Mental Health and Well-Being (MHWB)

Having positive mental health and wellbeing underpins all that we do at Bedford Drive for our pupils, staff and our community. In order for our pupils to become successful and confident learners, they need to be happy and ready to learn. We have a number of ways to support and encourage this.

myHappymind

We have introduced a program to all year groups at school called myHappymind. myHappymind is all based around helping children to understand how their brain works and to support them in developing positive skills and habits to be their very best selves!

myHappymind is delivered in schools by class teachers through a series of interactive lessons and then the children apply these learnings throughout the day.

To further embed this learning, myHappymind has developed a Parent App. These resources can be accessed online on your computer, or through an app on your phone. The Parent App will support you as a parent in understanding what your child is learning, activities for you to do together at home and also a Kids Zone featuring myHappymind Games plus much more!

To access these materials just go to https://myhappymind.org/parent-resources to create your free account. You will need to enter your name, email, and authentication code, which you can ask the school office for.

Each half term we focus on a new module:

Meet My Brain
Celebrate
Appreciate
Relate
Engage

Look out for the half termly newsletters that will provide more detailed information about what pupils will be learning in each module to help them achieve positive health and wellbeing.

REST EASY

Rest Easy is a method that we have adapted in our school as a way to provide our pupils with the tools that they need to develop emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy and self-awareness. It combines mindfulness with positive thinking and life skills to encourage the children to gain confidence and raise their self-awareness. REST EASY is an acronym for:

All of our staff have been trained to use this method and every classroom has a REST EASY space in their classroom for the pupils to access when they feel they need to.

For more information about the method please contact the school office or visit:

https://www.resteasymethod.com/Free-Resources

Place2Be

Here at Bedford Drive Primary School works with Place2Be, the UK's leading children's mental health charity providing in-school support and expert training to help improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff.

How Place2Be helps pupils:

Pupils can find help with friendship issues and other worries by choosing to visit Place2Talk. Children can book to see a counsellor on their lunch or break time and attend on their own or in a group.

Place2Be also works with children individually and in small groups, offering regular time-tabled support for those who will benefit most, working closely with parents and school staff.

There is a dedicated Place2Be room inside the school where children can go to express and think about their worries, through talking, creative work and play. This helps children to find new ways of coping with difficulties so they don’t get in the way of friendships or learning.

How Place2Be supports parents:

Parenting advice from Places2Be’s child mental health experts giving practical tips to support children’s well-being and behaviour is available on the Parenting Smart page of their website. Click here for the link: https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/

Other support from Place2Be:

Place2Be also offers support and advice for parents and carers, as well as teachers and school staff. Please do get in touch with our School Project Manager, Linda Greenlees, to find out more. Linda works on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can contact her via email, telephone or face-to-face, see below.

linda.greenlees@place2be.org.uk
0151 645 1561
Find out more about Place2Be at: www.place2be.org.uk

Drawing and Talking

This is a child-centred therapy focusing on prevention, early intervention and recovery of mental health issues. We have several trained members of staff who work closely on a 1:1 basis with pupils when the need arises.

ELSA

ELSA is an ‘Emotional Literacy Support Assistant’ intervention that we use at Bedford Drive to give our pupils the tools those they need to become emotionally literate. It helps support the development of social skills, recognising and dealing with emotions, coping with bereavement, anger management, encourage positive self-esteem and friendship. This may be delivered in a 1:1, small group or whole class situation dependent on need. It also offers resources to parents to continue the pupils’ development at home.

For free resources visit: ht tps://www.elsa-support.co.uk/category/free-resources/

Parent Support

At Bedford Drive, we pride ourselves on the ongoing support we provide for our parents. We are always looking for ways that we can offer not only advice, but also practical and emotional support for any parent who needs it. This can look very different for different families and support is tailored to their individual needs. We have a wealth of agencies that we can signpost our parents to if require more specialist support. We have a dedicated Family Liaison Officer, Mrs Gee, who is invaluable in her role helping us support our families.

Here are some resources that may be useful to use at home to support your families emotional wellbeing:

Looking for guidance?
The following website is full of useful information for parents and children.

https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/

Worried about a child or young person?

Parent/Carer Helplines are available to offer advice to anyone worried about a child or young person. You may have questions about a child’s behaviour, emotional well-being or mental health condition.

Trained advisers are available to give you help and advice, whatever the question on either of these helplines:

Wirral CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)
Advice and Duty Line:
0151 488 8453

Young Minds:
0808 802 5544

What happens when you call the Parent/Carer Helpline?

You’ll get through to a trained adviser who will talk through the problem and listen to your concerns and questions in complete confidence.
Your adviser will help you to understand your child’s behaviour and give you practical advice on where to go next.
If you need further help, they’ll refer you to a specialists and will arrange a phone consultation.

It may feel difficult to call the first time – but don’t worry. Your conversation will remain confidential unless a child may be experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing harm.

Rest assured, if there is a need to share any information with anyone, you will be informed first, unless there is immediate risk to life that requires very quick action.

Are you worried about a young person’s mental health? Would it help to talk to a mental health professional?

You can now access mental health advice and support outside of usual working hours by calling the CWP Out of Hours Advice Line on: 0151 488 8453.

This service is available: Monday to Friday 9am to 10pm, Saturday & Sunday 12 to 8pm, Click here to find out more.

Mind

If you would like some information about how to talk to your children about mental health and wellbeing, follow the link below to the Mind website:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/information-for-parents/talking-about-mental-health/

Happiness Heroes

At Bedford Drive, we have 'Happiness Heroes' to help pupils support each others mental health and well-being. They were voted for by their class to attend meetings with our Mental Health Lead, Mrs Stewart, to learn and share ways to support their peers. They return to their class and share messages, deliver lessons and promote the use of Happy Breathing to help with self-regulation.

We would like you to meet our Happiness Heroes for 2023-24:

Autumn Term 1:

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Group met to set new actions for the year. We have reviewed our staff wellbeing policy and sent it to Governors for approval. We are currently reviewing our Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Behaviour policy to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of the children. Shortly, we will be sending out questionnaires to staff, parents/carers and pupils to find out what we are doing well to support wellbeing and what we can do to improve further.

We are looking forward to our Wellbeing Warriors having their first meeting next week where they will be reminding their peers of ways we can support their mental health and wellebing whilst in school.

Follow @Wellbeing_BDPS on Twitter for more information