Mental and Emotional Health and Wellbeing in sShools - What Role for the Voluntary Sector?

Thursday 20th November 2008 Dundee

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied”.
Herophilus

As part of PINS current thematic work exploring Health and Wellbeing for All? this seminar focused on mental and emotional health and wellbeing and challenged participants to think critically and creatively about what they do, how they do it, and who with.

Jenny Spratt from The Rowan Group based at the University of Aberdeen launched the day and drew on a number of studies to help us think about the professional and meaningful relationships we establish to support young people. Jenny asked us to think about some challenging questions: How can we design our formal interventions to allow young people to ‘test out’ before choosing to engage? How do we provide low threshold access to support, avoid labelling and stigmatising those who seek support? How can we offer a range of gateways to support and offer a menu of options (including informal supports) for young people to select how they choose to engage? For Jenny’s PowerPoint (1) go here

Hilary Hall from Learning and Teaching Scotland explored mental and emotional health and wellbeing as one of 6 key areas which form part of the cross curricular ‘health and wellbeing’ theme within A Curriculum for Excellence. For Hilary’s PowerPoint go here  

Fiona Mitchell from Barnardo’s Scotland talked about the Hands on Scotland Toolkit which gives practical information and techniques on how to respond helpfully to children and young people’s troubling behaviour, build up their self-esteem and promote their positive mental wellbeing. For Fiona’s PowerPoint go here

Jonathan Wood, National Manager in Scotland of The Place2Be works inside schools to support and nurture children, providing counselling plus a drop-in service open to pupils in the schools where they are located; with a focus on self esteem, communication and improving relationships. Jonathan described the model of work and focused on how the agency rises to the challenges encountered when working in the school setting. For Jonathan’s PowerPoint go here

Jenny Spratt presented for us once again and reported on research which has explored the role of voluntary sector agencies working on mental health and wellbeing in schools. Jenny highlighted the advantages and challenges in this work and helped us understand what both the voluntary sector and schools must address to improve interventions and focus more successfully on improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people. Some important questions were posed for our further consideration:

  • What can the voluntary sector do to support mental health in schools that is different from what schools and other partners offer?
  • How does the work of the voluntary sector complement the work of schools?
  • How can voluntary sector organisations use their position in schools to reach the most vulnerable young people?
  • What are the tensions between the aims of the voluntary sector and those of schools?
  • How can such tensions be addressed in ways which neither compromise the mission of the organisation, nor compromise their standing in the school?
  • How can schools and voluntary sector organisations work together to ensure the work is embedded, not ‘bolted on’?

For Jenny’s PowerPoint (2) go here