Working with schools
The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) works directly with schools in the BANES area.
View list of schools we work with
- Aspire Academy
- Bath College City Centre (full time syllabus Under 18s)
- Bath College Somer Valley (Under 18s)
- Broadlands Academy
- Castle Primary School
- Chew Valley School
- Combe Down CofE Primary
- Fosse Way School
- IKB Academy
- Longvernal Primary School
- Marksbury CofE Primary School
- Mendip Studio School
- Moorlands Infant
- Moorlands Junior School
- Mulberry Park Educate Together Primary Academy
- Oldfield Park Infant School
- Oldfield Park Junior School
- Oldfield School
- Peasdown St John Primary
- Pensford Primary
- Ralph Allen School
- Roundhill Primary School
- Saint Gregory’s Catholic College
- Shoscombe Church School
- Somerdale Educate Together Primary Academy
- St Andrews CofE
- St John’s Catholic Primary Bath
- St John’s Church of England Primary Keynsham
- St Julian’s Church School
- St Keyna Primary School
- St Mark’s CofE
- St Martin’s Garden Primary School
- St Mary’s Church of England Primary, Timsbury
- St Mary’s Church of England Primary, Writhlington
- St Michael’s CofE Junior School
- St Nicholas CofE Primary
- St Philip’s CofE Primary School
- Three Ways School
- Trinity Church School
- Twerton Infant School
- Westfield Primary School
- Whitchurch Primary School
- Writhlington School
Early intervention and prevention
MHSTs are a response to the government’s green paper to improve access and quality of mental health support for children and young people in education settings. Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) sit within the MHST along with other mental health professionals and clinical supervisors. The purpose of the MHST is for early intervention and prevention of common mental health problems.
Self-help interventions
EMHPs deliver evidence-based, low-intensity, guided self-help interventions with children and young people and their parents/carers, either remotely or in a school setting.
These interventions are to support children, young people, and their families to overcome common mental health problems such as anxiety, low mood, and behavioural difficulties.
Interventions include:
- Behavioural activation
- Exposure habituation
- Cognitive restructuring
- Behavioural experiments
- Worry management
- Coping Cat
- Pesky gNATS
- Parent training and parent-led CBT
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy which looks at how what we think and what we do affects how we feel. It involves finding out what is keeping us ‘stuck’ and helps us change how we feel by trying different ways of thinking about things or different ways of doing things. The below video explains more about how CBT works.
As well as 1:1 work, the MHST works closely with schools and their Designated Mental Health Lead (DMHL) to develop a whole school approach towards mental health. A whole school approach involves everyone being committed and working together to improve mental health and wellbeing. This includes senior leadership, all school staff, parents and carers, and members of the wider community.
Consultations
School staff can request consultations with an EMHP. This is a solution-focused meeting to discuss a mental health problem or concern for a group of children or an individual child.
MHSTs can deliver psychoeducation to classes or groups of children where there is an identified need. Examples include managing exam stress, emotional literacy, self-esteem, transitions, and raising mental health awareness.
MHSTs can also deliver continuing professional development to school staff.
Page last reviewed: 4 May, 2022