Health and Well Being Strategy

“Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual recognises his or her own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her own community.”
(World Health Organisation, August 2014)

Overview

At Delamere School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils, their families and our staff.

Our vision, our values and our rights underpin all of our policies and the education we deliver. Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that: “The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions that affect children”. This policy has been created to keep the children at Delamere School safe and happy.

We have a supportive and caring ethos and our approach is respectful and kind, where each individual and their contribution is valued.

At our school we know that everyone experiences life challenges that at times can make us vulnerable, and anyone may then need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play. Delamere School will do all that it can to promote the Health and Wellbeing, including mental health, of all who learn and work here. Promoting healthy lifestyles for all will be a priority. We have put into place a number of policies which will be used to promote the health and well-being of pupils and staff.

Intent

To ensure that the emotional wellbeing and good health including mental health of all who learn & work in this school is promoted effectively.
To ensure that the school has a wide range of appropriate policies and strategies in place to ensure the emotional well-being and good health of all and that they underpin everything that we do.
Provide a supportive learning environment for children as well as a supportive work environment for staff.
To promote and live our school values in order to encourage a sense of belonging and ensure that all members of the school community feel valued and heard.
To promote pupil, parent and staff voice and create opportunities for participation in decision making.
To help both pupils, their families and staff feel comfortable in sharing any concerns or worries they may have around mental health.
Help children, their families and staff with any specific wellbeing issues they experience including access to appropriate support that meets need.
To promote life skills across the curriculum so that pupils will learn about mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
Help both children, their families and staff to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks.
Ensure that staff understand their role in working towards the above aims.

Implementation:

We pursue our aims through:

Universal, whole school approaches which promote wellbeing at all times.
Plans which provide immediate support for pupils, parents and staff going through sudden difficulties including bereavement.
Specific programmes aimed at pupils, parents and staff with more complex or longterm mental health difficulties such as attachment disorder or depression.

Delamere School’s responsibilities in relation to Mental Health

“All schools are under a statutory duty to promote the welfare of their pupils” Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools (DFE, November 2018).

At Delamere School we know that early intervention is crucial in supporting our school community.

Prevention: creating a safe and calm environment where mental health problems are less likely, improving the mental health and wellbeing of the whole school population, and equipping pupils, families and staff to be resilient so that they can manage the normal stress of life effectively. This will include teaching pupils about mental wellbeing through the curriculum and reinforcing this teaching through school activities and ethos.
Identification: recognising emerging issues as early and accurately as possible.
Early Support: helping pupils, families or staff to access evidence based early support and interventions.
Access to specialist support: working effectively with external agencies to provide swift access or referrals to specialist support and treatment.
Safeguarding: if staff have a mental health concern that is also a safeguarding concern, immediate action must be taken, in line with the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Key personnel: Mental Health Strategy Group

Sally Judge: Headteacher / Designated Leader of Mental Health

Barbara Telford: Lead teacher for Social, Emotional Mental Health including PHSE.

Elizabeth Johnson: Dedicated Mental Health First Aider for Staff

Deputy – vacant position

Aimee Henderson: Dedicated Mental Health First Aider for Pupils

Deputy – vacant position

Aimee Henderson: Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

Elizabeth Johnson – Family Liaison Officer

Sally Judge: Designated Safeguarding Lead

Barbara Telford: Designated Looked After Children Lead Jim Sales: Lead Governor Mental Health and Well Being

