Our Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) is Alison Cooper and she is also a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA).
Alison says:
In 2019 I became a trained ELSA, I thoroughly enjoy the role and value the time I am given to deliver sessions to students.
I have also attended training as a Mental Health First Aider in May 2022 and I completed my Senior Mental Health Lead training with the YMCA in June 2023.
Since I began my new role as Senior Mental Health Lead in September 2023, I have set up an ELSA Room alongside the Rainbow Room (Intervention room).
At Wyvern we recognise that good mental health is as important as good physical health.
A whole school approach to mental health involves all parts of the school community working together to prioritise and embed mental wellbeing into every aspect of school life, from leadership and policies to staff training, the curriculum, and external partnerships with parents and community services. This preventative, holistic framework aims to create a supportive, inclusive environment that promotes social and emotional learning, builds resilience, reduces stigma, and ensures timely access to targeted support when needed.
Prevention: creating a safe and calm environment where mental health problems are less likely, improving the mental health and well-being of the whole school population, and equipping pupils with the appropriate tools to manage their complex emotions. This will include teaching pupils about mental well-being through the curriculum and reinforcing this teaching through school activities and ethos. We are currently working together to create a bespoke emotional literacy curriculum for the students at Wyvern.
Identification: recognising emerging issues as early and accurately as possible.
Early support: helping pupils to access evidence based early support and interventions. We have two staff trained as ELSA’s supporting students in ‘The Nest’. We have Forest school on site and regular music sessions funded by Dorset Music Hub.
Access to specialist support: working effectively with external agencies, ID CAHMS to provide swift access or referrals to specialist support and treatment.
The Environment
Classrooms – our learning environments are set up to be safe places for pupils to learn.
Classrooms have appropriate communication aids for individual pupils; core boards and visuals provide consistency throughout the school, hopefully creating positive transitions throughout the school day.
Forest School – Tracy Mathews-Belcher is trained in Forest School. Students are referred if teachers feel it is appropriate.
The Nest – a safe space that has been created for individuals to access as needed.
Elsa sessions take place on Mondays and Tuesdays with Alison Cooper or Sarah Thomas. The sessions are for students referred by teachers if deemed appropriate.
Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing
At Wyvern we have a designated Mental health lead, Alison Cooper.
Alison can assist staff in school or advise them who the relevant person would be in school or signpost to an outside agency relevant to their situation.
Employee assistance Programme (Education Support) for all staff provides:
- Support for issues at home and work
- Financial guidance
- Legal enquiries
- Support and coaching for managers
- Signposting and general help
Throughout the year we take part in Mental health awareness campaigns such as:
Everyone takes part, dressing up and having fun!
Menopause in the workplace
We have a Menopause Support Group at Wyvern. We meet half termly to discuss ALL things menopause.
With around 16 million women aged between 15 and 65 years currently in employment in the UK, women now represent approximately half of the UK labour force. That surely makes menopause mainstream and as important as any other occupational health issue.
External Links to relevant sites:
We’re Mind, the mental health charity | Mind
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds
Menopause in the workplace: Menopause Matters
Suicide Prevention Charity | Campaign Against Living Miserably