Wellbeing at Kings

At Kings College, we are committed to our student’s having successful futures so we prioritise building their resilience. Our ethos of Work Hard and Be Kind is central to our approach to create a welcoming and supportive community which allows students’ voices to be heard. We work hard to provide a preventative approach to support everyone’s wellbeing but also to ensure a staged support package is in place for those in need of extra support. By doing so we understand that we all have a mental health and will experience times where we need to reach out for help from others, from a supportive conversation with a trusted staff member, to more specialist support from professionals in the wider community.

 

To read more please refer to our Wellbeing and Mental Health Policy 2023/24 here

Wellbeing Approach at Kings

The staff team at Kings is committed to supporting students to achieve and as such we promote positive wellbeing as a priority for all students in order for them to be able to succeed. The skills, knowledge and understanding our students need to keep themselves – and others – physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our PSHEe curriculum, Pastoral Curriculum, Stamp Out Stress days and our peer mentoring programme.

 

We follow the guidance issued by the PSHE Association to prepare us to teach about mental health and emotional health safely and sensitively. Incorporating this into our curriculum at all stages is a good opportunity to promote students’ wellbeing through the development of healthy coping strategies and an understanding of students’ own emotions as well as those of other people.  Additionally, we will use such lessons as a vehicle for providing students who do develop difficulties with strategies to keep themselves healthy and safe, as well as supporting students to support any of their friends who are facing challenges.

Five Ways to Wellbeing

Our Pastoral Curriculum is designed to support students to develop a sense of belonging within the school community and to ‘Be Kind and Work Hard’. The NHS Five Ways to Wellbeing is central to tutor times with a session designed to promote wellbeing every cycle in which students experience a range of activities to develop a personal toolkit of strategies to enable them to become resilient in sourcing self-help strategies in their lives.

Wellbeing Team at Kings

 

Pastoral Leads

Our Pastoral Leads act as mentor for the students in their year groups. They are well placed to check in with students during the day and will prioritise students that they are aware of having difficulties and liaise closely with parents/carers. This support is available for all students and is best suited to early or short-term experience, although more significant concerns can be discussed in order to help decide the possible options for more support.  They are aware of a range of in school and community offers for support and are key in signposting targeted support. Pastoral Leads are the key staff to complete referrals for students for further support inside and outside of school.

 

Senior Mental Health Lead

Our Mental Health Strategy is overseen by Mr Stewart, supported by our Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) Mrs Robberts who has completed the DfE funded training. This has involved studying research at a national and local level in order to develop the whole school approach and ensure continuous review of the quality of provision in the school. The role oversees the vision and quality assurance for all stakeholders.

 

Mental Health First Aider

Our Mental Health First Aiders are Mrs Robberts and Miss Hamilton are trained as Mental Health First Aiders. They have completed the Surrey County Council approved training through the Lucy Rayner Centre. This enables them to share expertise with Kings staff on how to work with student presenting with mental health needs by running training sessions for staff. They are also available to students that would like to access advice or possible referral to getting help in school or through specialist pathways.

 

School Nurse

Our school nurse visits once a fortnight and students are able to book a slot with her to discuss their needs. This is accessed through the Pastoral Leads and is best placed for students that require advice regarding health needs.

 

Eikon Worker

Our Eikon youth worker Kate Palmer runs preventative groups with identified groups of students to help them engage fully within the school community and have access to advice in a group environment such as Young Carers, LGBTQIA+ and friendship groups. Our Eikon Youth Worker is trained and supervised through EIKON which is an award-winning charity that has been working in local Surrey communities. Their vision is to develop happy, thriving and resilient young adults who make a positive contribution to society. Eikon groups and mentoring is best targeted to students that are experiencing difficulties establishing or keeping meaningful relationships within the school community. More information click here

 

Home School Link Worker

Our Home School Link Worker, works with students and their families to develop support in school and to help with advice and access to services for families.

 

Mental Health Support Team

We are fortunate to be supported by Mindworks with a Mental Health Support Team. This is part of the project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support students and their families at an early stage.  They provide support, using a cognitive behavioural approach, for children and young people, with mild mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties. Our interventions are based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Referrals are completed by making contact with the Pastoral Leads, SENCOs or wider Senior Team. When a student is referred to them, we always aim to get parental or carers consent. Occasionally, a student may want to access support without this. If the student were over 14 and deemed competent (under Fraser Guidelines) to make this decision, this would not want this to be a barrier to accessing our service. We would be working with the student to try to help them share with their parents or carers about the decisions they are making. If we ever had concerns relating to risk or safeguarding, we would override confidentiality and student’s consent to share where needed.

They will also work closely with staff and support a whole schools’ approach to mental health. All of their work hopes to reduce stigma and improve awareness of mental health, so children and young people can access the right support when they need it.