Creating a Mentally Healthy Delamere School Culture

At Delamere School there is a mentally healthy environment where Children:

are heard and their views are held to be important in whatever form they are able to express themselves.
are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
are surrounded by adults who model positive behaviours and interactions at all times.
have opportunities to participate in activities that encourage belonging
are supported through times of emotional distress with empathy, understanding and care.
have opportunities to participate in decision making (e.g. School Council) & Rights Squad)
have opportunities to celebrate academic and non-academic achievementshave their unique talents identified and developed (e.g. Extra-curricular clubs)
have opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others. (e.g. links with DeBrook Lodge, responsibility jobs, educational trips off site)
have opportunities to reflect (e.g. Circle Time and Collective Worship)have access to appropriate support that meets their needs (e.g. ELSA interventions, Music therapy, Play therapy, Pet therapy, Sketch book Mindfulness club, Delamere choir etc)have a right to an environment that is safe, clean, attractive and well cared for.
have a right to a broad and balanced curriculum that helps pupils thrive and feel successful

At Delamere School there is a mentally healthy environment where Staff:

are heard and their views are held to be important through information gathering systems such as New Starter Surveys, Annual Staff Voice surveys, Exit Interviews, open door policies etc
feel valued for their work
are empowered to contribute to decisions about whole school policy and practice.
are recognised and celebrated for their achievements and contributions towards whole school success.
are provided with a range of opportunities for Continuous Professional Development and are encouraged to engage in reflective practice which leads to personal growth.
can access support and guidance at times of emotional need in both the short and long term, provided by the Mental Health First Aider, Occupational Health and employee support programmes including TEAP and SAS.
have access to a range of systems in place to support & promote mental well-being e.g. Social Committee, Wellbeing Wednesdays, emotional resilience training, Appraisal, independent supervision, and peer coaching
have their individual needs recognised and responded to in a holistic way
are encouraged to take steps to improve their work-life balance

At Delamere School there is a mentally healthy environment where Parents and Carers:

are heard and their views are held to be important through information gathering systems such as Annual Review parent questionnaires, How Was Your Experience surveys after any school visit, end of year surveys etc
are recognised for their significant contribution to children and young people’s mental health
are welcomed, included and work in partnership with the school both collectively through Parent Council and Governing Body representation and also individually.
are included in work with external agencies e.g. Children with Additional Needs team.
are provided with opportunities to ask for help when needed through our Family Liaison Officer and signposted to appropriate agencies for support
are clear about their role, expectations and responsibilities in working in partnership with the school (e.g. Starter Pack, Parent training courses, Parents Evenings, Annual Reviews)
strengths and difficulties are recognised, acknowledged and challenged appropriately

Roles

Role of the Designated Leader of Mental Health

The school has a designated Leader for Mental Health. They act as a champion for Mental Health & Wellbeing and report to the school leadership team and Governing Body.

Their role is not necessarily to provide interventions, but to have a whole school overview and to co-ordinate the school’s approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.

As endorsed by the Department of Education, they will:

Oversee the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, including how it is reflected in the design of behaviour policies, curriculum and pastoral support, how staff are supported with their own mental wellbeing and how pupils and parents are engaged;
Support the identification of at-risk children and children exhibiting signs of mental ill health;
Have knowledge of the local mental health services and working in partnership with child mental health services will refer children and young people into NHS services where it is appropriate to do so;
Coordinate the mental health needs of young people within school and oversee delivery of interventions in the educational setting;
Monitor the outcomes of interventions, on children education and wellbeing.
Support staff in contact with children with mental health needs to help raise awareness, and give all staff the confidence to manage their responsibilities;
Present a written report for the Governing Body on Mental Health and Wellbeing across the school.

They may also be involved in meetings to support staff or pupils with individual mental health needs.

Role of the Mental Health Strategy Group

The Designated Leader of Mental Health reports directly to the Strategy Group and meets regularly with them to discuss the provision for staff and pupil / families’ mental health and wellbeing. The agenda for these meetings may consist of:

Staff wellbeing provision and activities
Pupil wellbeing provision and activities
Parental engagement provision and activities
Analysing any identification patterns
Monitoring general outcomes of pupil / family / staff interventions (overview data NOT individual cases)
Policy review (if required)
Review of Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan (if not covered in the points above)

Role of the Governing Board

The governing board is expected to:

Monitor and support the health and wellbeing of the headteacher
Make sure the school is fulfilling its duty of care as an employer, such as by giving staff a reasonable workload and creating a supportive work environment
Make sure the school is fulfilling its duty of care to children, by keeping them safe and creating an environment where they can thrive and fulfil their potential
Ensure that resources and support services are in place to promote child & staff wellbeing.

