Schools to get support for mental health issues
MORE help will be provided to ensure children and teachers receive emotional and mental health support in schools.
The Welsh Government will provide £1.4m to strengthen the support from specialist child and adolescent mental health services to schools.
Dedicated practitioners will be recruited to work with pilot schools in three areas across Wales.
They will provide teachers with onsite help and advice, ensuring pupils experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, and compulsive selfharm or conduct disorders receive early help in schools from suitably trained staff, preventing more serious problems occurring later in life.
Health secretary Vaughan Gething said it will help teachers better understand emotional and mental health problems, and reduce stress experienced by teachers concerned about their pupils.
It will run for two academic years, concluding in the summer of 2020 before the results are evaluated.
Mr Gething said: “One in four people in Wales will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives. Getting the right treatment at an early stage, coupled with greater awareness of conditions, can in many cases prevent long-term adverse impacts.
“This unique new initiative we’re unveiling today will see specialist NHS Wales services extend into the classroom.
“This will ensure children, teachers and others charged with caring for children in our schools, receive support to promote good emotional and mental health.
“It will help identify and address issues early, helping to prevent more serious problems occurring later in life.
“One of the Welsh Government’s key aims is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Wales.
“This will help us achieve our ambition of prosperity for all, while taking significant steps to shift our approach from treatment to prevention.
“We hope this initiative will improve accessibility to support services, better address school-related stress, and ease pressures on specialist CAMHS by reducing inappropriate referrals. We also hope it will facilitate a wider culture which promotes and values positive mental health and wellbeing within our schools.”
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: “Most young people spend a large part of their time in school, so there is a clear need for teachers to be able to help and support them should they experience difficulties in life, such as anxiety, low mood, compulsive selfharm or behaviour disorders.
“Through this new initiative, we are making schools places that actively promote positive mental health and wellbeing, providing evidence-based prevention and early intervention where it’s needed.
“For children and young people, it will enable them to have their problems addressed earlier, before they escalate. For teachers, it will help ensure they feel able and confident in dealing with emotional distress, and know where to go to seek support.”