This document provides information and resources to support mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges. It outlines top wellbeing tips for children, young people, parents and staff. These include being kind, getting exercise, eating well, talking to others, and limiting screen time. The document also shares details of upcoming training sessions and webinars on topics like self-harm support, emotionally based school avoidance, and the role of mental health leads. Resources are provided for supporting staff, parents and children's mental health and wellbeing.

1. Mental health & emotional
wellbeing in schools and
colleges
Judy Perraton - Schools/Colleges MHEW Adviser
January 2021
judy.perraton@eastsussex.gov.uk
Tel: 07850 882219

2. Top wellbeing tips for cyp
1. Be kind to yourself and others. Smile, try and say something nice to
others to brighten up their day too
2. Try not to watch too much negative TV. Watch funny programmes
instead to make you laugh
3. Talk to your family and friends if you have any worries. Keep in
touch with other relatives via phone, WhatsApp, texts, social media
4. It’s okay to feel sad, stressed and angry during a crisis. Make time
for a brain break to do something that makes you feel good
5. Eating regular meals is really important to help with your energy
levels. Drink lots of water too to help keep the brain active.
6. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables throughout the day.
7. Get some fresh air. Walking is a really good way of exercising.
8. Structure your day with things you can realistically achieve. Don’t be
over ambitious.
9. Get into a good bedtime routine – wind down, ‘off screen time’, bath,
reading, something creative, sorting.
10. If you’re feeling stressed, think back to a time you have overcome
stress before. What helped then? Can you use those things again?

3. Children’s wellbeing is directly related to parental wellbeing
1. Share worries and seek out support from friends and family
2. Eat well, get some exercise, have fun and get enough sleep
3. Stay well informed by finding out more about topics that concern
children
4. Continue to listen and talk to their child through good times and bad
5. Offer opportunities to earn pocket money and encourage children to
save some of it
6. Avoid adverts for consumer goods
7. Help children to identify what really matters in their lives
8. Help parents/carers to understand their own stressors, and where to
seek help if necessary
9. Offer opportunities and information about positivity and get parents
involved in school life where possible.
Wellbeing habits to encourage in parents and carers

4. Top wellbeing tips for school/college staff
Individual
• Effective line management
• Autonomy/control
• Support for emotional content of work – supervision opportunities
• Wellbeing action plan – for self or to share with line
manager/team
Workplace
• Strategy and success measures; normalising wellbeing
conversations – using scaling 1  -10 , wellbeing on agendas
• How and where to seek help – staff drop-ins; external support
• Opportunities to come together – buddy systems, team activities
• Participation in decision-making
• CPD
• Wellbeing boxes

5. Up to 6 school/college staff can attend to discuss MHEW challenges
and share practice. These sessions run from 3.30-5pm and are
facilitated by ISEND MHEW Adviser and Nurture Lead, as follows:
• Tuesday 28 January – burnout and self-care
• Tuesday 23 February
• Tuesday 23 March
• Thursday 29 April
• Tuesday 25 May
• Thursday 24 June
• Tuesday 20 July
Please book via: ISEND.InterventionandSupport@eastsussex.gov.uk
Small group virtual supervision for MH Leads
100% positive impact on staff practice:
• Introduced new wellbeing work with staff & students
• Implemented additional support for key staff
• Fed ideas up to SLT for implementing school-wide
• Reassurance: enhanced confidence and understanding

6. MH Leads’ Programme
4 webinars to explore the role and expectations of the MH Lead. The
content will be made available in recorded format via You Tube in
short sections. Each webinar will be followed by a virtual discussion
group to review progress and provide further support.
Live webinars – all 9.30-10.30am:
Thurs 4th February
Thurs 4th March
Thurs 22nd April
Thurs 17th June
Pls. book a place via the Learning Portal
Live discussion groups – all 3.45-4.45pm:
Mon 1st March
Tues 30th March
Tues 18th May
Tues 6th July
Pls. book a place via the Learning Portal

7. Key content:
• Resources to help governors to support school MHEW strategy
• Target setting and outcome measures for governors re MHEW
• Supporting senior leaders’ wellbeing
• Governor wellbeing
MH Link Governors
MH training sessions:
9th February
2nd March
Networking sessions:
2nd February
31st March
14th May
8th July
25th January – for small schools
Now booking on ES Learning Portal

8. DfE Wellbeing for Education Return programme Sept 20 – Mar 21
2 webinars delivered in terms 1 and 2, plus 2 webinars specially for
Early Years, featuring recommended practice and resources on:
• Whole school thinking
• Basic principles of resilience building & neuroscience
• Staff wellbeing
• Managing anxiety
• Bereavement and loss
• Trauma
All sessions have been recorded in individual sections and will be
shared on You Tube along with resources on czone.
Updates
Key focus for further support:
• Peer support programmes – Schools’/Colleges’ MH Network
• Staff supervision: ‘Train the Trainer’ model and sessions for senior
leaders
• Parent/carer support - EPS helpline

9. Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
funded by Public Health & ISEND
Aim of project: to improve educational outcomes of cyp identified as
displaying EBSA
• Development of training package and materials for parents, children
and young people, incorporating impact of COVID-19
• Emotionally Based School Avoidance ‘Good Practice Guidance’ and
toolkit for ISEND services to support schools
• Training programme and toolkit for schools and colleges
Online questionnaire for parents/carers:
Pls. feel free to share the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FK76LPS
Survey deadline is 29th January 2021.

10. Self-harm support
• New A&E schools’ notification protocol starting February 2021
• Pan-Sussex programme delayed – likely start date now May 2021
• Self-harm toolkit in development
• Dr. Pooky Knightsmith will provide 3 webinars to support staff:
1. Mon 1st Feb – What to say and do if a cyp is self-harming
2. Thurs 25th Feb – Working with parents/carers to support a cyp who
is self-harming
3. Thurs 11th Mar – Tolerating distress: simple skills for managing
crisis moments
All sessions from 4.00-5.30pm, free of charge. Book via Learning
Portal, search self-harm.

11. References
Staff support
• Mind - Employers’ guide to MH in the workplace
• Education Support Partnership – range of support for education staff
• Anna Freud Centre – resources and Schools in Mind network
• ESCC general guidance and resources for whole school approach to
MHEW
• ESCC staff wellbeing resources
• ESCC coronavirus-related MHEW guidance and resources
• Call MHEW Adviser or MHST contact for support with MHEW in practice
Parents/carers
• ESCC support via Open for Parents
• Young Minds parent/carer support – toolkit and helpline
Children and young people
• ESCC support via C360
• Childline (NSPCC) – resources and helpline for cyp
• Young Minds – resources and support for older yp