Learning
Looking after our mental health and wellbeing
One of the most important things we can do…
One of the most important things we can do…… is to look after our mental health in just the same way as we look after our physical health.
This page is all about finding the help we need. There is also a link to Jo Scott, our Home School Link Worker (HSLW) and so much more. Please use the links for useful ideas and resources – we will keep these pages up-to-date so please do keep checking in …
Community support in our local area
A wealth of great and diverse support - please do check it out
Surrey Community Resource & Support List
Social
CYP Havens: the CYP Havens are safe spaces where you can talk about worries and mental health in a confidential, friendly and supportive environment. Children and young people between 10-18 years old can drop in to one of the CYP Havens. They are based in Epsom, Guildford, Staines and Redhill. They also offer virtual drop-ins. https://www.cyphaven.net/
Matrix Café: https://www.matrixtrust.com/youth-cafe/ – A YOUTH CAFÉ THAT SERVES YOUNG PEOPLE (11-18 YEARS) IN GUILDFORD WITH:
* A welcoming and social space
* Upskilling, leadership and life skills
* Training programmes
* 1:1 Support
* Connection to inspiring role-models from the business and residential communities
This is a drop in.
Friday Night Project: a subsidised youth club in Farnham and Cranleigh. https://www.waverley.gov.uk/Services/Parks-leisure-and-things-to-do/Sport-and-leisure/Children-and-young-people/The-Friday-Night-Project
CYA: CYA stands for Mindworks Youth Advisors. CYA is a network that supports young people to have their voices heard and to make a positive difference to Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health services in Surrey. https://cyauk.com/
Eikon: Partnered with Mindworks, Eikon is a charity which has been working in local Surrey communities for over two decades. They provide long-term support to some of the county’s most vulnerable young people. As well as one to one mentoring and support groups, they also provide Community youth work with sport, activities, advice and volunteering opportunities. Website: www.eikon.org.uk Tel: 01932 347434 or email: communities@eikon.org.uk
High Hopes: High Hopes is a six-eight-week early intervention programme delivered to young people aged 10-16 years across Surrey, created to build relationships, resilience and confidence. This is in partnership with Eikon and Surrey Outdoor Learning Centre: info@eikon.org.uk
Bubble Groups: Partnered with Learning Space, Bubble groups were created to support young people ages 11+ experiencing anxiety. It is centre-based and is a place where young people can just ‘be’ whilst supporting engagement with projects and activities. Contact: natasha@learningspace.org.uk
Leatherhead Youth Project: Based in Bookham and Leatherhead, these are evening sessions for 11-16-year olds where they eat together and then focus on a current issue picked by the young person themselves. Contact: info@leatherheadyouthproject.com
Windle Valley Youth Project: Supports young people aged 11-18 in Surrey Heath in youth clubs, youth cafes, courses, events, and through mentoring and advocacy, helping them achieve their dreams and supporting them when things get tough. https://www.surreyheath.gov.uk/users/windle-valley-youth-project
Music
Cranleigh Youth Music Club: Free music lessons and taster for music instruments creating bands. 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, Beginners 3.30 – 4.45pm, Intermediate 4.30 – 6.00pm. The Parish Council is supplying the instruments with grateful thanks to the Co-op Local Causes Fund and volunteers are providing music tuition. If you would like to discuss the Youth Music Club please contact the Parish Council Clerk if you have any queries clerk@cranleigh-pc.gov.uk or 01483 272311. Young people can register at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/866GXHL?fbclid=IwAR1DBEhZmk1OCXdWlNm00d_KFMaORze76Xf6drCBmSL94Tu2ZE1Jnc6xYQU
Music to Our Ears: A music and creative arts group for Children at risk of Child Exploitation run by Catch 22 Tim Page – Project Coordinator Contact 01372 832 905, tim.page@catch-22.org.uk, ypsm@catch-22.org.uk
Drama
With My Eyes: Free Dramatherapy provided by Guildford Shakespeare Company, helping young people and their parents communicate better about mental health. Working in small groups, no performance carried out or experience needed. Visits also arranged to plays. https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/with-my-eyes/
Animals
