MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a priority for the whole community and we recognise that we as a school play a key part in this. We strive to develop emotional wellbeing and resilience in all our students and staff, as well as provide specific support for those with additional Mental Health needs.
We understand both the risk factors which increase someone’s vulnerability along with the protective factors that promote resilience. The more key risk factors present in an individual’s life, the more protective factors or supportive interventions are required to counter-balance. All staff are aware that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect, exploitation or harm.
Mental health support for children and young people in Ealing. The services below are all free for young people.
Counselling services
A referral can be made by your child's Head of Year to our school counsellors. These sessions are in school during the day and last for a period of weeks. Please contact your Head of Year if you wish to be placed on the waiting list for this.
Websites
Kooth
Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous platform for young people aged 10 to 18 to find all kinds of support for their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Live text chat & messaging
Users can chat with trained counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners from 12pm to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm until 10pm on weekends 365 days a year, even on Christmas Day and other public holidays
Self-Help Activities
Kooth provides a variety of self-help activities that users can engage in at their own pace. These activities are designed to help manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Informative Articles
The platform hosts a library of articles written by both professionals and peers. These articles cover a wide range of topics relevant to young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Journaling and goal-setting
Kooth offers tools such as journaling and goal-setting to help users track their progress and manage their mental health more effectively.
Other helplines
For a child or young person who feels overwhelmed, or if they want to hurt themsilves or someone else:
- Young Minds Guide for Young People:
Self-harm| Advice for young people | Get help | YoungMinds
- Self-Harm Distraction Techniques (Papyrus):
Distraction Techniques (papyrus-uk.org)
- Mind Top Tips for Coping with Self-Harm:
Tips for coping with urges to self-harm right now - Mind
- Harmless:
National Self Harm Awareness Day 2024 - Harmless
- LifeSigns:
LifeSIGNS – the user-led self-injury small charity
- Self-Harm UK / Alumni:
- Text SHOUT to 85258 to contact Shout's textline
- Click on HOPELINEUK or call 0800 068 4141 or the NHS on 111 and select option 2
- Contact CHILDLINE by using 1-2-1 chat or calling 0800 111
- Text SAMARITANS to 116123
If a child or young person feels like they may try to attempt suicide, or are seriously hurt, this is an emergency. They should:
- Call 999 and ask for an ambulance
- Tell an adult you trust and ask them to call 999 for help
CIRCLE
The Circle is a safe space for children and young people who are finding it hard to cope with their mental health.
Who is Circle for: Children and Young People aged 5-18 who are in active mental distress.
What and Where: Young people can come in for advice, support, or just to talk, with drop-in or appointment-based services at The Circle, 46 South Ealing Road, Ealing
The Circle is on the 65 bus route, a 2 minute walk from South Ealing tube, and a 15 min walk from Ealing Broadway station.
Accessing the Circle:
The circle is open 365 days a year:
Monday - Friday: 14:00 - 22:00
- Drop in: 14:30 - 18:00
- Appointments: 18:00 - 21:00
Weekends and Holidays: 12:00 - 20:00
- Drop in:12:30-16:00
- Appointments:16:00-19:00
SAFE Evolve
SAFE Evolve is a service provided by Anna Freud, and commissioned by Ealing Council, providing multi-disciplinary mental health assessment and treatment for children, young people (aged 0 -18) and their families living in the borough.
SAFE Evolve is an early intervention service working with mild to moderate mental health needs including anxiety, low mood, managing emotions and social relationships. They work with children, young people and their families, as well as provide consultations for professionals.
The services offer includes brief evidence-based therapeutic interventions:
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Workshops
- Consultations for professionals and trusted adults
For more information about how to refer to the service email
Ealing Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Ealing MHST offer early intervention support for children and young people with mild-to-moderate mental health needs within mainstream schools. The service is schools based and has practitioners in almost all schools within Ealing.
The practitioners work together with link workers in participating schools to identify and support children and young people who present with low to moderate anxiety and behavioural problems in primary schools, and anxiety and low mood symptoms in secondary schools. In Primary schools, the sessions are with the parent and in the form of 6 to 8 online or in person 1 to 1 sessions of Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based guided self-help. In secondary schools the wellbeing practitioners work directly with the young person and the sessions are in person at the school.
They also offer a range of groups, classroom interventions, workshops, wellbeing assemblies, coffee mornings, staff training and other interventions, and tend to work collaboratively with schools to help to identify gaps and opportunities to support a Whole School Approach to mental health within the school.
Parents of children from any Ealing School can currently sign up to and access parent workshops online. Ealing MHST also has a learning disability and autism strand, called MHST+ Learning Disabilities and Autism Practitioners, which offers a range of interventions with the child/young person, parent and school staff members.
Schools make referrals to Ealing MHST. If you are a parent please contact the school.
Emergency helplines
Call Speak CAMHS for support if you're worried about your mental health and:
- You're a child or young person
- You live in Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham or Hounslow.
- You’re a parent or carer or professional worried about a child or young person’s mental health
Call 0800 328 4444 and choose Option 2 for CAMHS or click the link above.
The helpline is open:
- Monday to Friday from 8am to 11pm
- Weekends and Bank holidays from midday to 8pm
Outside these hours, crisis calls will be passed to an out of hours CAMHS professional.
If they're not available to talk straight away, you can arrange a call back.
