Wellbeing

This page includes resources to help support your mental health and wellbeing, whether you are a student, member of staff or a parent. Students today must learn to navigate a complex and ever changing world, facing challenges and pressures in many areas of their life. Parents and staff may need guidance in how to support them or with managing their own mental health and wellbeing; the links and apps we have referenced will help you to manage your mental wellbeing.

If you are a student with concerns or you are worried about your child, please email Student Welfare in the first instance and we will do our best to help.

Covid-19 advice

Buckinghamshire 24/7 Mental Health Helpline
This is run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust during the coronavirus pandemic 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It temporarily replaces 111 for people who need mental health care and their situation it is not life threatening. Buckinghamshire residents of all ages can call when they need advice about how to manage their symptoms, to find out when and where to get help and to access support from mental health professionals.  Below are their telephone numbers:

01865 904997 - Adults 
01865 904998 - Children and young people

Helpful websites about Covid-19 for parents and young people:

• Young Minds
• Mind
• Advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Mental health during a lockdown

Below is advice  from the Oxwell School Study on how secondary students managed during lockdown, there are some really useful tips included!

General wellbeing

• BBC Radio 4 – 7 tips for staying happy and healthy during a lockdown: 
• Free, confidential text messaging support service

Sleep

• Why aren’t I sleeping well? Exercise, artificial light (e.g. screens), sleep schedule, anxiety, late night snacks, temperature.
• Amount of sleep needed for 14-17 year olds: 8-10 hours per night
• Solutions for bad sleep: How to sleep better and Sleep tips for teens.
• Apps to aid sleep: Relax melodies or pzizz. 

Exercise

• 50% of students in years 7-12 exercising less in lockdown than before.  
• Younger year-groups have struggled more to get as much exercise during lockdown as they had beforehand.
• Stay healthy and exercise:  som.org, 12 week fitness plan and How to exercise at home.

Loneliness

• Almost everyone during lockdown felt some degree of loneliness.  
• Year 12 and 13 struggled more with loneliness than younger years such as year 7 and 8. 
• How to decrease loneliness and coping with loneliness.

Students

There is lots of information in these links and apps that can help with your mental health and emotional wellbeing:

• Childline
• Young Minds
• Kooth
• Every Mind Matters
• The Mix
• Get Self Help
• Sane
• Samaritans
• Social Media and Mental Health
• Headscape Bexley
• MeeToo
• Calm Harm app
• Mental Health Apps (NHS.uk)
• On My Mind
• Self Harm Support
• Eating Disorder Support

Student Summer Term Covid Home Test Link 

Parents

These links and apps contain lots of advice to help you support both your child’s and your own mental health and wellbeing:

• Get Self Help
• Sane
• Every Mind Matters 
• Bucks Family Information Service
• Spotting signs of mental health issues in your child
• There for you: The role of parents in supporting young people with mental health problems
• Help your child after they have been diagnosed with mental illness 
• Young people’s mental health
• Start a conversation with your child about mental health
• Parenting with a mental health problem
• Parents and Mental Health
• Helping children understand mental health
• Mental Health Apps (NHS.uk) 
• Self Harm Support
• Eating Disorder Support

Student Summer Term Covid Home Test Link 

Advice and Support Available for Families in Buckinghamshire  

In this attachment you will find links to a wide range of services, resources, and Apps to help with aspects of family support such as money, food, disability services and organisations specific to your local area.

Staff

These links and apps can help to support your emotional wellbeing, as well as your colleagues and your students:

• HealthAssured employee assistance programme
• MindEd -free online learning on young people’s mental health
• Supporting staff wellbeing in schools
• Get Self Help
• Sane
• Every Mind Matters
• Mental Health Apps (NHS.uk)  
• https://schoolsweb.buckscc.gov.uk/covid-19-corona-virus-latest-advice/covid-19-well-being-support-for-school-staff/
• Every Mind Matters | One You (www.nhs.uk) 

• https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/

• https://schoolleaders.thekeysupport.com/staff/managing-school-staff/staff-wellbeing/

• https://www.well-school.org/

• https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2018/05/29/47-wellbeing-tips/

• https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/about/

• https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/looking-after-teacher-wellbeing

• https://youngminds.org.uk/resources/school-resources/caring-for-the-wellbeing-of-teachers-and-school-staff/

• http://www.laughology.co.uk/learning-development-online/mind-the-gap-returning-to-scool-and-mental-health-after-covid-19

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/teacher-support

• https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/staff-wellbeing-36-ideas-for-your-school/

• https://www.theschoolbus.net/feature/staff-wellbeing-resource-pack/5487 

• https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/toolkit/ourfrontline-education/ 

•  https://www.schoolplanner.co.uk/blog/teachers-mental-health-and-wellbeing/

•  https://mindsahead.org.uk/ways-to-get-online-mental-health-support-for-teachers-and-students/

•  https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/returning-school-after-lockdown/looking-after-mental-health-for-teachers

• https://schools.au.reachout.com/teacher-wellbeing (Australian)

Staff Covid Home Test Link