Mane Chance Horse Sanctuary in Compton Village: providing emotional regulation courses for a small number of young people who are struggling to engage in more mainstream settings. As well as working with some local schools that support students with a variety of symptoms from ASD, ADHD, eating disorders, self-harm, chronic anxiety, mental health conditions during term time/weekends, we also run sessions for those who are not able to attend school or participate in the regular curriculum. with a variety of symptoms, from ADHD, autism, eating disorder, self-harm, chronic anxiety and more. Our sessions revolve around the notion of self-kindness and calm. We work alongside our horses (and other animals) to reinforce how to be less critical, angry and anxious but more confident, calm and respectful of self – and others. Sessions are usually two hours long and cost £35 for each session. https://www.manechancesanctuary.org/
Riding for Disabled Association: Riding and Carriage Driving Groups for anyone with a disability (long term condition of more than 6 months). Also a good opportunity for teens looking for volunteering. Find A Group | How We Can Help You | RDA South East Region (rda-southeastregion.org.uk)
Sport
The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games: is the largest multi-sport youth event of its kind in the South East of England, offering FREE local training for those taking part. This unique programme brings together 6-16-year olds from Surrey who often don’t have access to the sort of sporting opportunities that others take for granted. The Games are firmly aimed at beginners who might not otherwise get the chance to attend clubs or are inactive and put off by the thought of competing against others. The focus is on joining in, having a go and having fun. Specsavers Surrey Youth Games (activesurrey.com)
Sport in Mind: Based throughout Berkshire / Reading with opportunities in Surrey. Young people are invited or can be referred to join Sport in Mind sessions after school to get active and have fun with others in a relaxed, supportive, friendly environment. They will play multi-skills games and enjoy a range of confidence-building activities based on the central Sport in Mind themes: communication, heart rate, breathing and focus. Youth Community Sessions | Sport in Mind Your local area contact: Tom Crowe – Surrey, Sussex, East Hampshire – Call: 07799 575031 Email: tom.crowe@sportinmind.org
Riding for Disabled Association: Riding and Carriage Driving Groups for anyone with a disability (long term condition of more than 6 months). Also, a good opportunity for teens looking for volunteering. Find A Group | How We Can Help You | RDA South East Region (rda-southeastregion.org.uk)
Family Support
Surrey Care Trust: fully trained individuals from the local community who help young people or parent work through their problems so they are more manageable. 11-18-year olds or parents with children 5-19 years old. contact mentoring@surreycaretrust.org.uk
Parent Anxiety Online Groups: Provided by Learning Space, online parent support group and online parent child anxiety course including two short 1:1 sessions about your child. https://www.learningspace.org.uk/parent-groups
Parent Wellbeing Service: the Parent Wellbeing Service offers support to parents or carers whose children are experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing such as anxiety, depression, stress, self-harm and eating disorders. The service will enable parents and carers to be a protective factor for their child/young person in their wellbeing recovery. Increasing their confidence to support their child/young person. Practitioners will meet with parent/carers to help them identify their goals and how they can achieve positive change for them and their family. This could be through: Meeting with a practitioner for 1:1 support, attending local groups getting advice, guidance, and information Accessing phone or online support finding other support in the local community Befriending other parents/carers going through similar difficulties PWS@barnardos.org.uk
Mental Health 24 hour helpline
A new 24/7 mental health crisis line for children, young people and their families and carers in Surrey has launched.
24/7 mental health crisis line for children, young people, and families
A new 24/7 mental health crisis line for children, young people and their families and carers in Surrey has launched.
The freephone number – 0800 9154644 – is available for children and young people up to the age of 18, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
The new crisis line provides emotional wellbeing support, advice, and signposting to a range of community services for children, young people and their families and carers who are in a mental health crisis. The number is available to those who are already receiving mental health services, and also for those who are not. No referral is needed.
The crisis line is staffed by a team of experienced, trained call handlers and mental health nurses.
