Mental health Awareness Week

As we enter another week with a mental health focus, rather than post about the usual strategies and preventative measures, I really want to consider the issues with slightly more depth and debate.

Therefore, I have posed some thoughts and questions. While some of these are not necessarily my personal view, I hope that they stir up some thought-provoking emotional responses which could be a useful starting point for a staff meeting discussion.

Children

1. Would you consider that enough is being done to interweave SEMH into the school curriculum, starting from reception or earlier?
2. The government’s approach to mental health education is merely a sticking plaster approach, without any consideration for embedding actual strategies for children to use long-term as adults. As a school, how can we combat this?
3. Schools are expected to find their own way when it comes to mental health education. Are we effective or can we do better?
4. Schools are concerned about having bigger discussions on areas such as suicide as they are concerned about the fragility of children and their parents with these big topics. Are we able to cope with these discussions? Do we have age-appropriate books and the right pastoral support when an issue arises?
5. As an individual teacher, I’m sure you would like to support the families you serve who have challenging circumstances but your school is quite divisive (maybe without realising it) and there is a ‘them and us’ attitude. As a school how can we reach the community we serve on their terms? How can we support the community further?
6. We know there are not enough NHS resources for the increasing SEMH and mental health needs of our young people. Are our systems effective? Do we use voluntary organisations effectively?

Adults

1. Do you consider that GPs are too fast to medicate you when you have an issue rather than looking to the core of the problem?
2. If your stress and mental health are poor as a result of environmental stress such as work or relationship issues, then do you consider that you need to take some steps to do something about it?
3. Do you set yourself healthy work boundaries?
4. Is your school respectful of your work/life balance boundaries?
5. Does your school support you if you have having a tough time?
6. Is there someone trusted in school you can talk to about issues?
7. Do you utilise the various Facebook support groups for teacher wellbeing?
8. Does your school focus too much on pupil wellbeing at the expense of the adults.
9. Does your school support you with things that would have a positive effect on mental health such as the ability to take a morning off to see your child’s school play, or more flexible working opportunities?
10. Do you consider that your leadership team, in their ivory tower, have no idea what it’s like on the ground?
11. Or are you the one in the tower? If so, how are you going to find out what it’s like on the ground?
12. Would your mental health at work be improved by better staffing ratios?
13. Would you consider that some of the teachers in your school lack resilience or wellbeing self help skills? How are you going to support that?

Finally, how are you as a school or individual going to do your bit by standing up and being counted in the continuing quest to support our teachers and pupils more effectively in these areas?

Let’s support mental health in school together.

I hope that some of these points spark some contentious debates!

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