What are Schools’ Mental Health Support Teams?

The Liverpool multi-agency pathway is delivered by a range of services working in partnership to support children, young people, families and staff in education.

To facilitate a coordinated approach service teams are working into 3 Schools’ Mental Health Support Teams (SMHSTs) across the city. All schools/education establishments are being aligned to one of these teams – North, Central and South.

SMHSTs consist of a range of providers/services that deliver across the pathway, some working within targeted levels and others across levels of need.

Primary School Mental Health Support

Secondary School Mental Health Support

Mental Health Support Teams

Mental Health support teams provide direct support into schools (mainly primary), providing early intervention for children with low-level/emerging anxiety, low mood, phobias and related challenges with behaviour and sleep. Support can be delivered through 1:1 sessions, group-work or work with parents/carers. The team also deliver training, workshops, and assemblies, in partnership with other CAMHS services, around general mental health, wellbeing and resilience.

Seedlings

The YPAS Seedlings project is a traded therapeutic service based in Liverpool primary schools allowing schools to access support for children at the orange level of need in a timely manner.

This includes both 1:1 sessions and group work:

  • Talking therapies
  • Art therapies
  • Support and advice for families
  • Providing education and resources to help staff deal with difficult emotional issues

Liverpool CCG currently commission some Seedlings support for Liverpool primary schools that don’t commission Seedlings which can be accessed via the YPAS community hubs.

Wellbeing Clinics

The YPAS Wellbeing Clinic is a service offered in all secondary schools in Liverpool. It runs for half a day each week during term time. Each school has a dedicated YPAS practitioner who meets with young people on a one-to-one basis.

The YPAS team of practitioners includes Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) workers and Children & Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CYWPs).

The Wellbeing Clinic aims to give young people, who may not have received any help before, access to mental health and emotional wellbeing support, early on, in a way that is convenient.

The Wellbeing Clinic can offer support for a variety of difficulties, such as:

  • Worries and anxiety
  • Low mood and depression
  • Problems with sleep
  • Feelings of panic
  • Phobias
  • Understanding emotions
  • Managing stress

Wellbeing Clinics work in partnership with MHSTs to provide support into secondary schools around transition.