Our mental health support teams (MHSTs) across Pennine Lancashire support primary schools, high schools, special schools, colleges and PRUs.
Schools and colleges where the MHSTs are currently based:
|
Area |
Primary Schools |
High Schools |
Special Schools |
PRUs |
Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn with Darwen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Burnley | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Clitheroe | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pendle | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Hyndburn | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Rossendale | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Each team consists of:
Hi, I am an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) working within schools to support children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing. Mostly I help children and young people who are experiencing low level mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood and depression. If a child or young person needs support a consultation is undertaken and if our team can help an appointment is offered within 28 working days or alternatively the child or young person is signposted to the best support to meet their needs.
We always try to meet in a safe and private space within the school. The first appointment is an initial assessment or screening. Parents can attend this assessment too.
Hi, I am a mental health practitioner and I help manage the team and supervise the EMHPs. I also provide consultation and advice and deliver therapies to children and young people.
Hi, I am a Senior Mental Health Practitioner. My role involves working closely with the schools and ensuring the communication between the schools and the teams. I also supervise the mental health practitioners and provide consultation, advice and therapies to children and young people.
Hi, I am the clinical lead and there are two of us across Pennine each managing four teams. We make sure we have good relationships with the schools and are working to support the 'whole school approach' across all the schools we are based in. We work closely with other strategic partners including the local authorities to help address any concerns or issues that arise within schools. As a team we produce lots of information in different formats such as presentations, videos, newsletters, leaflets and posters. When you see this logo you’ll know it’s information regarding the mental health support teams.
The MHSTs provide direct, ongoing mental health and wellbeing support that includes:
- Evidence based interventions, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), creative problem solving for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health conditions including anxiety, depression/low mood, sleep problems, panic attacks, specific phobias and behavioural and emotional regulation.
- The teams also provide guidance around coping with issues such as exam stress and bullying, concerns related to historical self-harm and injury – learning to cope/new strategies, concerns related to current non-life threatening self-harm/injury – basic harm reduction, assessing risk and management advice. Children who require more specialist interventions will be directed to the child psychology service or have direct access to the ELCAS core team.
- Emotional difficulties that are secondary to autistic spectrum disorder or ADHD or learning difficulties.
- A consultation request for support process that ensures children and young people receive the right support to meet their needs.
- One to one and group sessions, assemblies and whole class support.
- Education, advice and training to staff within schools, with support for the mental health lead within each school or college.
- Working with schools to implement their whole school approach developing a positive ethos and culture for pupils and families, promoting good mental health and wellbeing across the school.
- Advice to school and college staff and liaising with external specialist services to help children and young people to get the right support and remain in education.
- Parent led sessions as groups or 1:1s.
- Parent education sessions e.g., the internet and the impact on mental health.
The teams work with children, young people and families from a variety of backgrounds and aim to provide a culturally sensitive service.
When should a Child or Young Person access the MHST?
The team’s ambition is to provide an early, evidence based intervention when young people experience a mental health problem. Any concerns regarding a child or young person needs to be raised with the senior mental health practitioner who covers the young person’s school. When the request for support is accepted an initial assessment is arranged either via the Attend Anywhere digital platform, or, if available, in a safe and confidential area within the school. Parents are often contacted to assist with the assessment. To support primary school children our teams will look at the best way to meet a young child's needs, for example: children's group sessions or parent sessions.
Most therapy appointments take place in the young person’s school although if a room is not available or this is not appropriate, other local venues can be agreed. The team can also offer appointments remotely on the remote platform, Attend Anywhere, authorised by the NHS.
We use questionnaires and other rating scales to help with our assessments, to understand the young person’s difficulties and to see whether we have been able to make a difference.
The team liaises closely with child psychology services, and the input of this service can also be considered at the point of request for support. If the child’s need is such that they require a more specialist intervention or would benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach (e.g. with ELCAS) this too will be discussed with the referrer.
Who can request support from the MHST?
Most requests for support come from the young person's school. School requests for support often come from the school's designated mental health lead (DMHL) or pastoral lead. Other school staff can request support but this would ordinarily have been agreed first with their respective DMHL or pastoral lead. The request for support process works best if a discussion is held with the MHST about the young person first with the team's senior practitioners.
If you are concerned about a young person's mental health over the holiday period, please see your GP in the first instance who will consider a referral to ELCAS who will pass your referral to the appropriate team.
Information for you
What is Mental Health?
Small feelings every day come and go all the time but big feelings can affect our thoughts and feelings and the way we behave, making us feel sad, worried or stressed. It can affect our sleep, how we get along with others and how we feel about ourselves.
How do you feel today?
Are you worried about something? Are you scared? Do you feel sad or unable to cope?
Your Mental Health Support Team can help you. You can speak to your parent/carer or a teacher within school to get you the help and support you need.
What happens when we see you?
We will try to see you in a safe and private space in your school. Your first appointment with us is often called an initial assessment or screening. This is a safe space where you can talk to us about the worries and difficulties that you are experiencing, and we will talk to you about the ways that we can help and support you. Your parents can also attend this assessment too.
If you have noticed your child is frequently feeling sad, worried or anxious and feel they may need support from our team, please speak to a member of staff at your child’s school who will refer you directly to the service.
When we receive your child’s referral we will look at the information provided and decide whether our service is best to see your child or another service such as the Child Psychology Service.
The first appointment with us is referred to as the initial appointment or screening for both your child and you to attend. This is a safe place where you can discuss the worries and difficulties your child is experiencing, and we can explain how we can help and support you and your child. We can meet face-to-face or virtually and if we feel we can help your child we will involve you in the planning of your child’s care.
What can the MHST help with?
- Low mood, that doesn’t meet the threshold for ELCAS support
- Common worries, anxieties, avoidance and negative thinking
- Concerns regarding current or historical self-harm or injury
- Early onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Managing panic episodes
- Emotional difficulties that are secondary to ADHD, Learning Difficulties or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
MHST referrals:
Any professional e.g. GP, school nurse can refer into the MHST, most referrals come via the child’s school. If you have an enquiry or concern please contact the senior mental health practitioner attached to the school for an initial consultation.
- All referrals require consent from parents/carers and are submitted on the MHST referral form and emailed to the dedicated inbox.
- Initial assessments/screenings are undertaken by the practitioners within the MHST. The screenings take place in a safe, confidential setting and parents and carers are involved in the screening. If preferred the teams will offer remote appointments using the Attend Anywhere platform.
- MHST use Routine Outcome Measures (ROMS) to inform our assessments and interventions, this is to improve care and demonstrate patient progress. ROMS are used collaboratively with children, young people and parent/carers to evaluate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment.
Participation
It is important that children and young people, their parents, carers and families share their views with regards to how we provide our services. Therefore we have EMHPs who have a dedicated interest in building relationships through participation, holding young people and parent groups. We welcome young people and their families who have an interest in improving children’s mental health services or have used our services to join our groups. If you would like more information please contact the EMHP within your school or email Natalie Koncsol.
