Mental Health In Primary Schools

Rachael is joining the TPS Wellbeing team to on a study placement. Her skills are as a support counsellor. Many schools are short of counsellors however, children need support more than ever. She is currently finishing her (CHC51015) Diploma of Counselling, and works part time as a disability care-worker (particularly specialising in supporting people with Asperger’s Spectrum disorder, PTSD, and anxiety.) Rachael will be working under the Mental Health in Primary School Program. If you see her around, please give her a warm TPS welcome!

Wellbeing at TPS

SafeMinds

The wellbeing of children and young people is supported when teachers, parents and carers have improved knowledge and skills in knowing how to recognise, respond to and support them when they experience mental health concerns. It is this partnership between the school and the family that is essential in ensuring children and young people can make the most of their educational opportunities.

Parents and carers also have a duty of care to inform the school if they have concerns for their child or if circumstances at school are affecting their child’s mental health. To assist with this, SAFEMinds: At Home was developed for parents and carers to provide them with a variety of information and resources that will assist them to identify, inquire and take appropriate action to reach out for support if they are concerned about their child.

SAFEMinds also encourages schools to engage, communicate and assist their parent and carer community to understand their role in supporting their child’s mental health and wellbeing; and connect them with their school and local community resources when needed.

Minus18

Through a preventative model of mental health support, Minus18 tackles social isolation by creating fun-filled spaces where LGBTIQIA+ young people belong and are celebrated. Minus18 are leading change, building social inclusion and advocating for an Australia where all young people are safe, empowered and surrounded by people that support them.

Be You - Growing a mentally healthy community

Be You is the national mental health in education initiative delivered by Beyond Blue, in collaboration with Early Childhood Australia and headspace. Be You supports early learning services and schools to develop a positive, inclusive and resilient learning community where every child, young person, educator and family can achieve their best possible mental health.

Be You has a great library of fact sheets on a variety of topics, such as Social and Emotional Learning, wellbeing, relationships, grief, trauma, mental health issues and development.

Health Info Net

The Australian Indigenous Health Info Net has information and resources specific to Indigenous Australian social and emotional wellbeing.

Wellbeing Australia

A not-for-profit network of people and organisations committed to developing individual and community wellbeing, especially in education.

Black Dog Institute – Wellbeing

Information and resources on how to achieve and maintain a state of wellbeing.

Black Dog Institute – Workplace wellbeing

Information on what a healthy work/life balance looks like and how to establish this.

Headspace – Tips to keep good mental health

Headspace provides support for young people aged 12 -25. This link provides tips and advice on strategies you can implement to maintain good mental health.

MensLine

MensLine is an online counselling and telephone service for all men in Australia looking for support with their wellbeing.

QLife

Life is a telephone and web chat service for members of the LGBTI community across Australia, available from 3pm – midnight every day.

RU OK? every day resources

Downloadable free resources to help you meaningfully connect with people around you and support anyone struggling with life.

Wellbeing Supports for Students

The Brave Program

The BRAVE Program is an interactive, online program for the prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent anxiety. The programs are free, and provide ways for children and teenagers to better cope with their worries. There are also programs for parents.

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a free app designed by psychologists to support you in adopting a mindfulness practice. There are programs for stress, sleep, attention and concentration, and wellbeing among other topics.

Headspace

Headspace provides support for young people aged 12-25. It is available Australia wide and has a variety of in person and online resources for free.

Amaze

Developing social capacity and positive autistic identity through gaming, featuring Jess Rowlings and Dr Matthew Harrison from Next Level Collaboration

Saturday 10 September 2022, 10 am – 11.30am AEST, online, free

Hosted by Jess Rowlings and Dr Matthew Harrison from Next Level Collaboration, this webinar focuses on the benefits of online gaming in developing skills and knowledge in social capacity, collaboration and positive autistic identity.

Structure and design of games that support collaboration during play. What makes a game good for supporting cooperation and teamwork?
Collaborative skills that can be used during cooperative play. What are these skills, what do they look like, and how can we use games to support the use of these skills?
Social connection, friendship, and belonging through gaming and online communities
Safety using online platforms and in online relationships

Helping My Child to Cope with Change

Tuesday 6th September, 10am-12pm, online, free

Identify why change is challenging, and how it impacts on the behaviour of young children.
Learn strategies to prepare your child for the changes of everyday life.
Be prepared for changes within the family structure such as moving house, going to childcare and celebrations such as Christmas and birthdays.
For parents, grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, aunts and uncles and kinship carers only.

SPELD Victoria

Demystifying Dyslexia

6th October, 7pm-9pm, online, $20

Demystifying Dyslexia: What it is and strategies to help your child.

This workshop aims to give participants a broad overview of dyslexia, a Specific Learning Difficulty and provide a useful foundation for parents to understand more about the nature of dyslexia, its signs, and symptoms and how learners can be helped and supported at home.

Parenting Supports - Triple P Parenting Programs

Short Term Parenting Support

Berry Street offer ‘Primary Care’, providing families with children aged 0-12 with one to one evidence based parenting support in relation to specific concerns that they may be having, like screentime, mealtimes, being bullied etc.

Supporting Children with Anxiety

We know that many children are experiencing anxiety at the moment. Individual and group evidence based parenting support is available to help parents/carers support their children (aged 6-14) around anxiety (Fear-Less Triple P). This can be particularly helpful whilst on the waitlist for psychological services.

Financial Support

These Triple P supports come with packs of relevant supplies to support costs for the families, eg. books, games, toys. In addition, there are also grant applications that can be submitted to help with parenting.

StrongSafeFabulous

We all have a part to play in making our communities safer. On this site you can learn how you can change the attitudes and beliefs which lead to domestic and family violence.

https://strongsafefabulous.online/

Queerspace

Counselling and support with a LGBTIQ+ focus for individuals and families100 Drummond St Carlton Vic 305303 9663 6733

Rainbow Door

Rainbow Door is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ (Lesbian, Gay , Bisexual, Transgender and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls) helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. This service is run by Switchboard Victoria.

Switchboard

Switchboard Victoria Inc is a community based not for profit organisation that provides a peer based, volunteer run support service for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI)people and their friends, families and allies.

QLife

Online and telephone counselling and support 1800 184 527

Transgender Victoria

Transgender Victoria (TGV) is an Australian organisation dedicated to achieving justice, equity and quality health and community service provision for trans and gender diverse people, their partners, families and friends

Transfamily

For parents, siblings, extended family and/or friends of a trans person.

Seahorse Victoria

Seahorse Victoria Inc was formed in 1975 as a support and social group for the Victorian transgender community, and is the longest running organisation of its type in Australia.

YGender

Ygender is a peer led social support and advocacy group for trans/gender diverse young people.

Child safety and wellbeing at Thornbury Primary School: information for families and the school community

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Thornbury Primary School has reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view on our website and community handbooks.

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices.

Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students:

· Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

· Child Safety Code of Conduct

· Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure

· Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy

· Bullying Prevention Policy

· Volunteers Policy

· Visitors Policy

· Digital Learning Policy

As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at Thornbury Primary School we welcome and encourage your feedback.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions in relation to our child safe policies and practices, please contact Emma Cornish-Giles.

Team Kids