Click HERE to view the MHST leaflet

Click HERE for the MHST newsletter

 

Eikon Mentors

Our school Eikon Youth Worker and additional volunteer Mentors provide mentoring within school hours for students. All mentors are DBS and fully trained by Eikon. They offer support and form a positive one to one relationship with student who may be experiencing difficulties in their lives and want to make a change. Mentors support young people in the following ways; Listen without judgement, help to work out what changes a young person wants to make in their lives and discuss ways to achieve these goals, encouragement and help to challenge themselves and provide Regular support in the form of weekly sessions. Eikon Mentoring is best used to support students with early signs of poor mental health, attendance or behaviour issues that are impacting on their schooling.

 

SEND Team

The SEND Team run by our SENCOs Miss Denslow and Mr Bacon support students with identified SEMH needs. They are able to work with specialist teams such as the Educational Pycologist, Tamhs and Camhs to request additional guidance to support students in school. Our SENCOs manage the Pupil Passports and meet with families during the year or when required to update these documents to ensure students needs are understood. Our Wellbeing HLTA, SENCOs and Deputy SENCO run Wellbeing Check Ins, Wellbeing Groups and Social Skills with students usually on a weekly basis for short term period. These groups are best suited to students already on the SEN Support List with early signs of low mood or low confidence in order to build relationships within the SEND Staff Team.

 

Child Wellbeing Practioner

Our Child Wellbeing Practioner (CWP), Brenda Sweeney works to increase access to mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people. CWPs deliver low-intensity psychological interventions for mild to moderate low mood and anxiety disorders for short term support. The work is designed to help students develop practical strategies to support their own mental health. CWPs do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practioners.

More information click here

 

Art Therapy

Our Art Therapist, Yuna Kim, works across Kings College and Guildford Grove working with students presenting with continuing feelings of low mood and anxiety who often have experienced trauma in their pasts. This support is best placed for students whose family are able to also engage with initial and closing work in order to sustain the support longer term. Art Therapists do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practioners.

More information click here

 

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

Our Deputy SENCO and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) Miss Laurie offers a period of 6 weekly sessions to support the emotional needs of students. Students identify an area of their wellbeing that they would like to develop such anxiety, friendships, anger etc and work is focused on this area.  ELSA work is overseen by the Educational Phycology services in Surrey through regular supervision. ELSAs do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practitioners.

More information click here

Support for Students

 

A Quick Shout Out to Five of the best:

 

Kooth: From XenZone, is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use. https://www.kooth.com/

 

Headspace: A meditation app that acts as a personal guide to health and happiness https://www.headspace.com/

 

Childline: A counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the UK provided by the NSPCC https://www.childline.org.uk/

 

Samaritans: A registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or struggling to cope https://www.samaritans.org/

 

Papyrus The UK Charity for the prevention of young suicide which provides a helpline for young people, their parents and professionals https://www.papyrus-uk.org/

Links for Students

CYP Haven Guildford: The CYP Haven is a safe space where you can talk about your concerns, worries, and mental health in a confidential and friendly, supportive environment. The friendly staff will able to give you advice and support on a wide range of issues. Whatever is bothering you, come and have a chat: https://www.cyphaven.net/home/guildford/

 

Mindworks Surrey: https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/

 

Seeking help for a mental health problem: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/helping-someone-else-seek-help/

 

Understanding mental health – for young people: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/understanding-mental-health/

 

Anxiety and panic attacks: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/

 

Depression: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/depression/about-depression/

 

Stress: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress/

 

CAMHS: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/your-guide-to-support/guide-to-camhs

Working with Parents

We recognise the family plays a key role in influencing children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing; we will work in partnership with parents and carers to promote emotional health and wellbeing. The following support links are kept update for parents with the guidance that schools are issued with from Locals and National Organisations.

 

CAMHS Recommended Resources: Apps, Videos, Websites https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/ this is a great starting place for parents and young people to find resources and links which have been recommended by Camhs.

CYP Haven Guildford: The CYP Haven is a safe space where you can talk about your concerns, worries, and mental health in a confidential and friendly, supportive environment. The friendly staff will able to give you advice and support on a wide range of issues. Whatever is bothering you, come and have a chat https://www.cyphaven.net/home/guildford/

Mindworks Surrey: https://www.mindworks-surrey.org/i-am-parentfamily-membercarer

Talking about Mental Health: https://www.georgeabbot.surrey.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Talking-mental-health-with-young-people-at-secondary-school.pdf

Young Minds Parent Support: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/

Seeking help for a mental health problem: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/helping-someone-else-seek-help/

 

Further information linked in our Wellbeing and Mental Health Policy can be found here: Wellbeing and Mental Health Recommended Support Links

Mental Health Foundation Help Packs