Schools to take action on mental health
Sarah Cooper
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Children suffering from mental health problems will be targeted at school in a bid to catch problems early.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has chosen 25 areas in England to test out its Targeted Mental Health in Schools project.
In Gloucestershire the money will help implement the county council's emotional health and wellbeing strategy. The project, being put in place by the council and Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, will work in four groups of schools to develop existing services.
Gloucestershire's project aims to reduce absence from schools, exclusions and referrals to CAMHS. It also aims to increase the number of children who are happy and improve children's healthy lifestyles.
Another of the 25 areas is Leicester, which has run a similar project for nine years. Its child intervention initiative brings professionals together to identify problems at an early stage. The city council and Leicester Primary Care Trust plan to use the money for a team of psychologists, family support workers and mental health professionals to work with schools.
Joe Dawson, the council's principal psychologist, said: "The new service will help us to work with targeted schools and make sure that teachers and other staff get the skills and help they need to improve the mental health of their pupils."
In Merton, 17 schools will have access to the scheme, which will see school-based therapists working with children. The project will focus on anxiety and attachment issues, aggressive or disruptive behaviour, self-esteem linked to eating disorders and conflict resolution.
Swindon Borough Council, one of the 25, is working with its local CAMHS on the project. Sue Wald, Swindon's director for strategy and commissioning of children's services, said: "It's working on services around clusters of schools, particularly evidence-based group work that's been delivered by CAMHS as part of their specialist services." There will also be work on peer mentoring and parenting programmes.
The projects will run for three years, with funding from the £60m announced by Children's Secretary Ed Balls in July 2007 to promote emotional wellbeing.
