Mental health is an increasingly important consideration for young people in today’s society.
We are seeing a significant rise in the number of teenagers experiencing mental health difficulties. In response, we aim to provide students and parents/carers with as much information, practical advice, and guidance as possible, including where to access additional support.
School life and family routines may have changed during and since the pandemic, and some young people may be facing new challenges as a result. The links on this page are intended to offer support and helpful guidance. Every family’s situation is different, and not everyone will need this information, but we hope the resources provided will be beneficial to those who do.
A pupil’s mental health and wellbeing are fundamental to their learning, development, and overall happiness. By creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment, we aim to help every child build confidence, resilience, and positive relationships, ensuring they feel valued, understood, and able to thrive both in and outside the classroom.
In the 2020 Mental Health of Children and Young People in England report, one in six children (16%) aged five to 16 had a probable mental health disorder up from one in nine (11%) in 2017.
It is worrying and stressful for any parent to see their child having difficulty with their mental health, and when you search for information, it can be hard to know where to start.
NHS 111 – Select the mental health option (2)
Available 24/7, you will speak to a mental health professional who can listen to you and help you find the right support.
Talk to any member of staff or the pastoral team. We are there to help and offer advice and can direct you to the most suitable resource.
We also work closely with the School Wellbeing Service – The aim of the service is to work within educational settings to strengthen and improve the emotional and mental health support arrangements for children and young people. This is done using a universal, targeted and specialist offer.
The City Mental Health alliance have compiled ‘Mental Health Difficulties in Children and Young People. A Toolkit for Parents’. It is designed to provide an overview of the key topics, signpost to further information from trusted sources, and share insights from parents and young people who have been through it.
This toolkit will help you to:
Download the Parents Toolkit here
Place2Be have the following practical tips to support children’s wellbeing and behaviour here.
Mental health and wellbeing
If you need immediate support, you can text SHOUT to 85258 and chat by text. The service is free on most networks and available 24/7, and trained volunteers will listen to you, and work with to help you take the next steps towards feeling better.
Kooth.com provides online mental health services for children, young people and adults. It is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and is completely free. Please take a look if you need support with your own mental health and wellbeing or if you need some guidance on how best to help someone else.
Recovery College is a useful online resource with general advice, support, and strategies for a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues.
York Mind operates a Young People Project for young people aged between 11-21 years old.
Yormind – offers a directory of services local to York
CAMHS has published ideas for supporting pupils with emotional and mental health difficulties on their website – you can view these here.