Emotional wellbeing support for primary-school-aged children

Fun activities

Place2Be – provides wellbeing activities that children and families can do together.

Family virtual days out during coronavirus – here are some examples of virtual days out families can access, including zoos and museums.

Health for Kids – offer a fun, engaging and interactive way for children to learn about health. Find games, articles and lots more right here.

Relaxation and Mindfulness activities

Every Mind Matters – progressive muscle relaxation

Headspace –  Take a Mindful Walk

Headspace –  A Mini-Meditation on Self-Care

Headspace –  A Mini-Meditation for our Wellbeing this week

Headspace – Stressed? – learn to reframe stressful situations with this short meditation.

Self-care

Self-care is about what you can do to help yourself feel better or to keep yourself feeling good. The Anna Freud Centre #SelfcareSummer Primary resource is full of fun activities designed to help children look after their mental health and wellbeing while enjoying themselves. It also signposts them and their families to additional support if they need it.

The Anna Freud centre have also pulled together a range of self-care strategies on their website designed for young people including hobbies, exercise and reaching out.

Explaining the coronavirus to children

Here are a selection of leaflets and booklets explaining the coronavirus to primary-aged pupils:

An easy to read leaflet

A short story

A friendly explanation

Explore and organise good days in unusual times

The School Public Health Service have created Covid-19 FAQs for parents including guidance on supporting children and young peoples’ understanding of  coronavirus.

Supporting primary-aged-children’s mental health and wellbeing

The Department for Education have updated guidance for schools on remotely supporting pupil and staff wellbeing. The full guidance can be found here.

Other national guidance includes:

• Pastoral care in the curriculum
• Teaching about mental wellbeing

The Department for Education have  also produced a leaflet with advice and links to resources to help teachers planning on having a wellbeing ‘check-in’ with their pupils: preview and download here.

Coram Life Education has launched a free teaching toolkit to support children’s health and wellbeing when they return to school. The toolkit is designed to build children’s resilience, self-esteem and kindness and includes practical resources in line with new government guidance, such as lesson ideas for smaller class sizes and to use outdoors.

The following guidance offers suggestions on how to support an anxious pupil with successfully transitioning back into school, particularly after the coronavirus pandemic: supporting anxious pupils in a primary setting.

The Principal Educational Psychologist in Nottinghamshire has given permission to share therapeutic stories to support primary-aged children in exploring strong emotions linked to the coronavirus pandemic:

• The little elf who missed his birthday party
• The little elf and the flowers of hope and bravery

Short films to highlight the use of play to regulate children’s emotions from the British Psychological Society (BPS). These are two short films to help parents, carers and education professionals use play to support children to make sense of the changes happening in their lives. The first film is for families and  highlights the benefits of using play to help children understand the changes they are experiencing and gives tips on using play to support wellbeing. The second film offers professionals expert advice in play about its role in supporting learning and promoting children’s wellbeing.

Fantastic Fred / Good Mental Health Matters – developed by the NHS in Kent, Good Mental Health matters is a free resource for primary and secondary school teachers. Online resources are available to schools in addition such as the Fantastic Fred experience. F.R.E.D is an acronym for the four practical ways in which children can help to look after their own good mental health: Food – Rest – Exercise – Digital Devices.

Counselling and bereavement

The Kent School Public Health Service are offering children and young people’s counselling. This includes up to six counselling sessions for young people aged 4 – 19 for support with feelings of anxiety/stress, low mood, behavioural issues, emotional health and well-being, self-harm, or anger.

The Kent School Public Health Service can also provide up to 12 sessions of counselling for a student who has been bereaved as a result of Covid19. This can be accessed through the Single Point of Access (03001234496) or via the online portal. 

For information, advice and support following the loss of a child, or to support children who are going through a bereavement, please see the bereavement resource page here.

Kooth.com online counselling and support is available for all 10 – 16 year olds in Kent. Children and young people can access free, safe and anonymous support from fully trained counsellors.

ChildLine offer 1-2-1 counsellor chat online to help children with whatever is worrying them. Their website also offers message boards, calming activities, information and advice.

See, Hear, Respond

Are you worried about a child or young person affected by the Covid-19 crisis?

The pandemic means vulnerable children and young people could benefit from early support before they reach a crisis which requires action under the law.

Any vulnerable child or young person who is not supported by a statutory agency can now be referred to a single response centre for England: the See, Hear, Respond Partnership. Salus is proud to be a local delivery partner for this Partnership.

The Partnership works together to identify and support children and young people experiencing negative impacts on their health and wellbeing, as well as those at risk of harm. It is funded by the Department for Education and managed by Barnardo’s.

See, Hear, Respond will contact every referral made, so no child gets missed.  A delivery partner best placed to support each child will then provide the help they need. Salus is working in Kent and Medway to support:

• SEND Children with additional harm risks
• BAME children
• Young Carers
• Children at risk of extra-familial exploitation.

Children and young people will get help in one or more of four ways:

• An online hub of support and information,
• Online counselling and therapy
• Face-to-face support for those most affected and at risk, and
• Helping children and young people reintegrate back into school.

Please take action to prevent harm to children and young people in the following ways:

• Familiarise yourself with See, Hear, Respond. You’ll find detailed briefings for all professional partners on this public drive.
• Please use the poster, email banner and social media posts to raise awareness of See, Hear, Respond amongst colleagues and the wider public. Use the media aimed at children and young people where they might see it and contact the Partnership themselves, such as public waiting rooms and on social media channels.
• Refer any child you are worried about, and who is not already supported by a statutory agency. You can call 0800 157 7015 to make a referral from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 10am – 6pm at weekends, or go to barnardos.org.uk/see-hear-respond to use our secure referral form.

Support for Young Carers

Kent Young Carers is the countywide service for Young Carers aged 5 – 18 across Kent. Young Carers are taking on caring responsibilities for a family member with a long-term illness, disability, mental health or substance misuse issue. During this time of change they have adapted their services and continue to operate remotely via phone and email. All services are open to new referrals via the Hubs.

Transition to secondary school

Visit the emotional wellbeing advice and guidance for schools section which has useful advice for transition.

Barnardo’s have created a leaflet full of advice and activities for Year Six pupils to allow them to explore their thoughts and feelings as they transition to secondary school. Download a copy of the leaflet below.