Tonight I was able to host the first of our focus groups on mental health in schools. It was a good mixture of people – head teachers, class teachers, parents, an SEND specialist and a school governor. Early years, primary and secondary education were all represented, so we were able to tackle the issue from all sides, which made the conversation very enlightening and lively.
For all the diversity in the group, several common themes quickly became apparent. Everyone acknowledged the scale and severity of the problem; there is a mental health crisis building in our system, with services being overstretched and overwhelmed. There was a collective agreement that something needed to be done, but that there was no good option available.
This confirmed my suspicions and it is why we have launched this project, to provide that “good” option from a trusted source. We have a trinity of credibility – mental health professionals, NHS values, and teachers working within the NHS. The group agreed that all 3 elements were important, because establishing credibility is the first, hardest challenge. Schools are bombarded with commercial offers of mental health support (as many as 100 per day!) but it is extremely difficult to know which of them, if any, will deliver real results.
“You think NHS – you think of professionals,” said one attendee. “Having training that’s coming from another teacher, I know you’ve been in my position, you know what we’re dealing with,” said another. The group ended positively, with everyone excited to see the project develop. This blog is going to be a window into that development, and I hope you’ll stay with us on our journey.