Provision for Staff and Children

Universal Wellbeing Provision for Staff

Staff Conduct:

All staff are expected to:

Treat each other with empathy and respect
Keep in mind the workload and wellbeing of other members of staff
Support other members of staff if they become stressed, such as by providing practical assistance or emotional reassurance
Report honestly about their wellbeing and let other members of staff know when they need support
Contribute positively towards morale and team spirit
Use shared areas respectfully, such as the staff room or quiet work room
Take part in training opportunities that promote their wellbeing

Line managers & Senior staff are expected to:

Maintain positive relationships with their staff
Provide a non-judgemental and confidential support system to their staff
Monitor the wellbeing of staff through regular surveys and structured conversations
Make sure that the efforts and successes of staff are recognised and celebrated
Communicate new initiatives effectively to ensure staff feel included in changes occurring at the school
Provide resources to promote staff wellbeing, such as training opportunities
Make sure new staff are properly and thoroughly inducted and feel able to ask for help
Monitor workloads and be alert to signs of stress, and regularly talk to staff about their work/life balance
Regularly review the demands on staff, and seek to reduce workload wherever possible
Make sure job descriptions are kept up-to-date, with clearly identified responsibilities
Listen to the views of staff and involve them in decision-making processes
Take any complaints or concerns seriously and deal with them appropriately using the school’s policies
Understand that personal issues and pressures at work may have a temporary effect on work performance, and take that into account during any appraisal or capability procedures
Promote information about and access to external support services
Keep in touch with staff if they are absent for long periods
Monitor staff sickness absence, and have support meetings with them if any patterns emerge
Conduct return to work interviews to support staff back into work
Conduct exit interviews/ surveys with resigning staff to help identify any wellbeing issues
Organise extra support during times of stress, such as Ofsted inspections

Additional Systems:

Investors in People: Delamere has been recognised as a GOLD standard employer against the Investors in People framework. We have worked within the programme for approximately 10 years and over that time we have evolved a wide range of employee recognition and support systems including high quality Appraisal systems for all, and values-based performance standards.

Our latest performance report in December 2023 stated;

People think this is a wonderful place to work. They love what the school does and the friendly and supportive culture that has been established.
People love the encouragement and support they get to develop their skills and career.
People recognise the strength and hard work of leaders. They value the trust shown in them and the flexibility they are given to do their work.
People appreciate the things you do to show that you value and appreciate what they do.
People like the things you have done to focus CPD and to combine learning with fun.
People appreciate what you are doing to support their wellbeing

Supervision is provided for all teaching staff and Designated Safeguarding Leads. The Supervision provided is independent and separate from the line management chain. Supervision sessions are confidential and whilst the supervisor may keep notes to aide their work, these are not reported to line management, unless there is a statutory or safeguarding requirement to do so.

Staff who are not allocated supervision but feel they would benefit from the support, should approach their line manager in the first instance, or contact the Mental Health Designated Leader.

The Mental Health Strategy Committee meets as a minimum 3 times a year, and strives to support staff wellbeing through the Five Ways to Wellbeing strategies.

The range of strategies they adopt include;

Wellbeing Wednesdays – three times a year something is provided for staff throughout school which promotes wellbeing. Most recent examples have been a Posh Coffee van, and professional in-chair massages.

Wellbeing Promotion – One training day a year is allocated to the promotion of wellbeing and Positive Mental Health. Most recently the day has been broken up into three twilight sessions spread across the year which encourage staff to get involved and improve their knowledge around the three most researched and evidenced ways of improving wellbeing; Physical Exercise, Healthy Diets and Creative Mindfulness.

