Healthy Minds Team – Covid-Related Support

From:

Sarah Dean, Strategic Commissioning Lead - Health and Social Care Integration

Date:

8th April 2021

Purpose of the Report

To provide the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors with information regarding the Healthy Minds Team’s offer during and throughout the pandemic

Background

During the initial lockdown periods, requests for support to the Healthy Minds Team dipped. However, requests for support have now increased and surpassed pre-lockdown levels.

During the covid period however, the Healthy Minds Team have continued with proactive service delivery, and have offered an adapted model, which includes:

1. Following appropriate guidelines to continue to offer face to face appointments to all schools;
2. Developed a digital offer via telephone or AccuRX video appointments;
3. Offered a minimum of weekly consultation slots, to enable school staff the opportunity to seek advice and support bespoke to their school/pupils;
4. Developed an information sharing platform via Padlet: https://padlet.com/joannecomerford/yfgynw4bu28wxl36 to ensure that schools and parents can confidently share trusted good-quality resources;
5. Developed and disseminated bespoke information/resource packs for professionals, students and families as a support tool to help build resilience;
6. Aided the normalisation of mental health by developing videos focused on emotions/worry:
   • Primary
   • Secondary
   • Recognising Emotions
   • Family Therapy Video – currently being uploaded onto Padlet along with information around systemic family work;
7. Supported schools to develop lesson plans and assembly material;
8. Supported the delivery of the Wellbeing for Education programme.

Current Position

Forecasting estimates a 20-35% increase of children experiencing depression, and an estimated 15% increase in prevalence of anxiety and an estimated 5-12% increase in post-traumatic stress disorder.

A 25% increase in the number of children and young people accessing mental health services is expected as a result of isolation and/or bereavement.

It is also expected that those young people whom may have demonstrated good resilience in the past, may have emerging difficulties when returning to school and learning to live with constant changes as we adapt to Covid in our community.

Since the return of all students in March 2021, the Healthy Minds Team have had a significant increase in the requests for support, in line with expectation outlined above.

The Team are looking to re-establish face to face appointments with those schools who previously declined the offer.

The Team are developing a rolling training programme aligned to the academic calendar, which will be circulated to all schools. The regular training the team offer includes:

1. FRIENDS programmes;
2. We Eat Elephants;
3. Living Life to the Full;
4. The Incredible Years;
5. Parent Led CBT;
6. ICAMHS for teaching staff/professionals;
7. Bespoke training where identified;
8. Support access to Kooth
9. Termly newsletter

The Team are looking to develop an information video about “Who are the Healthy Minds Team”. This will be circulated when available.

Taking part in Co-CAT in conjunction with the University of Oxford, this is an online programme for children/young people and their parent/carer to work through together and looks at child anxiety in the context of COVID.

Supporting the development and access of Stronger Schools digital platform recently commissioned by the CCG.

Continuing to build relationships between the link Healthy Minds Team worker and the Senior Mental Health Lead in schools, particularly utilising the consultation slots.

Recommendation

Chairs and Vice Chairs are asked to note the above for information.

Appendices