Wellbeing Team at Kings
Pastoral Leads
Our Pastoral Leads act as mentor for the students in their year groups. They are well placed to check in with students during the day and will prioritise students that they are aware of having difficulties and liaise closely with parents/carers. This support is available for all students and is best suited to early or short-term experience, although more significant concerns can be discussed in order to help decide the possible options for more support. They are aware of a range of in school and community offers for support and are key in signposting targeted support. Pastoral Leads are the key staff to complete referrals for students for further support inside and outside of school.
Senior Mental Health Lead
Our Mental Health Strategy is overseen by Mr Stewart, supported by our Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) Mrs Robberts who has completed the DfE funded training. This has involved studying research at a national and local level in order to develop the whole school approach and ensure continuous review of the quality of provision in the school. The role oversees the vision and quality assurance for all stakeholders.
Mental Health First Aider
Our Mental Health First Aiders are Mrs Robberts and Miss Hamilton are trained as Mental Health First Aiders. They have completed the Surrey County Council approved training through the Lucy Rayner Centre. This enables them to share expertise with Kings staff on how to work with student presenting with mental health needs by running training sessions for staff. They are also available to students that would like to access advice or possible referral to getting help in school or through specialist pathways.
School Nurse
Our school nurse visits once a fortnight and students are able to book a slot with her to discuss their needs. This is accessed through the Pastoral Leads and is best placed for students that require advice regarding health needs.
Eikon Worker
Our Eikon youth worker Kate Palmer runs preventative groups with identified groups of students to help them engage fully within the school community and have access to advice in a group environment such as Young Carers, LGBTQIA+ and friendship groups. Our Eikon Youth Worker is trained and supervised through EIKON which is an award-winning charity that has been working in local Surrey communities. Their vision is to develop happy, thriving and resilient young adults who make a positive contribution to society. Eikon groups and mentoring is best targeted to students that are experiencing difficulties establishing or keeping meaningful relationships within the school community. More information click here
Home School Link Worker
Our Home School Link Worker, works with students and their families to develop support in school and to help with advice and access to services for families.
Mental Health Support Team
We are fortunate to be supported by Mindworks with a Mental Health Support Team. This is part of the project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to support students and their families at an early stage. They provide support, using a cognitive behavioural approach, for children and young people, with mild mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties. Our interventions are based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Referrals are completed by making contact with the Pastoral Leads, SENCOs or wider Senior Team. When a student is referred to them, we always aim to get parental or carers consent. Occasionally, a student may want to access support without this. If the student were over 14 and deemed competent (under Fraser Guidelines) to make this decision, this would not want this to be a barrier to accessing our service. We would be working with the student to try to help them share with their parents or carers about the decisions they are making. If we ever had concerns relating to risk or safeguarding, we would override confidentiality and student’s consent to share where needed.
They will also work closely with staff and support a whole schools’ approach to mental health. All of their work hopes to reduce stigma and improve awareness of mental health, so children and young people can access the right support when they need it.
Click HERE to view the MHST leaflet
Click HERE for the MHST newsletter
Eikon Mentors
Our school Eikon Youth Worker and additional volunteer Mentors provide mentoring within school hours for students. All mentors are DBS and fully trained by Eikon. They offer support and form a positive one to one relationship with student who may be experiencing difficulties in their lives and want to make a change. Mentors support young people in the following ways; Listen without judgement, help to work out what changes a young person wants to make in their lives and discuss ways to achieve these goals, encouragement and help to challenge themselves and provide Regular support in the form of weekly sessions. Eikon Mentoring is best used to support students with early signs of poor mental health, attendance or behaviour issues that are impacting on their schooling.
SEND Team
The SEND Team run by our SENCOs Miss Denslow and Mrs Snedden support students with identified SEMH needs. They are able to work with specialist teams such as the Educational Pycologist, Tamhs and Camhs to request additional guidance to support students in school. Our SENCOs manage the Pupil Passports and meet with families during the year or when required to update these documents to ensure students needs are understood. Our Wellbeing HLTA, SENCOs and Deputy SENCO run Wellbeing Check Ins, Wellbeing Groups and Social Skills with students usually on a weekly basis for short term period. These groups are best suited to students already on the SEN Support List with early signs of low mood or low confidence in order to build relationships within the SEND Staff Team.
Child Wellbeing Practioner
Our Child Wellbeing Practioner (CWP), Brenda Sweeney works to increase access to mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people. CWPs deliver low-intensity psychological interventions for mild to moderate low mood and anxiety disorders for short term support. The work is designed to help students develop practical strategies to support their own mental health. CWPs do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practioners.
More information click here
Art Therapy
Our Art Therapist, Yuna Kim, works across Kings College and Guildford Grove working with students presenting with continuing feelings of low mood and anxiety who often have experienced trauma in their pasts. This support is best placed for students whose family are able to also engage with initial and closing work in order to sustain the support longer term. Art Therapists do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practioners.
More information click here
Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)
Our Deputy SENCO and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) Miss Laurie offers a period of 6 weekly sessions to support the emotional needs of students. Students identify an area of their wellbeing that they would like to develop such anxiety, friendships, anger etc and work is focused on this area. ELSA work is overseen by the Educational Phycology services in Surrey through regular supervision. ELSAs do not work with children that are already working with CAMHS or any other practitioners.
More information click here