Specific Wellbeing Support for Staff at times of need:

There are two trained Mental Health First Aiders at Delamere School who are available to any member of staff who requires support and signposting to additional services.
All members of staff at Delamere School are entitled to support through the Trafford Employee Assistance Programme which offers a range of services for supporting Mental Health & Wellbeing.
Through our Staff Insurance Provider – SAS, staff are able to access a whole range of Health & Wellbeing services such as counselling, physiotherapy, menopause support and more.
Maximus Access to Work Mental Health Support Service (MHSS). This is a voluntary, confidential and non-clinical service delivered by Maximus, and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
There may also be a need to complete a work place stress risk assessment and a referral to Occupational Health.

Universal Wellbeing Provision for Children:

Teaching about Mental Health

The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our students to keep themselves mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our developmental PSHE curriculum.

The specific content of lessons will be determined by the specific needs of the cohort we’re teaching but we will also use the PSHE Association Guidance to ensure that we teach mental health and emotional wellbeing issues in a safe and sensitive manner.

We will pay attention to the six areas of health and wellbeing across the curriculum, these will include mental, emotional, social and physical and spiritual wellbeing; planning for choices and changes; physical education and physical activity and sport; food and healthy eating; the dangers of substance misuse and relationships and parenthood.

Delamere offers targeted approaches for individual pupils or groups of pupils which may include:

Circle time approaches or ‘circle of friends’ activities.
Opportunities to contribute to policy development and influence decisions through the Rights Squad and School Council.
Targeted use of the Speak Out Stay Safe programme.
Support to develop talent in Sport, Art and Music.
Managing emotions resources such as Zones of Regulation, Emotion Coaching, the Engine Room, the Safe Space and the Bluebell Nurture room.
ELSA support either with individual pupils or groups.
Therapeutic activities including Play Therapy, Creative Mindfulness, Outdoor Learning, Scrummy Crew, Music Therapy, Lego Therapy, relaxation techniques, physical exercise such as Splash sessions and spending time with animals such as our school therapy dogs.
Support to develop Capital Culture including exposure to a wide range of curriculum linked opportunities and experiences.

Additional Systems

At Delamere we celebrate World Mental Health Day endorsed by the World Health Organisation.

We also plan activities around Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week to promote an awareness and understanding amongst our school community of how to support children with specific mental health difficulties.

Specific Wellbeing Support for Children at times of need:

At Delamere we recognise that short term stress and worry is a normal part of life and many issues can be experienced as mild or transitory challenges for some children and their families. Others will experience more serious and longer lasting effects. The same experience can have different effects on different children depending on other factors in their life. For example, it is normal for children to feel nervous or under stress around transition times, but other factors can make such stress part of an enduring and persistent mental health problem for some children. When a problem is particularly severe or persistent over time, or when a number of these difficulties are experienced at the same time, children are often described as experiencing mental health problems.

Where children experience a range of emotional and behavioural problems that are outside the normal range for their age, they might be described as experiencing mental health problems or disorders.

Mental health problems are much more difficult to spot in children with learning disabilities as their cognitive age will always be below their chronological age and therefore we rely much more on looking for changes to what is “normal” for the individual child.

Mental health professionals have classified mental health problems as:

emotional disorders, for example phobias, anxiety states and depression
conduct disorders, for example stealing, defiance, aggression and anti-social behaviour
hyperkinetic disorders, for example disturbance of activity and attention;
developmental disorders, for example delay in acquiring certain skills such as speech, social ability or bladder control, primarily affecting children with autism and those with pervasive developmental disorders;
attachment disorders, for example children who are markedly distressed or socially impaired as a result of an extremely abnormal pattern of attachment to parents or major care givers;
trauma disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of traumatic experiences or persistent periods of abuse and neglect;
other mental health problems including eating disorders, habit disorders, somatic disorders; and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder.

At Delamere we understand that:

Only appropriately trained professionals should attempt to make a diagnosis of a mental health problem.

