Student Wellbeing
Student Extra-curricular and Wellbeing resources
The Appleton School Safeguarding team are here to support you. The following resources can also be used when working from home.
Planning the Day
Having routines in place can help to relieve anxiety. Try using this checklist from the Education Endowment Foundation to help you structure your day:
Supporting home learning routines - Planning the day
NEVER ACCEPTABLE
NEVER ACCEPTABLE - Anonymous Reporting
Exercise and Physical Wellbeing
E-Safety
Mindcare@Appleton
We are delighted to invite you to a special space dedicated entirely to student well-being and happiness – the Appleton MindCare Hub. This page has been thoughtfully crafted with your needs in mind, offering practical strategies and valuable resources to support your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Here, you'll discover strategies, tips, and insights to cultivate a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Whether it's dealing with stress, managing emotions, or finding ways to stay active and positive, we've got you covered. It's also a place to access essential resources and information shared for significant wellbeing events that matter to our Appleton community. Whether it's exam preparation, or wellness campaigns, you'll find timely updates and helpful resources right here.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources
Where to Get Urgent Help for Mental Health
If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency you should seek assistance urgently. An emergency is any time that you, or someone you are supporting feels unsafe and are at risk of hurting themselves (by attempting suicide or other harm) or hurting someone else. You should:
- call 999 for an ambulance,
- go to A&E
- or call your local mental health crisis line.
You can find the urgent mental health helpline for your area here on the NHS website
If you have to wait for assistance Mind has some practical tools to help yourself at the time of crisis
If you feel able to keep yourself/the person you are supporting safe in the short term but need help as soon as possible you can get an urgent appointment with a GP, either by calling your local GP Surgery or by calling 111. It will be with the first available doctor so may not be your regular GP, but they can support you with information, medication and/or referals for additional support.
Free Listening Services
If you need someone to talk to, there are a number of free, confidential and anonymous helplines that you can call. They are manned by trained volunteers who are there to talk to, and will listen to you without judgement
Whatever you're going through, The Samaritans offer a safe space to talk, call free anytime call 116 123 (UK Wide), or 08081640123 (Welsh Language Line)
Free and confidential text messaging support service for anyone struggling to cope- Shout Crisis Text Line Text 85258 (Uk Wide).
Mental health helpline for Wales offering confidential listening and support service- C.A.L.L. call freephone 0800 132737, or text help to 81066 (Wales only).
What to Do If You Have a Safeguarding Concern
If you have a safeguarding concern about a child you should act on it immediately. Following your setting's Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy, you should speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
The safeguarding lead will decide whether a referral needs to be made. If a referral is not required relevant support for example pastoral support or early help should be put in place and monitored. If a referral is required this should be made to children's social care and police if appropriate. See Keeping children safe in education 2022 for the Statutory guidance for schools and colleges
What To Do If Your Child Needs Additional Support
Some children need extra support at school to help them to learn, this is special educational needs support (SEN support). Every school will have an SEN coordinator (SENCO). If you think your child needs help, speak to the SENCO to see how they can support your child. If the school cannot meet your child's needs with the resources they have, you can request your local authority to carry out a Education, Health and Care needs assessment (the SENCO should be able to support you with this). If the local authority decide that your child needs extra help they will give them a Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). You can find out what support is available in your area by searching for "Local Offer' on your Local Authority website.
Sources of Support
Life doesn't always go the way we expect or want it to go but there are many organisations that exist to support others. If you're finding things hard, we'd encourage you to reach out for help, you will be met with no judgement and you don't have to wait until things are at crisis point before asking for help. Some of the organisations that offer support are:
- Action for Children - Action for Children provide practical and emotional care and support for children and young people
- All it takes is 10 minutes - a TED Talk
- Anna Freud Centre - A helpful video from the Anna Freud centre that explains we all have mental health
- Anti-Bullying Alliance - How can I help my child if they are being bullied?
- Bullying UK. You can get information on all aspects of bullying, from online bullying, verbal bullying to bullying in the workplace (Part of Family Lives).
Parent support Helpline – 0808 800 2222 - Calm - a free app to aid relaxation, meditation and sleep
- CAVS (Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services) is a local based voluntary run charity that offer help and guidance to individuals as well as families. They address specific local need, including working with vulnerable young people, children and families, social isolation, health and well-being.
Helpline – 01268 214 000 - Child Bereavement UK helps children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.
Helpline – 0800 0288840 - Childline is your – a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. They are online and on the phone at any time.
Helpline 0800 1111 - Every Mind Matters - For parents advice on looking after their child’s mental health, please follow the Every Mind Matters site
- EWMHS (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service) provides advice and support to children, young people and families who are in need with their emotional wellbeing or mental health difficulties.
Helpline – 0300 300 1600 - Family Action - Family Action offers support for financial hardship, mental health problems, social isolation, learning disabilities, domestic abuse, or substance abuse and alcohol problems
- Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling. The issues they support families with include family breakdown, challenging relationships and behaviour, debt, and emotional and mental wellbeing.
Parent support Helpline 0808 800 2222 - Galop - support LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse
- Gingerbread - provides information to support single parents and their famillies
- Headspace - a free app to promote mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety
- How to Achieve Anything - a talk from Gareth Southgate and Sharky
- Kooth online mental wellbeing community
- LGBT Foundation - LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering advice, support and information services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) communities
- LGBT Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Looking after your mental health
- Luna Foundation - supports children and young people who have experienced the loss of a parent or caregiver to suicide
- The Mental Health Foundation
- Mental Health Wellbeing Advice
- Mind offers services, support and advice to people with mental distress. They also provide information to professionals, carers, family and friends.
Mind Helpline 0300 123 3393 / Mind Helpline Basildon 01268 284130 - Mind - How to Relax
- The Mix - is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s, reaching over 6 million young people each year. Whatever issue a young person is facing, The Mix is always there for them – via otheir website, over the phone or via social media. Support is free, confidential and anonymous and can be accessed wherever young people are.
- NHS-approved apps - A list of NHS-approved apps to help you with your mental health and wellbeing
- NHS Wellbeing 5 Steps
- NSPCC - offers services to prevent abuses, help rebuild children's lives and support families
- Off the Grip - a free app that monitors your screen time
- Refuge - Refuge are the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK supporting survivors to overcome the physical, emotional, financial and logistical impact of abuse
- Relate - offers relationship, family, children's and young people's counselling
- Renew Counselling offer a wide range of high quality, affordable and effective counselling and therapy services. Chelmsford 01245 359353 / Basildon 01268 822800
- Student Minds
- Switchboard - provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.
- Wellbeing Beating Anxiety
- Wellbeing Online Activities
- Wellbeing Presentation
- Winston’s Wish supports bereaved children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them. They support children and young people after the death of a parent and sibling.
Helpline 08088 020 021 - Womens Aid - domestic abuse support for women and children
- Working Families - is the national charity for working parents and carers
- Wysa - The app offers a private reflective space. It is an online therapy chatbot and can be downloaded as an app on your phone. You can choose areas you are interested in and will be presented with suggested activities for positivity and wellness.
- Yellow Door (Canvey Island Youth Project) is an independent charity, offering information, advice, advocacy, emotional and practical support, education and counselling, and activities to young people between 11 and 25. They are a local based charity in Canvey Island.
Information Phoneline – 01268 683431 - Youngminds offers mental health support for young people, parents and professionals
