Winnall Primary School
Mental health and wellbeing
Health and Wellbeing
Your child's wellbeing is very important to us! We believe that in order to be a successful learner, children need to feel safe, happy and confident to take on board new challenges and experiences.
In school support -
TALA (Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant) TALA offers an emotionally safe and supportive space in which pupils can explore their feelings and experiences. They are heard by the practitioner on a deeper level using active listening. Our trained TALA is Mrs Miles who works weekly with children on an individual basis for about 30-40 minutes.
Drawing and Talking This is a child-centred one to one intervention focusing on supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. The technique is intended to allow the child to play, by drawing a picture, and process any emotions they are holding internally in a safe and non-confrontational way, working at their own pace. Mrs Miles is our trained therapist who leads this intervention.
If you are at all worried about your child's mental health or wellbeing, do come in and speak to any one of our team. There are many ways we can support your child.
Your wellbeing as a parent or carer is also important to us
The Good Mental Health Handbook
There are some great online parenting courses at the website Family Lives
https://www.familylives.org.uk/
Parenting Courses - Family Lives
If you are looking for some support with positive parenting at home, then do take a look at Hampshire's Primary Behaviour Service. They have put together some great advice for parents covering a range of topics and questions from sleep to positive parenting routines and much more. These are really useful guides with hints and tips.
https://pbs.hants.gov.uk/parents Hampshire Primary behaviour Website
Place2be is an organisation focused on improving children's mental health. They have a section for parents/careers and a wealth of resources to support both children and adults.
https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/parents-and-carers/
Young Minds is a mental health charity which has a website full of information and advice on what to do if you or your child are struggling with how you feel.
Welcome to E-learning for parents and families. Brought to you by the Solihull Approach NHS team.
Hampshire County Council has partnered with the Solihull Approach to provide free, evidence-based online courses with practical tips and advice to boost parent's and carer's confidence, help them navigate family life, and strengthen their relationships. Whether you are a mum, dad, foster parent or grandparent, there is a course for you. Once registered, families receive unlimited access to the courses and can go back to them as their children grow. The interactive courses cover topics like:
Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby (Antenatal)
Understanding your baby (Postnatal)
Understanding your child with additional needs (0-19 years)
Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing
Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your child/teenager
Understanding your brain (for teenagers only)
Understanding your feelings (for teenagers only)
Developed by psychologists and professionals, they have been designed to help you understand your child’s feelings, development and behaviour, as well as focus on your own feelings as you grow as a family.
To register for parent courses, you will need to have a Hampshire postcode and complete the following steps:
1. Visit https://inourplace.co.uk/
2. Select ‘Apply Access Code’
3. Enter the access code: FAMILY
4. Enter your information and select the relevant course
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Strong emotional wellbeing and good health are all essential to children's development and will have a positive impact on teaching and learning. At Winnall Primary School, we aim to foster and strengthen our children's emotional intelligence and resilience using our school values in daily school life, through assemblies and within the PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education) curriculum.
If your child is facing particular challenges, there are things that we can support you with to try at home as a first step.
Below are online links to a variety of some available support.
For parents -
Well-being
Brendoncare Community Clubs
Brendoncare Community Membership enables social connections, providing friendship and fun through in-person and online clubs, telephone, digital support and events. Free membership is available to people on means-tested benefits.
Tel: 01962 857099 email: clubs@brendoncare.org.uk
Mental Health
Winchester Welbeing Centre
A recovery-focused well-being centre for those aged 18 or over experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, low mood or depression. It offers safe spaces to get back on track through groups, workshops, activities and 1:1 emotional support.
Mind
Offers information about types of mental health problems, drugs and treatments, helplines, support and services, tips for everyday living, legal rights, supporting others and more.
Support for Young People – Let’s Talk about It
Provides links to useful groups and organisations that offer services for young people across Hampshire including mental health, employment, homelessness, substance misuse and more
Inclusion Recovery Hampshire
Offers support for people experiencing problems with alcohol and drugs both under and over 25 years as well as families and carers affected by drugs and alcohol.
