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This conference will look at national developments and practical advice in improving access to CAMHS and mental health and wellbeing support for children in school. There will be a focus on inter-agency working to improve access to services, the role of schools in early intervention and creating a whole school approach . Psychological models of Emotional Based School Avoidance will be showcased as we learn more about the complex nature of avoidance behaviour. Following that we will hear from a leading children’s mental health charity as they discuss the effectiveness of school-based mental health support across the country.
The conference will include an extended interactive workshop focusing on improving mental health support in school following the development of NHS mental health support teams which are now in place in around 4,700 schools and colleges across the country, with 287 expert teams offering support to children experiencing anxiety, depression, and other common mental health issues.
“We need fresh, long-term thinking when it comes to children’s mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Much of this work must be done upstream, creating an environment and a world – both online and offline - where children grow up feeling happy, safe and supported. This means every child feels loved and nurtured, lives free from poverty, and is able to focus on learning. With enough focus on prevention, children should never come close to crisis.”
Children’s Mental Health Services 2022-23, Children’s Commissioner, March 2024
“Children’s mental health services are stretched like never before. This affects children at all levels of need, but perhaps most troublingly those children living in mental health inpatient settings who say time and again that if only the right help had been there earlier on, they wouldn’t have ended up in hospital. Getting mental health support earlier with professionals who really understand what’s happening for young people is vital. ”
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner, February 2024
“We need to ensure that children and young people can also access high-quality mental health support outside of school. Many children and young people face challenges accessing support for their mental health. Patchy implementation of policies has also fuelled a postcode lottery in provision meaning that children and young people do not get a consistent offer of support.”
Local Government Association, February 2024
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve mental health services for children and young people
Reflect on the lived experience of a young person with lived experience
Understand the complex nature of school avoidance behaviour and Emotional Based School Avoidance
Learn from outstanding practice in transforming CAMHS and improving access in schools
Update your knowledge on national developments and learning including how we can improve accessibility and waiting times
Improve early intervention and working with schools in a preventative way to improve wellbeing and resilience
Develop your skills in new ways of working with children and young people in crisis
Improve suicide prevention and learning from suicide – including the role of the Suicide and Self Harm competency framework, and the 2022 NICE Guideline on Self Harm
Working with schools in improving wellbeing reducing suicide in children and young people
Implement recommendations from Getting it Right First Time in Children and Young Peoples Mental Health (GiRFT)
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
