Agenda and minutes

Minutes agreed as an accurate record.

Presenters:

Representatives of the Youth Forum

Jane Maxey – secondary school perspective

Nuala O’Rourke – Safeguarding perspective

Janice Cahill – Pendlebury Pupil Referral Unit

Key Issues

Young people’s feedback

·         Gaps in parents’ knowledge of mental health services and ability to support young people

·         Vulnerable children’s ability and confidence to access support services can be a barrier

·         Tension between academic needs and mental health needs – schools should be assessed according to ‘happiness measures’ as well as academic attainment

·         Identifying vulnerable children and young people at an early stage before issues escalate is essential

·         Young people’s awareness of support available out of school hours and how to access it is essential

·         Can be long waiting lists for counselling in schools and not ‘drop in’ but referral

·         Young people welcomed the posters displayed in the toilets at Kingsway to provide information about mental health services which pupils can access in a confidential way; preferable to information publicly displayed as young people don’t necessarily want to be seen accessing this kind of information

Other comments

·         Communication and referrals between agencies an area for improvement, speed up feedback between agencies (including schools, Healthy Young Minds and other mental health services, the Police and Hospital)

·         16-18 year olds are a particularly vulnerable group because they are not eligible for Healthy Young Minds and required to access adult services which don’t have the same thresholds for / levels of support

·         There is a need for a suicide prevention pathway as well as self-harm pathways

·         Support needs to be available for primary school pupils and primary school teachers should be aware of issues relating to self-harm in order to facilitate identification of vulnerable pupils and referrals for support at younger ages

·         The Board would welcome mapping of interventions across schools in order to identify examples of best practice to share and enable appropriate targeting of resources

·         The Board agreed that all schools should have a designated mental health lead and ensure that mental health is a key part of business planning along with academic priorities – every secondary school in Stockport already has an emotional wellbeing lead and a comprehensive training programme

·         Training, resources and communications about mental health need to be easily accessible for parents, teachers, young people and the wide range of agencies that work with young people. The Board agreed that mental health requires a ‘whole system’ response and is not just the responsibility of schools.

·         The Board and young people agreed that an up-to-date easy to access website that young people can access confidentially for mental health related advice and signposting to appropriate agencies is needed.

·         The Board agreed that restorative approaches are helping to create and strengthen a culture that will help to build resilience and support schools in ‘knowing their pupils’

To bring back to next board.

Children’s Trust Board noted report.

Children’s Trust Board to note – any comments back to Gaynor Ward on gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk.

Children’s Trust Board noted update.  Electronic copies to be forwarded with the board notes.