Delamere staff may instead observe children day to day and could identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be experiencing a mental health problem or be at risk of developing one.

This may include withdrawn pupils whose needs may be otherwise unrecognised.

Unexplained changes in behaviour are particularly important to investigate as it may be the only way a child can express that they are experiencing distress.

Risk and protective factors

Certain individuals and groups are more at risk of developing mental health problems than others. These risks can relate to the child themselves, to their family or to their community or life events. In order to promote positive mental health, it is important that schools understand the protective factors that can enable pupils to be resilient when they encounter problems and challenges.

Risk and protective factors that are believed to be associated with mental health outcomes:

In the child
Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Genetic influences Low IQ and learning disabilities Specific development delay or neuro- diversity Communication difficulties Difficult temperament Physical illness Academic failure Low self-esteem	➢ Secure attachmentexperience ➢ Outgoing temperament as aninfant ➢ Good communication skills,sociability ➢ Being a planner and havinga belief in control ➢ Humour ➢ A positive attitude ➢ Experiences of success and achievement ➢ Faith orspirituality ➢ Capacity toreflect

It is easy to see how many children at Delamere will be at high risk of developing a mental health problem at some point in their lives due to the factors identified in the table above.

In the family
Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Parental conflict Family breakdown Inconsistent or unclear discipline Hostile and rejecting relationships Failure to adapt to a child’s changing needs Physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or neglect Parental criminality, alcoholism or personality disorder Death and loss – including loss of friendship	➢ Delamere Family Liaison Officer ➢ At least one good parent-child relationship (or one supportive adult). ➢ Clear, consistentdiscipline ➢ Affection ➢ Support foreducation ➢ Supportive long-term relationships or the absence of discord. ➢ Family Respite Arrangements

In the school
Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Bullying including online(cyber) Discrimination Breakdown in or lack of positive friendships Negative peerinfluences Peer pressure Peer on peer abuse Poor pupil /school staff relationships	➢ Clear policies on behaviour and bullying ➢ Emotional Wellbeing Pathway ➢ ELSA ➢ Staff behaviour policy (also knownas code of conduct) ➢ Safe circle of adults ➢ Speak Out Stay Safe programme ➢ A whole-school approach to promoting wellbeing ➢ Strong pupil / school staff relationships ➢ Positive classroom management ➢ A sense of belonging ➢ Positive peerinfluences ➢ Positivefriendships ➢ Effective Safeguarding and Child Protection policies including Low Level concerns policy ➢ An effective early helpprocess ➢Effective multi-agency working

The balance between risk and protective factors is most likely to be disrupted when difficult events happen in pupils’ lives, including:

loss or separation – resulting from death, parental separation, divorce, hospitalisation, loss of friendships (especially in adolescence), family conflict or breakdown that results in the child having to live elsewhere, being taken into care or adopted, deployment of parents in armed forces families;
life changes – such as the birth of a sibling, moving house or changing schools or during transition from primary to secondary school;
traumatic experiences such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, bullying, violence, accidents or injuries;
other traumatic incidents such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Some groups could be susceptible to such incidents, even if not directly affected. As such, Delamere staff are made aware of armed forces families, who may have parents who are deployed in areas of terrorist activity and are surrounded by issues in the media.

Identifying children with possible mental health problems

As set out in chapter 6 of the statutory SEND 0-25 years Code of Practice 2015, school needs to be alert to how mental health problems can underpin challenging or distressed behaviours in order to support pupils effectively.

