WAS Award
WELLBEING AWARD FOR SCHOOLS (WAS)
Here, at Aylesham Primary School we are currently working towards achieving the Wellbeing Award for Schools, recognising that positive mental health and wellbeing for the whole school community is of upmost importance. We value and promote the health and wellbeing of our children and staff and are committed to changing the long term culture of the whole school.
By following and learning about the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ (a set of evidence-based simple steps) it can help our children, staff and families take care of and prioritise their own mental health.
For more detailed information on this, please visit the Health in Mind website:
https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/resources/5_ways_to_wellbeing/d140/
By working towards the award, Aylesham Primary School is demonstrating the commitment to:
- Promoting mental health as part of school life
- Improving the emotional wellbeing of their staff and pupils
- Ensuring mental health problems are identified early and appropriate support provided
- Offering provision and interventions that matches the needs of its pupils and staff
- Engaging the whole-school community in the importance of mental health awareness
- Capturing the views of parents, pupils and teachers on mental health issues
Here are some examples of how we promote wellbeing and mental health across Aylesham Primary School:
PUPILS
Daily Time to Talk sign-up sessions
Worry Boxes which are themed ‘I wish my Teacher Knew’
Wellbeing Awareness Days
Wellbeing lunch support groups
Access to Emotionally Available Adults
Peer Wellbeing Champions
‘Move & Groove’
Evidence based interventions
Young Carers group
STAFF
Supervision
Staff ‘shout outs’
Staff team building activities
Mental Health & wellbeing training (including Trauma Informed practice)
Feedback opportunities
COMMUNITY
Parent Forums and Workshops offered throughout the year
Feedback opportunities
HAF Programme
Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner on site once a week to work with parents (from January)
Our Aylesham Primary Wellbeing Mentors
As part of our commitment to this award we have developed a school wellbeing team and appointed two wellbeing mentors to take an active role in responding to children, delivering interventions and planning school wellbeing events and awareness themed days. Our current Wellbeing Mentors are Miss Cooper and Miss Aspey.
Young Carers
Whilst embedding a whole school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing, we identified a high number of Young Carers enrolled within our school. To recognise the potential mental health impact this may have on their daily learning journey, we created a Young Carers support & activity group within school. The aim of this provision is to promote peer-led activities and networks amongst the children, provide the opportunity for shared experiences that children may not otherwise be able to access and to experience a sense of belonging.
Mental Health Support Services Directory:
Your GP
They will be able to provide help and advice. Your GP can also provide access to appropriate specialist services and local organisations.
Call 111
You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
NHS Mental Health Services
Find local mental health services on the NHS website. http://www.nhs.uk
Live Well Kent
Provides free mental health support for people aged 17+. You can refer yourself, refer someone else or ask somebody to refer you to us for help. https://livewellkent.org.uk/
Kooth
KOOTH online support & counselling for young people aged 10-16 years (suitable for year 6 pupils).
You can view a short video about the service at: https://vimeo.com/318731977/a9f32c87de.
Childline
Free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday.
0800 1111
https://www.childline.org.uk
Mind – Infoline
Offers advice and support to service users; has a network of local associations in England and Wales to which people can turn for help.
0300 123 3393, text number: 86463
http://www.mind.org.uk
SANE
Provides practical help, emotional support and specialist information for people aged 16 and over with mental health problems, their family, friends and carers.
0300 304 7000
www.sane.org.uk
Support line
Confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue.
01708 765200
www.supportline.org.uk
Beat
Provides helplines, self-help groups and online support to anyone affected by eating disorders.
Helpline: 0808 801 0677,
Youthline: 0808 801 0711,
Studentline: 0808 801 0811
www.b-eat.co.uk
The Samaritans
The Samaritans provide a confidential service for people in despair and who feel suicidal.
116 123
www.samaritans.org.uk
NSPCC
Provides helplines and information on child abuse, child protection and safeguarding children.
0808 800 5000
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
Young Minds
Young Minds has a Parent Helpline that offers free confidential telephone and email support to any adult worried about the wellbeing of a child or young person.
0808 802 5544
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents
Youth Wellbeing Directory
Helps you find support for mental health and wellbeing of young people up to age 25 across the UK.
https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/youth-wellbeing/
HaveIGotAProblem.com
Free resource about mental health and addiction issues. It has advice and documents on issues including depression, anxiety, self-harm, bipolar, eating disorders and coping.
http://www.haveigotaproblem.com/
Helplines partnership
Provides a comprehensive list of mental health helplines in the UK.
https://helplines.org/helplines/
Mental Health Foundation
This website offers a wide range of information about mental health issues.
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Health Talk Online
Aims to provide balanced information about the experience of everyday life with a range of health conditions and issues, what to expect both physically and mentally, overcoming practical difficulties, making decisions about treatment and talking to health professionals.
http://www.healthtalk.org/
YouthinMind
YouthinMind is an online resource for information about mental health and offers brief assessments. It also provides links to other useful books, websites and services. http://youthinmind.info/py/yiminfo/