Adfam
Provides information and support for people experiencing problems with drugs, alcohol and gambling.
NHS
Offers information and advice on alcohol.
NHS
Offers information and advice on drugs.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Offer help with alcohol and drinking.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Offer help with drugs and drug taking.
Catch 22
Is a county-wide specialist treatment service for children and young people affected by substance misuse.
Connect to Support Hampshire
Offers links to a wide range of resources and organisations in the community.
For advice for under 18s, visit the Family Information and Services Hub
Telephone Support Line
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays: 9.30-11.00am term time only
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Psychology offers a regular Telephone Support Line (TSL), which is open to both education staff and parents/carers.
- The TSL is provided by educational psychologists and all calls are confidential.
- It is available for: Information about a range of issues that might be experienced by children and young people. This can include sharing helpful resources, discussing SEN processes, or signposting to other professional contacts.
- An opportunity for a brief problem-solving conversation around an area of concern.
- What to expect- When you call, a member of our support team will take your details and then ask an educational psychologist to ring you back. Please be aware that we often experience a high volume of calls. Phone calls typically last about 15 to 20 minutes.
(Winchester, Eastleigh, New Forest & Test Valley South) - 01962 876239
Chat Text Support for Parents & Carers
https://www.hampshirehealthyfamilies.org.uk/chathealth
ChatHealth offers a simple, convenient & confidential text messaging service for parents of children and young people in Hampshire aged 5-19.
Building Resiliance
Dealing with Anxiety in Young Children
Parent / Carer Health and Wellbeing
Early Help
https://youtu.be/Vggfu0-UXFY
Many families, at different times, will need extra support for a variety of reasons. Most of the time this can be met through everyday services such as schools, nursery, pre-schools or GPs, but sometimes families might need extra support through a more coordinated approach. Early Help brings professionals together who will work with the whole family to try and improve things for everyone.
Hampshire Healthy Families
Hampshire SENDIASS
https://www.hampshiresendiass.co.uk/about-us/
SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Information Advice & Support Service.
Hampshire SENDIASS offer accurate, up-to-date and impartial resources and information about the law on special educational needs and disability.
Paper copies with details of the support on offer listed above, can be requested from Mrs Miles as well as a listening ear if needed.
Please call the school office/Mrs Miles to ask about individual Tala or Drawing and Talking for yourself or your child, an initial appointment for a support discussion will be then be made.
Drawing and Talking
Drawing and Talking is a therapeutic intervention for children and adults. It is designed as a short-term, time limited, pro-active intervention intended to complement, rather than replace, the work of specialist mental health services.
Through a 12-week cycle of 30-minute one-to-one sessions, this non-intrusive tool allows children, young people and adults to process emotional pain resulting from trauma. The child or adult utilises drawing as a way to help them express their feelings differently from ordinary verbal language.
The Drawing and Talking therapeutic intervention allows individuals to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique. This is what sets Drawing and Talking apart from existing solution-focused and cognitive-based therapies and interventions.
What is a TALA?
Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant (TALA)
is a specialist teaching assistant who has been trained by educational psychologists to support children experiencing emotional or social difficulties.
TALA offers an emotionally safe and supportive space in which pupils can explore their feelings and experiences. They are heard by the practitioner on a deep level using active listening. Practitioners listen to a child's views, experiences and feelings without judgement in an atmosphere of respect and empathy based on a secure and trusting working relationship.
How does TALA work?
How it works is that the child has a regular slot during the week for a targeted period of time (around 30-40 mins). It usually runs for around six weeks but can be longer. Sessions are confidential, offering the child an opportunity to talk about things that concern them.
The sessions are one to one and are very pupil led involving play based activities where required.
Who is it for?
Not only does TALA offer a child a safe place to talk, it supports them in many other areas:
- Cope better with issues, concerns and situations
- Achieve some level of understanding with regard to thoughts, emotions and behaviours
- Accept their limitations and strengths and to feel ok about them
- Change behaviours which have negative consequences
- Look at things differently
- Maximise the opportunity to reach their full potential
- Empowers pupils to find their own resolutions and build resilience for the future.