Wellbeing Information for Pupils
Parents and carers and pupils can seek to access and discuss potential support by contacting your child’s tutor and Head of Key Stage or Pastoral Leader respectively. These key staff will them refer to and action the most relevant and appropriate type of support moving forward. Key roles are outlined below:-
Andrea Sheldon
I am a senior TA and Mental Health First Aider here at Selwood Academy.
I meet with pupils regularly and support with their mental health difficulties, including; anxiety, eating problems, self-injury, grief, low mood, stress, worries, anger and OCD.
Once I have received a referral, the process involves an initial meeting with the pupil to introduce myself and complete an assessment. This helps to pinpoint the support needed for the pupil moving forward. I can then put strategies in place to help them and arrange future sessions with our Elsa and Place2Be councillor to ensure they are are getting the right support.
Communication with parents/carers in person, via phone calls and emails keep them up to date on how their child is getting on and to discuss progress and concerns.
I often refer children for further support including; ELSA, Oasis, our resilience and self-esteem groups, place2be and outside agencies like Young Somerset.
I am very proud to have the following qualifications:
• Mental Health First Aid
• Level 2 in Understanding children and young people’s mental health
• Self-Harm awareness
• Managing stress
• Supporting children in grief
• Place2Be mental health champions
Elsa Practitioner- Joanne Barrett
Hello, I am the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) at Selwood Academy.
Having previously worked as a Teaching Assistant, I have now developed my role to be able to offer this invaluable support to your children.
ELSA is an initiative developed and supported by Educational Psychologists. It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are being met.
As an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant, I am able to help children and young people with emotional literacy, emotional regulation, self-esteem, social skills, friendship issues, relationships, conflict, anxiety, managing strong feelings, loss and bereavement, growth mindset and social stories.
I plan and deliver bespoke programmes of support to enable children and young people to work towards their specific programme aims. An example of this could be to help the child learn new skills or coping strategies.
ELSA sessions are relaxed, yet purposeful, and take place in the ELSA room. This is a lovely, calming space providing children and young people the opportunity to talk and reflect. A wide range of resources are available for sessions, including games, arts and crafts, colouring, worksheets, stories and puppets.
ELSA sessions run for a cycle of 6-12 weeks with each session lasting between 30-45 minutes.
Teachers/Tutors or the school SENCO can make a referral for ELSA.
Useful Web Sites
NHS Chat Health
https://chathealth.nhs.uk/
Offers quick and confidential support to young people between the ages of 11 and 19. It’s safe and easy for you to speak to a qualified health professional. Just send a message, you don’t have to give your name. Discreet and quick. It only takes one message to start making a difference. You’ll get confidential advice from trained health staff in your area
Kooth
https://www.kooth.com
A digital mental health support service. It gives children and young people easy access to an online community of peers and a team of experienced counsellors.
Young Somerset
https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/
Wellbeing is about how we feel and how we cope with everyday difficulties. We do not have to feel happy all of the time to have positive wellbeing. However, if you child or young person is finding it difficult to cope with everyday life, this is where it might be helpful to work with one of our wellbeing practitioners. Contact us for more information.