• Consultation support for staff to reframe and understand his behaviour

through a mental health lens, explore strategies, and manage their

own wellbeing.

• Parent counselling and support to prepare for referral appointments.

• CAMHS support coordinated with school based support, which led to

a diagnosis of ADHD and Tourettes.

• Progress monitored and measured through multiagency support.

Mental health in schools.

“There comes a point where we need to stop

just pulling people out of the river.

We need to go upstream and find out why

they’re falling in.”

Desmond Tutu