Negative experiences and distressing life events can affect mental health in a way that can bring about changes in a young person’s behaviour or emotional state. These warning signs should always be taken seriously and staff observing any of these warning signs should communicate their concerns with the designated child protection and safeguarding officer or the emotional wellbeing lead as appropriate. Possible warning signs include:

Any change in usual behaviour patterns and attitude to learning.
Becoming socially withdrawn
Changes in activity and mood e.g. becoming aggressive and oppositional
Changes in eating / sleeping habits
Changes in interpersonal behaviour e.g. excessive clinginess
Expressing feelings of failure, uselessness or loss of hope
Repeated physical pain or nausea with no evident cause
An increase in lateness or absenteeism
Talking or joking about self-harm or suicide

Clearly lots of these behaviours may present in a child with a significant learning disability as their “normal”. Therefore, at Delamere School it is sometimes more helpful to focus on changes in behaviour, particularly if they are unexplained.

If a member of staff is concerned about a pupil and suspect that mental health difficulties may be present, they will make a referral through our Emotional Wellbeing Pathway.

Similarly, if a member of staff becomes aware of a significant life event or incident that may increase the risk of a mental health difficulty for a pupil, they will make a referral through our Emotional Wellbeing Pathway.

The ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant ) and DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead ) will then determine the relevant process to help further identify and support needs.

Implementing Support for children with possible mental health problems

The school will make use of resources to assess and track wellbeing as appropriate including:

Transitional Mood Chart
High Concern Chart
Student Wellbeing Tracker

The child and family will be supported through the graduated response process:

An assessment to establish a clear analysis of the pupils’ needs;
A plan to set out how the pupil will be supported;
Action to provide that support;
Regular reviews to assess the effectiveness of the provision and lead to changes where necessary.

The ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) will use evidence to determine if a child can be supported in school through reasonable adjustments and a learning plan, which may involve small group interventions or one-to-one sessions.

If it is deemed that more help is required e.g. from an external agency, then the family will be supported through the Early Help Process and other professionals involved (e.g. School Nurse, Educational Psychologist) as needed.

It is important that staff at Delamere School understand the local services available, including our Emotional Literacy Support Advisor and the School Nurse, as well as local / national organisations.

We will foster links between school, home and community and appropriate outside agencies so that all are involved in a collective responsibility for promoting good health and emotional wellbeing.

The school’s Designated Lead for Mental Health will work closely with the Family Liaison Officer and Mental Health Strategy Group to ensure that the list of local / national services available remains up to date.

The range of community services available to children currently includes;

Children’s Disability Nursing Service CLDNT
Special Needs School Nursing Service
Trafford Continuing Care Nurse Assessor
Delamere internal therapy services including Pet Therapy, Music Therapy & more.
ChildLine’s Calmzone https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
Greater Manchester Mental Heath NHS Foundation Trust / School Link Team https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/school-link-team/
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) https://mft.nhs.uk/rmch/services/camhs/
Place2Be https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/our-work/our-approach/
Rise https://www.riseuk.org.uk/
Trafford Sunrise https://www.justpsychology.co.uk/pages/28-trafford-sunrise
Calm Connections https://calmconnections.org/
Yoga for Kids https://youtu.be/X655B4ISakg
Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families https://www.annafreud.org/
The Proud Trust https://www.theproudtrust.org/
Kooth https://www.kooth.com/
Action for Children https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/
Children’s Adventure Farm https://caft.co.uk/

Children in Need, Looked-after and Previously Looked-after children

At Delamere we understand that where children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences, this can have a lasting impact throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. It is therefore key that staff are aware of how these children’s experiences, and their high prevalence of mental health needs, can impact on their behaviour and education. This will be considered when creating Learning Support Plans, and Personal Learning Targets for these children. In some cases, it may also be necessary to create an individual healthcare plan. Strategies to support these children will also be shared with all adults who regularly work with them, in order to ensure consistency of approach.

Where a child is being supported through local authority children’s social care, their allocated social worker is a source of appropriately-shared information about wider developmental needs, child protection concerns, and parental, familial and contextual circumstances. Effective multi-agency working between schools and social care will help to inform a school’s assessment of child’s educational and mental health needs, as well as enabling a prompt response to any safeguarding concerns.

Delamere’s designated teacher (Barbara Telford) and local authority Virtual School Head are also sources of advice and expertise on looked after and previously looked after children (CLA & PCLA).

