Liverpool school launches dedicated mental health support team

The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (ASFA) has formed its own mental health impact team in a bid to offer continuous support for the whole school community.

Recognising the needs of students following the pandemic, Mrs Abigail Huthwaite, head of performing arts and senior mental health lead at the academy, developed the initiative together with other members of the senior leadership team.

The mental health impact team (MHIT) is made up of qualified practitioners, including mental health first aiders, an emotional literacy support assistant, emotion coach Sarah Brooks and school counsellor Ray Loftus.

The team has a range of experience in emotional wellbeing and mental health for mild to moderate needs in children and young people. They work directly within the school offering a range of interventions and work with families and their child to determine the best course of action if they need support.

But it is not just the staff who are involved, students in Year 9 and Year 11 have volunteered to become mental health ambassadors and mental health mentors. The students have received vital training to deliver assemblies and podcasts, and 1:1 peer support.

Furthermore, the ambassadors have launched a podcast called 'The Assisi Way' which discusses a variety of topics related to mental health and wellbeing, as well as interviews with fellow students and industry professionals. Regular updates from the MHIT, ambassadors and mentors are also detailed in a half termly newsletter to parents and guardians.

As part of the initiative, the academy recently held a drop-down day around the theme of respect. 'St Francis Respects' day provided students with a deeper learning experience and enabled them to understand more about the importance of respect in different situations and settings. Further drop-down days are planned around kindness and culture.

Speaking about the MHIT, Mrs Huthwaite said: "As a trained mental health first aider I am equipped to spot signs of poor mental health and able to signpost people to receive the best support."

"Here at ASFA, we identified that post-pandemic our students may need some additional help as they navigate life back to 'normality'. Together with other qualified practitioners we are able to offer bespoke support to our students who are all from different walks of life."

Mrs Huthwaite added: "The response so far has been incredible and the interest from students to become ambassadors or mentors has been phenomenal. I'm so proud of the work that is taking place and what we have in the pipeline is really exciting."

Year 9 student, Jess said "One thing that I value most about our school is the support surrounding mental health. I know this first hand as I have had support for my mental health.

"I now understand how important it is to talk about mental health and wellbeing but also, to look after it every single day. Because of this, I wanted to become a mental health mentor, which involves working with Year 7 students of a lunchtime. We have had training so that we feel able enough to help students but most importantly, to listen to them and direct them to the adults in school if they need or want more support."

Headteacher, Ms Jo Leech commented: "Mental health and wellbeing is an incredibly important conversation we should be having in all schools right now. Thanks to Mrs Huthwaite and the MHIT, we can offer students first class advice and support which they can access at any time."

"As an academy, we pride ourselves on our strong vision of ambition and aspiration for all and, first and foremost, this starts with recognising the importance of good mental health."

ASFA is a coeducational joint-faith Roman Catholic and Church of England academy in Kensington, Liverpool, and is part of the All Saints Multi Academy Trust.

LINKS

ASFA: https://asfaonline.org/

All Saints Multi Academy Trust: www.allsaintsmat.org.