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Parent Support Information

Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

Please see below for details of charities – help groups that can offer assistance to either you or your families. If you are unsure where to turn, please don't hesitate to contact our Pastoral Team or Safeguarding TLead through the school office. We are here to help in total confidence.

Every Mind Matters

Every Mind Matters (NHS): Offers expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health. Visit Website Every Mind Matters - NHS

We all have times when we feel low, anxious or overwhelmed. But little things, like talking to a friend or taking a moment to breathe, can help us feel much better.

Here, we'll show you simple and practical ways to ease anxiety, manage stress, lift your mood and sleep better, through proven approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Find what works for you and keep doing it, because even the smallest actions can make a big difference to how you feel.

Mindsmatter Talking Therapies 

NHS Talking Therapies (St Helens): Free, confidential support for adults experiencing common issues like stress, anxiety, or depression.

  • Call: 01744 415650

Think Wellbeing St Helens has dedicated teams of psychological wellbeing practitioners, cognitive behavioural therapists and counsellors who offer a range of support to help you make positive changes to reduce stress and anxiety and improve your wellbeing. These include stress control classes, wellbeing workshops, group therapies, one to one support and telephone support.

We provide free services in St Helens for anyone over the age of 16. We offer our services from health centres and local community settings.

Please note, as an NHS service, if you decide to refer yourself we will keep your GP informed of your progress unless you explicitly instruct us not to.

St Helens Mind

St Helens Mind: A local charity providing befriending services, social groups, and mental health advocacy.

St Helens Mind is an independent local charity. The aim of our work is to help people build on their strengths, overcome obstacles, and become more in control of their lives.

We offer ongoing support through various services and support activities that encourage and promote positive wellbeing and improvements in mental health. St Helens Mind offer a Befriending service, Peer mentor groups and Allotment social groups. Our staff provide a listening ear, signposting or referral to other services.

We are part of the Mind Federation of Charities and are regularly assessed through the Mind Quality Mark (MQM). It’s a set of standards covering all areas of our operations. MQM provides assurance that local Minds across England and Wales are well-run and achieve or excel beyond good practice. 

Help in a Crisis

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services): Specialist support for children and young people.

Children and young people who are experiencing a mental health crisis can contact our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Response Team.   The team is available 9am to 9pm seven days a week covering Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington. 

BOSS - https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/services/boss

HOPELINEUK - https://www.papyrus-uk.org/papyrus-hopeline247/

Samaritans 

 Available 24/7 for anyone struggling to cope or in need of someone to talk to.

  • Call: 116123 (Free from any phone)

Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen

Alternatively, you can call the PAPRUS HOPELine UK (for young people) on 0800 068 4141 (10am to 10pm weekdays and 2pm – 10 pm on weekends) or the CALM Helpline (for men) on 0800 58 58 58 (from 5pm to midnight every day).

Triple P – Positive Parenting Programme

Practical strategies for managing the day-to-day challenges of family life.

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world, backed up by more than 35 years of ongoing research. Triple P gives parents simple and practical strategies to help them build strong, healthy relationships, confidently manage their children’s behavior and prevent problems developing. Triple P is used in more 30 countries and has been shown to work across cultures, socio-economic groups and in many different kinds of family structures.

St Helens Safeguarding Board website

If you have immediate concerns about a child’s safety.

In December 2015 the Government asked Sir Alan Wood to undertake a review into the effectiveness of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB's). His review (published in May 2016) concluded that LSCB's did not work effectively and should be abolished.

The Wood Review proposed a new model of collective working that would ensure better multi-agency collaboration, placing responsibilities on three key agencies to take a strategic lead on safeguarding and the promotion of child welfare in each local authority area. The Wood Review recommendations formed a core part of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

The revised legislation requires the safeguarding partners (Local Authority, Police and Health) to make arrangements to work together with relevant agencies, as they consider appropriate, to safeguard and protect the welfare of children in the area.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 set out further structural requirements for the multi-agency safeguarding partnership arrangements. It required the safeguarding partners, to discharge a 'shared and equal duty' to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Looking forward, St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership have undertaken a review of our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) to update our MASA in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023: A guide to multi-agency working to help, safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children.

As part of this review and in recognition of the important role Education play in the safeguarding of children, St Helens Safeguarding Partners have taken the decision to incorporate Education as the 4th Key Partner to strengthen the response of the previous 3 Key Partners (Merseyside Police, St Helens Children’s Social Care, and Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board – Health).

The MASA outlines the aims, accountability and ways of working of the St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership, and how we will deliver these new arrangements to ensure effective practice across St Helens and to safeguard all children.

Drug and Alcohol Support

Adults (CGL St Helens): 01744 410752

  • Young People (YPDAAT): 01744 675605

Change Grow Live | Charity | We can help you change your life

Bereavement and Loss

Support for families experiencing grief, including the Butterflies project for children.

  • Listening Ear: 0151 482 7881 | Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677

Losing someone important to us can be emotionally devastating – whether it's a partner, family member or friend. Grief can bring up lots of different, complicated emotions, and can sometimes affect our physical health. Our page on experiences of grief describes some common feelings.

Bereavement affects everyone in different ways, and it's possible to experience any range of emotions. You may feel lots of different emotions at the same time, or your feelings may change quickly. Your feelings may also be confusing at times. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

Talking to your child about bereavement and loss.

Winston's Wish - bereavement support for children and young people -  https://winstonswish.org/ 

https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/talking-with-your-child-about-death-and-loss/?searchTerm=bereavement+and+grief

What is bereavement? - Mind

Home - Cruse Bereavement Support

Financial Crisis Support

Financial Crisis & Food Vouchers: If you are struggling with the cost of living, we can help facilitate Foodbank Vouchers.

  • St Helens Foodbank: 01744 26412

Welfare Assistance Scheme – Services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centre Plus.

Furniture and White Goods Applications for assistance for furniture and white goods should be made via the Furniture and white goods - St Helens Borough Council

Emergency grants, loans and money help - Shelter England

Emergency Financial Assistance

Food Vouchers

St Helens Foodbank: 01744 26412

You may be able to get help with essential costs from your local council. This is sometimes known as ‘the Household Support Fund’. This could help if you’re struggling to afford things like:

  • energy and water bills
  • food
  • essential items

Your council may also offer food vouchers to families during the school holidays.

Get help with the cost of living from your local council - GOV.UK.

The District CE Primary School can provide 3 food vouchers per family per year – please see Mrs Barker for further information

Live Well

A "one-stop shop" directory for healthy living, including weight management, exercise, and social wellbeing.

The Live Well Directory is a free website that connects people in St Helens Borough, Liverpool, and Knowsley with a wide range of support services. It provides easy access to local wellbeing and health services, advice and guidance, as well as information on joining community events, activities, and groups. A recently added dedicated button highlights local services aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness, making it easier for users to find organisations that offer support, and a welcoming community. The directory also features a 'What's On' calendar, listing local events with a focus on wellbeing, helping people find fun things to do and stay connected - www.thelivewelldirectory.com.