Staff Training

As a minimum, all staff will receive regular training about recognising and responding to mental health issues as part of their regular child protection training in order to enable them to keep students safe.

Delamere School staff have access to the National College online learning courses which includes a course on Mental Wellbeing in Children.

The MindEd learning portal provides free online training suitable for staff wishing to know more about a specific issue.

Training opportunities for staff who require more in-depth knowledge will be considered as part of our performance management process and additional CPD will be supported throughout the year where it becomes appropriate due to developing situations with one or more pupils.

Working with Parents in Partnership

In order to support parents, we will:

Highlight sources of information and support about mental health on our school website.
Ensure that all parents know who to talk to if they have concerns about their child.
Make our emotional wellbeing and mental health policy easily accessible to parents.
Share ideas about how parents can support positive mental health in their children.
Keep parents informed about the mental health topics their children are learning about in PSHE and share ideas for extending and exploring this learning at home.

Further Support available to parents

As a school we have been awarded the Leading Parent Partnership Award in July 2021 for our work with parents and carers.

We understand how critical parental wellbeing is to the welfare of children.

With this in mind we have adopted a range of strategies which enable us to build strong trusting relationships with parents and families so that we are best able to support them during times of need.

EVERY child that joins our school has a home visit before they start attending. This is mandatory and the child cannot start without the home visit taking place. We have found that in their own surroundings parents are more likely to open up about any difficulties they are having and we can start to build a deeper relationship with both them and their child from Day 1.

We have built up a strong social media profile and many of our younger parents in particular love seeing the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts which give them great insight into what is happening in school – especially for parents of those children who cannot communicate to them what they have been doing during the day.
There are a wide range of communication mechanisms for parents e.g. email, text, phone, Parentmail, the school website and face to face meetings, and a welcome booklet advises parents who to contact and for what reason.
We run a number of blended learning Parent courses – such as Delamere Let’s Get Started. This course takes place every year, and all parents with children new to the school are invited. The course involves one session a week over a number of weeks and covers a range of topics – Behaviour, Sleep, Communication etc but the most important aspect of the course is usually the networking – meeting other parents and forming relationships with each other and also building deeper relationships of trust with the school which fosters future engagement.
Other parent courses available include – Mums Supporting Mums, and After Diagnosis What Now? and Moving On / Preparing for Adulthood when children are getting ready to move to their secondary placement.
Delamere employs a Family Liaison Officer 4 days per week who provides a flexible and bespoke support service to families. Parents can self-refer to this service or staff may request support on behalf of a family.
In turn the Family Liaison Officer may make referrals to appropriate support services such as;
Trafford Carers
Trafford Parents Forum
SENDIASS
Short Breaks Team
Learning Disability Nursing Team
CAMHS
Various others through Trafford Directory https://www.trafforddirectory.co.uk/kb5/trafford/fsd/home.page
The Family Liaison Officer also leads on Early Help Assessments and Family Support meetings as appropriate or needed.

Our Leading Parent Partnership Award report states;

“Staff are committed to parental engagement and fully understand the value of working with parents and how this supports children’s learning and development.”

Impact

Encouraging positive Mental Health is an important part of the pastoral care for our whole school community.

This includes both the children in our care and their families as well as our own staff.

This policy is designed to ensure that we pay as much attention to emotional health needs as physical.

Date of Policy: January 2023

Mental Health and Well Being Strategy January 2023

Download (pdf)

Other Policies used to promote the Health and Well-being of pupils and staff

. We have put into place a number of policies which will be used to promote the health and well-being of pupils and staff. These include:

Attachment Aware Behaviour Regulation Policy
Supporting Children with Medical Conditions Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Attendance Policy
Bereavement Policy
PSHE Policy
RSE Policy
Delamere Policy for Reducing Workload
Anti-Racism Policy
Staff Appraisal Policy

Delamere School Policies

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