A key aim of the crisis line is to help support young people, carers and families within their own homes and in the community and, whenever possible, help avoid the need for children and young people to go to hospital in a crisis.
Mindworks Surrey
Emotional wellbeing and mental health service for children and young people
INTRODUCING MINDWORKS SURREY!
The alliance of organisations working together to deliver the new emotional wellbeing and mental health service for children and young people in Surrey, is delighted to announce their new service name:
Mindworks Surrey also has a brand-new website:
providing children, young people, families and carers with information about services, advice and resources. It is a source of essential information, including how to ask for help in a crisis via the 24/7 Crisis Line.
Children with neurodevelopmental needs
Out of hours helpline with behavioural difficulties
Families can now access out of hours support at the time they are struggling with behaviour / difficulties which could be related to neurodevelopmental need, such as autism or ADHD
An out-of-hours phone line now provides advice to parents and carers and runs from 5pm until 11pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year. More details:
Just click on the link below to access details about this service:
https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/our-services/neurodevelopmental-services/out-hours-advice-line
Developing our Parenting Styles and Skills
What are the Parenting Styles?
The four parenting styles (Authoritative; Authoritarian; Permissive and Uninvolved) are based originally on the work of Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist who identified a close relationship between the type of parenting style and our children’s behaviour. Different parenting styles can lead to different development and outcomes for our children. The Authoritative Parenting style is associated with the most positive outcomes for our children.
Which Parenting Courses are available to me?
Parenting can be stimulating and rewarding, challenging and stressful and we can all benefit from new ideas, some space to share and reflect, or even a chance to start thinking ahead to the next stage of our parenting journey – we all have experiences to share and tips we can learn.
For virtual/group courses the local Family Centre, Hazel Avenue run the 4-session ‘Parenting Puzzle’ (based on the Family Links training). For further details please contact the Family Centre on: 01483 566589 or email them on: cc@guildfordnscc.surrey.sch.uk
For other Parenting courses please visit:
Free online Parenting courses are available and offer helpful insight into your baby, child or teenager’s behaviour:
Parenting courses and advice – online guides
And the ‘Family Lives’ website provides excellent information and support on all aspects of Parenting and Children’s behaviour:
Emotion Coaching
Please watch this short webinar about this approach to dealing with issues in the family setting. This is the approach we use in school.
Developing Resilience with our children
Why is Resilience important?
When we talk about resilience, we’re talking about a child’s ability to cope with ups and downs, and bounce back from the challenges they experience during childhood – for example moving home, changing schools or dealing with the death of a loved one. Building resilience helps our children not only to deal with current difficulties that are a part of everyday life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life, during adolescence and adulthood and supports their positive mental health and wellbeing.
For more information on Resilience and the ‘Resilience Framework’ please visit the following websites:
Developing healthier lives through eating better and moving more
Be Your Best and Action for Children
The following resources are to support your family towards better health through eating better and moving more. “Be your Best” is a FREE programme specifically designed to support families with children from 0-12 years towards making healthier lifestyle choices. If you have specific questions, we can also put you in touch with our School Nursing team.
https://www.healthysurrey.org.uk/children-and-families
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/
I’m worried about my child’s eating habits (Action for Children)
Everyone has different eating habits. But if you’re worried about your child’s relationship with food or their body, it might be worth looking for some support.
If your child’s eating habits negatively affect their everyday life, they may have an eating disorder. This is when someone uses food to cope with certain situations or feelings. Teenagers between 13 and 17 are most at risk, but anyone can have an eating disorder.
It can be helpful to know the signs and what to do if you’re worried about your child.
