Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources

General information relevant to children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health

These resources are dedicated to children’s general mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on mindfulness with developing coping skills in young people.

• SafeSpot is an iPhone and Android app that promotes positive mental wellbeing in children and young people and has been designed to help children and young people with their coping skills.
• MindEd’s advice and resources for families on supporting children’s mental health.
• BBC’s wellbeing resources for families.
• Young Minds: a letter about how I’m feeling: worksheet to help pupils express their feelings and understand what may have triggered them. For use with pupils in school or at home.
• Mentally Healthy Schools: tools to support an emotional check-in with pupils.
• Mentally Healthy Schools: an anxiety thermometer as a wellbeing measurement tool.
• Mental Health at Work: Supporting Educators' Mental Health including during the pandemic. Round-the-clock one-to-one support by call or text from trained volunteers, plus resources, tips and ideas to look after your mental health.
• NHS: Mental Health Helplines for Urgent Help - NHS 24-hour advice and support for you, your child, your parent or someone you care for. Help is available to speak to a mental health professional.
• NHS IAPT: free online NHS adult psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for common problems involving stress, anxiety and depression. IAPT services can be accessed either through a self-referral by contacting your Local IAPT or via your GP.
• Cruse Bereavement Care: Coronavirus, Bereavement and Grief online information, advice and support. Helpline: 0808 808 1677
• MindEd: Coronavirus Staff Resilience Hub for frontline staff
• Headspace: Headspace for Educators offers educators access to free mindfulness and meditation exercises and resources for every age group, and a free Headspace Meditation App.
• Centre for Mental Health: Supporting Mental Health during Covid-19: a brief guide
• Public Health England Every Mind Matters: Looking After Your Mental Health Resources aims to support everyone to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing by promoting a range of self-care actions.
• Public Health England: Every Mind Matters Self-Care Tool when you complete the 5 ‘Survey’ questions, a ‘Mind Plan’ is generated, with signposting options to many useful resources.
• Young Minds: 10 Wellbeing Tips for School Staff

Covid-19 specific children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health support

For young people who feel particularly overwhelmed and troubled by Covid-19, these resources are helpful ways to manage anxiety around the pandemic, with helpful tools on homeschooling and self-care during lockdown.

• A downloadable guide from the Children’s Commissioner  for children and young people about the coronavirus, including proactive advice to support mental wellbeing.
• The Think Ninja app educates 10–18-year-olds about mental health, emotional wellbeing and provide skills young people can use to build resilience and stay well. It has been adapted to Covid-19 to bring self-help knowledge and skills to those who may be experiencing increased anxiety and stress during the crisis.
• The Rise Above website aims to build resilience and support good mental health in young people aged 10 to 16. The content has been adapted to Covid-19 and includes new mental health content based on insights from young people on remote schooling.
• The Every Mind Matters website aims to support everyone, including children and young people, to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing by promoting a range of self-care actions. It has been adapted to include advice and support about mental health issues that may have arisen because of the pandemic.
• The Young Minds website – provides online information on COVID-19 and mental health support to children and young people.

Mental health support for parents, carers, and school staff

Keeping in mind that parents, carers and school staff can often be impacted by children’s mental health, we have provided some select resources that can help adults better support children, and also find the help that they themselves might need.

• Public Health England advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children or young people during the Covid-19 outbreak.
• Online wellbeing resources for home education - a list of mental wellbeing resources designed to provide guidance on how to support the wellbeing of children and young people being educated remotely.
• Mentally Healthy Schools: a range of free coronavirus and mental health toolkits with useful resources and guidance to support school staff, parents and carers through the challenges they face as a result of the pandemic. This includes:
  • Resources for managing anxiety and improving wellbeing
  • Dealing with the effects of lockdown
  • Resources for building resilience
• Anna Freud: top tips to help families work together and support one another during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Barnardo’s See, hear, respond hub: information for parents and carers to help with some of the challenges the pandemic has presented.
• SecEd Headteacher Update: Best Practice Guide (2020) Focusing on Staff Wellbeing Post-lockdown and During the Full Return to School
• Family Links: Mental and Emotional Health in Schools: effective strategies and support for schools as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the whole learning community: Free Online Course.
• Teacher Magazine: Teacher Wellbeing During COVID-19
• TES: Coronavirus and Schools: LIVE 11/11 : A one-stop shop for teachers who want to know what impact the ongoing pandemic will have on their working lives.
• National Education Union: Coronavirus: What You Need to Know - Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing
• TES SEN Show: Supporting the Emotional and Mental Health of the Education Workforce free webinar. Suitable for all Key Stages.
• Schools’ Wellbeing Partnership: Mental health and wellbeing in primary schools –Preparing for Recovery: Self-review and Signposting Tool.
• Teacher Magazine Podcast: The Research Files Episode 62: Teacher Adaptability
  
  

Free online books 

• https://nosycrow.com/product/coronavirus-a-book-for-children-about-covid-19/  
• https://dewegwijzer.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/hello-i-am-corona.pdf 
• https://www.infinitefamily.org/2020/hello-my-name-is-coronavirus/ 

Good Youtube links 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKS_WMwis9k 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVvVTDhGqaA 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7FGrqt80dk 

Anxiety 

• https://place2be.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/News/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B5FBB2E74-2B28-40D5-8CE1-9366A1CE27F7%7D&file=Supporting%20children%20with%20Anxiety%20who%20are%20at%20home%20during%20the%20coronavirus%20pandemic.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true&DefaultItemOpen=1 
• https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/leaflets/Anxiety%20ER.pdf 
• https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/children-s-mental-health-week/