Does your school provide adequate mental health support for the children learning there? Chances are – it likely doesn’t. Obviously, there are reasons why not. Underfunding is likely high on that list. But also, since the pandemic, more and more kids are struggling with their mental health.
A 2022 survey by NHS Digital found that 18% of children aged 7 to 16 had a probable mental disorder, up from 12.1% just 4 years earlier. I'm deeply concerned as a parent with a child in that age bracket. I’ve heard daily reports of unusual, and sometimes disturbing behaviour from my child’s peers, and feedback that it’s not dealt with appropriately. All children need support, so this blog looks deeper into mental health and behaviour in schools, and how they can provide it.
Although schools don’t directly provide mental healthcare like therapy or medication, they play a vital part in promoting wellbeing, recognising symptoms and guidance towards help. This support requires a whole-school approach. Schools must make reasonable accommodations for children with mental health disabilities and be vigilant for warning signs and changes in behaviour. This can be done by all staff, not only mental health champions in schools.
They must take an active role in promoting mental health and facilitate access to clinical services. They must have a dedicated staff member who can provide advice and coordinate support. Schools must have clear procedures in place for contacting parents, carers and external mental health services as needed and collaborate with different healthcare providers. With support from teachers, the mental health lead in schools must identify and monitor children with mental health needs – staff should alert them to warning signs.
Teachers aren’t excluded here, either. They play a critical role in supporting mental health. Schools can provide training and resources to help equip teachers to deal with mental health issues. This includes offering general mental health literacy programs to help recognise signs of distress and common conditions. Teachers should be given clear referral pathways, so they know how to connect students to the help they need. Schools should also ensure teachers have time built into schedules for well-being check-ins and relationship-building with students.
Whether you’re the mental health lead in schools, a teacher, or have a different role in your school or MAT, you’ll likely need help so you can help others. We recommend checking out iAM Compliant’s collections of Mental Health, Wellbeing and Safeguarding courses. They cover key topics such as Warning Signs, Cyberbullying, Exam Stress, Eating Disorders and many others. These bite-sized courses can be taken by anyone, allowing them to upskill in under 15 minutes as you need them.
Although government ambitions to increase mental health are a step in the right direction, some say they aren’t ambitious enough to create the scale of change that’s needed. This means at present; children often don’t get the support they need. But, if you work in a school, there are simple things you can do to help that don’t cost the Earth.
Training staff is a no-brainer. Signposting students to the help they need is crucial, too. Being vigilant for warning signs of poor mental health is something every staff member should be familiar with. Don’t wait for potential government funding, do what you can today. Because all of our children need you to.
Want to learn more about how iAM Compliant can help you with compliance and estates management in your school or multi-academy trust? Discover how our award-winning compliance and estates management tools works by taking a FREE 30-day trial to try it for yourself or book a demo with the team and we'll be happy to talk you through it!