Mental Health & Wellbeing

On this page we will add links to sources of information and advice relevant to student mental health and well-being, plus useful resources for parents.

If you need urgent help

Call HPFT's freephone 24/7 helpline: 0800 6444 101 or Call NHS 111 and select option two for mental health services In the event of a life threatening condition that requires an emergency intervention, call 999 for the emergency services.

You can also find help on the HPFT website here: https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/get-help/

This May Help: Advice for supporting your child’s mental health

Being the parent of a teenager can be tough at times, particularly when it comes to mental health. The mental health advice in these films is practical. These are things you can do that may help to improve your situation.

This May Help Me

North Herts Mental Health Support Team

We are delighted to announce our engagement with the North Herts Mental Health Support Team, a programme funded by the DfE and Dept of Health and delivered by the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Sophie Brown will be our Education Mental Health Practitioner and will be based in school each Wednesday. She will be able to provide a wide variety of support, from one to one interventions to group work, drop ins, workshops and whole year group support. This could be on a wide range of issues, everything from low mood and anxiety to body image, exam stress, sleep disorders etc. This will be an excellent addition to our offer to children, parents and also to staff. 

The attached newsletter explains a bit more about the team and what they can offer. There is an option to 'opt-out' of any engagement with the service - please let admin@hitchinboys.co.uk know if this is the case. Any indiviidual interventions would be arranged via the pastoral team.

Sandbox

The Sandbox is an NHS-funded service to support children and young people in Hertfordshire with their mental health and well-being. In addition to providing NHS-funded support, The Sandbox is a central place for resources about common mental health issues, with information on how to access additional support or emergency services. More information at: https://sandbox.mindler.co.uk/

New Free Youth Wellbeing Service for Herts

Hertfordshire’s children and young people, who are experiencing emotional health problems and/or their parents/care givers, can now use a new free digital wellbeing service, without the need for a professional referral - With YOUth. This new free service is for children and young people aged 5-18, who are registered with a GP in Hertfordshire. It will initially be available from Monday to Friday, 2-10pm at www.withyouth.org, providing:

  • Instant online messaging 
  • Helpline: 0208 189 8400 
  • Lumi Nova (most suitable for ages 7-12) - therapeutic digital gaming app providing goal based help for social/separation anxiety and/or phobias, using the most beneficial parts of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
  • The With YOUth team can help with problems such as mild to moderate anxiety, behavioural difficulties, school attendance, low mood, relationship difficulties, bullying or self-harm. The service is not for children and young people who are in crisis.

With YOUth/Lumi Nova is part of Hertfordshire’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) System Redesign Programme. The Programme has made an ongoing commitment to improving access to emotional and mental wellbeing support at the earliest point.  You can find out more about the With YOUth Children and Young People’s Digital Wellbeing Service at: www.withyouth.org

The Anxious Child

A free booklet for parents and carers wanting to know more about anxiety in children and young people: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/anxious-child 

HCT School Nursing

The latest newsletter from the School Nursing Team can be read below:  Secondary Newsletter Summer 23.pdf

Just Talk

Just Talk is a Hertfordshire scheme encouraging our young people to show strength through talking about their mental health. Their website contains information for young people and their parents and carers. Just Talk Week takes place from 21-27 November 2022 and is a week-long campaign to help spread messages about the importance of talking about how we feel. 

Just Talk have also produced a flyer with links to many different sources of mental health and wellbeing information. You can download the flyer here:  Just Talk Flyer.pdf

Please also remind your sons that we have Sixth Form Just Talk ambassadors available, and an email address: 

justtalk@hitchinboys.co.uk  Boys can email for advice at any time.

NSPCC

 If you have any concerns at all about a child’s safety or wellbeing, don’t hesitate to contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

NHS Talking Therapies (16+)

Hertfordshire's NHS (HPFT IAPT**) Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression

Togetherall

Togetherall is a safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing. https://togetherall.com/en-gb/ 

PHASE Hitchin

Local Hitchin charity Phase have launched their Renew programme, a series of short development sessions that you can do when and how best suits you. The programme has three key parts and aims to help you renew and restore you and others to develop your mental health and wellbeing. Each session should take no more that 30 minutes and there is a specific webpage for each one to make it easier to focus, engage and renew. More information via this link: https://phase-hitchin.org/blog/renew

The Sadie Centre

Parents who would like to are able to access a weekly drop in mindfulness session on Mondays at 1pm which is run via Zoom. This is open to anyone regardless of previous experience: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrd-CtrjgjdmrZ4Ts9_OvlGisfneK4sg

Mental health resources for children, parents, carers and school staff

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, the Department for Education have put together some useful links and sources of support so that children, parents, carers, and school staff can get the advice and help they need. The information can be found here.

EduSafe

EduSafe offer a bank of online resources written by experts that provide information and extra support. https://www.educare.co.uk/edusafe-cyp

Anna Freud

The Anna Freud Centre have published strategies to help young people manage their mental health and wellbeing. You can access the resources here.

New resources from the British Red Cross to tackle loneliness

The coronavirus crisis has left many of us experiencing increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. Anyone can feel lonely, but the British Red Cross’s research with the Co-op shows that loneliness can badly affect young people. They have created some brand-new resources as part of the programme, designed to help develop understanding of loneliness and build confidence, coping skills and connections. The resources can be accessed on their website here: 

Families First

Is the term used in Hertfordshire for services that work together to support families who need extra help. These are also known as early help services. If you need more help than your usual support network - for example your health visitor, school, doctor or family centre - they can work with you and your family to create a package of support. Families First is available to all Hertfordshire families with children under 18 (25 if they have a learning need or disability). More information including how to get help can be found on their website https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/families-first/families-first.aspx

 

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