Grants
n Buddy Ambassador workshops for nominated pupils who are trained on the main mental health issues faced in schools, such as anxiety, stress, identity, bullying, self-harm and feelings of not belonging. They are also given help on how to spot signs of these issues and what action to
take when they do. n Approved CPD courses run as half-day (three-hour) or one-day (six-hour) sessions for teachers and others wanting to extend their mental health and wellbeing
knowledge and training. n A Buddy Board illuminated lightbox that can be placed on an internal wall to help open up mental health and wellbeing conversations and provide information about these
important issues. n A Buddy Bench – a semi-circular teak seat for six to eight students, with engraved phrases emphasising helpful Buddy concepts and ideas. The bench is somewhere pupils can sit quietly to reflect or talk openly with others, such as a trained school Buddy Ambassador. The concept of Buddyness is central to the charity’s mission of encouraging all pupils to try to become Good Buddies and not
Bad Friends. n A Buddy Box (small, locked metal box) placed securely on a wall so that pupils can post confidential notes, suggestions and requests for mental health and wellbeing
information and help. n Leaflets on specific issues that can be placed on walls within frames or given unframed to students,
24 SUMMER 2023 FundEd
teachers and others to help open up conversations. Leaflets can also be
collated into a Buddy Booklet. n Financial assistance – the charity may be able to help individual schools with financial and practical assistance to deal with a range of proactive or reactive issues
and concerns. n Despite the current mental health ‘tsunami of need’, there is no statutory requirement for schools to have a specific mental health policy.
However, Joe’s Buddy Line can provide a draft policy (for information only) for schools it works with. This can serve to open up conversations around wellbeing and mental health issues to help provide a more effective and OFSTED required Whole School Approach to Mental Health.
n For more information, see
joesbuddyline.org or email
joesbuddyline@gmail.com.
Mental health in schools: the big picture
More than a decade of chronic underfunding for child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) has left services struggling to cope. Demand soared in the aftermath of the pandemic as a result of young people experiencing isolation, anxiety from lockdowns and school clusters, eating disorders, bereavement and extra stresses on families. Health inequalities also worsened, in particular for young people of BAME backgrounds, from lower income households, those identifying as LGBTQ+ and those with special educational needs. Thousands of young people with
mental health needs are put on waiting lists, or simply turned away. The NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network has warned that a generation of children and young people risk not getting the mental health care they need. It is calling for
a stronger focus on prevention and early intervention services, including addressing the social factors affecting children and young people’s mental health, such as economic background and issues such as unstable home environments. The children’s mental health
charity Place2Be supports this approach. ‘Even before the pandemic, school leaders were telling us it was increasingly challenging to get child and adolescent mental health support when pupils needed it,’ says chief executive Catherine Roche. ‘It’s vital that we intervene early to prevent the escalation of mental health problems. Half of adults with lifetime mental ill health first experience symptoms by the age of 14. Providing mental health support in schools has long-term benefit.’
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