Transition to secondary school
Support and readiness
As we come to the end of the year, a lot of work is put in place to ensure a positive and successful transition for all the children to secondary school. All the children follow the Smart Moves programme with additional support for those feeling less confident. A webinar for all parents on our approach is below
Additional support is available from the following websites:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/tags/zh4wy9q/starting-secondary-school/1
https://www.theschoolrun.com/moving-onto-secondary-school-with-sen
https://www.tes.com/news/transition-secondary-school-5-tips-help-parents
Great webinar on dealing with anxiety
by Ali Damario, Xavier Educational Psychologist
Important Sources of help and advice
If you are worried about your safety or the safety of someone you know
https://www.refuge.org.uk/
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/childrens-social-care/contact-childrens-services
emergency@xavier.cet.org
Follow this link for help around Domestic Abuse
Important Sources of help and advice
If you are struggling financially
If your child/children is in Year 3 or above, they may be entitled to Free School Meals. If your financial situation has changed recently, or you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16, 190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – Paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1st April 2018 your household income must be less than £7, 400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Please contact Mrs Simpson, Office Manager (om@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk) in our school office who will be able to support you with your Free School Meal application.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit
https://www.swru.org/covid-19-updates/
https://www.cathchild.org.uk/
Surrey County Council have set up a Community Helpline number: 0300 200 1008 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
https://www.cpg.church/
The Guildford food banks are still operating but closed to individuals – if you need them you need a referral which the school can make on your behalf. If this affects you PLEASE contact Mrs Carter on mrscarter@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk and we will help.
Mrs Carter has a Hardship Fund to help with covering food costs and essentials, including school uniform and other costs. PLEASE do not be embarrassed to email her with a request for help in confidence. (Thank you to every one who has contributed to the Fund, God bless you)
INTRODUCING OUR LOCAL HYGIENE BANK
As well as having access to our local Food Banks, we would also like to let you know about or local Hygiene Bank which is available to support all our families. Please let us know if your family would benefit from receiving any of the following hygiene products (at no cost to you) for females, males, babies/children and household including:
- Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Soap/Shower gel
- Deodorant
- Hair brush/Hair ties
- Nit comb/Nit shampoo
- Nappies
- Baby Wipes
- Period Products
- Razors/Shaving Cream
- Toilet Rolls
- Household Cleaning Products
- Laundry Detergent
For further details, or to make a request please contact our Home School Link Worker at hslw@st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk
Important Sources of help and advice
Sleep
At any given time up to 40% of adults and 50% of children (this rises to 80% with a SEND diagnosis) have difficulties with their sleep. Yet in a recent survey almost 60% of adults felt there was a lack of support for sleep issues. Sleep problems can leave people feeling isolated and lonely. The Sleep Charity have launched a free helpline which is run by trained sleep advisors, many of whom are specialists in working with SEND. They can talk to young people directly, or parents (they can also talk to adults, including older people, about their sleep issues).
The helpline is open 5 times a week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings 7 – 9pm and Wednesday mornings 9 – 11am. Their number is 03303 530 541.
You can read more here: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/national-sleep-helpline/
Important Sources of help and advice
If you are worried about how to keep your child safe online
https://www.internetmatters.org/
https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Important Sources of help and advice
Everyone's mental health and wellbeing
https://www.st-thomas.surrey.sch.uk/learning/looking-after-our-mental-health-and-wellbeing/
https://parentzone.org.uk/article/10-mental-wellbeing-apps-all-family
https://www.actionforhappiness.org/news/how-to-keep-mentally-healthy-during-uncertain-times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GmQijmUrkk&feature=youtu.be
https://elearning.creativeeducation.co.uk/courses/simple-self-soothe-strategies/
https://elearning.creativeeducation.co.uk/courses/covid19-staying-mentally-well/
Important Sources of help and advice
Talking to your children about coronavirus and worries linked to the pandemic
https://www.mindheart.co/descargables
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51204456
https://theautismeducator.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Corona-Virus-Free-Printable-Updated-2-The-Autism-Educator-.pdf
https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-mental-wellbeing
https://ocdaction.org.uk/articles/covid-19
http://www.safehandsthinkingminds.co.uk/covid-anxiety-stress-resources-links/
COVID-19 – resources for parents and carers (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)
The college have identified a range of useful websites and information to help parents and children at this time. The website can be found here: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/
The webpage can also be downloaded as a pdf here: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/
Stay at home activities for children and young people
https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/