Portsmouth City Council expands its mental health support for children returning to school

With the phased reopening of primary schools to Year R, 1 and 6 children and this week’s return of some Year 10 and 12 students, many pupils are having to readjust to school life after months at home and with concerns relating to the coronavirus pandemic still very much apparent.

In light of such concerns, Portsmouth City Council is one of the first local authorities to deploy Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to cover all its schools. Each team consists six staff and a manager, all of whom have extensive experience in youth and mental health work. The specialists will offer behaviour therapy and support to children, young people, parents and carers who may be suffering low to moderate anxiety or depression.

Cabinet member for education Cllr Suzy Horton said: ‘Portsmouth already has a good reputation for the collaborative way in which we support children's mental health and the news that we can expand the mental health team could not have come at a more crucial time, when children are beginning to return to school after lockdown and in some cases need extra help to re-adjust.

‘For parents of children who are back in school, you can be assured that mental health of pupils is one of our top priorities.’

The funding for the council to expand its mental health care has been provided by NHS England.

Richard Brown, operations director for Children and Families East in Solent NHS Trust, said: ‘This is fantastic news for school aged children in Portsmouth and will ensure that children within all schools in the city can have access to timely, expert mental health support.

‘We are looking forward to working alongside our partners in education and the city council to support children and young people within the city with regard to their mental health and wellbeing as this remains a top priority for all of us.’

The news of additional support comes after headteacher at Medina Primary School, Howard Payne, warned of a potential surge of ‘worried and anxious’ children returning to school.

Speaking as children began to return to his own school, Mr Payne said: ‘Without a doubt this will have an impact on their mental health further down the line but we won’t know the extent for months. Some of the children have shown today they’re anxious and worried about returning to school.’

In a recent survey of more than 2,000 children carried out by the charity, YoungMinds, 83 per cent said the pandemic had made their mental health worse, with almost a third saying it was ‘much worse’.

Any parents concerned about their child’s mental health can find support via the link on the council’s website.

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