Support for children and young people around emotional and mental health is changing.
The funding for the city’s flagship HeadStart Hull programme is coming to its natural end in 2022 after a successful six years of delivery, which has reached and supported thousands of children and young people across the city. This test and learn programme was one of only six in the county and the learning has been used to further grow and develop the future provision for our children and young people in Hull.
Hull City Council, along with partners such as primary and secondary schools and NHS Hull CCG, have adopted the nationally recognised THRIVE model across Hull. The model places an emphasis on prevention and promotion of emotional and mental health and wellbeing. Children, young people and their families are empowered through active involvement in decisions about their support.
HeadStart Hull has successfully raised the profile and understanding of emotional and mental health needs of young people, and has helped shape policy and practice. As the funding comes to its natural end this year, the learning will continue to be used throughout 2022 which will be a year of transition into a new look model of support.
Rachel Roberts, Strategic Lead for Early Help and Prevention said: “An externally funded programme of this size and scale, over six years, is practically unheard of, and sustainability was built into the programme from the outset.
“The plan from day one across all partners was that the learning derived from our delivery and the increased profile and understanding of young people’s emotional health would move Hull into a new and revised framework for delivery across early help.”
Core elements of the HeadStart Hull programme will be retained, and the revised THRIVE model will add and develop new and sustainable support for children, including:
- The How Are You Feeling? website, which will continue to be a central platform for all information, advice and guidance about emotional and mental health for children and young people, parents/carers and professionals
- Mental Health Support Teams in Schools; £2.2million funding through DfE and NHS England (2021-24). Two new teams now cover 37 schools, including seven secondary schools. In 2023, a third team will be in place ensuring over 60 per cent of schools benefit from direct mental health support.
- Children’s Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners; six practitioners support children aged 10-18 who may be struggling to cope with their feelings.
- Whole-school approach and Designated Mental Health leads in schools. This is a national initiative informed by HeadStart work.
- Increased numbers of School Nurses
- Counselling services from Hull and East Yorkshire MIND
- A new Youth Employment Hub with emotional and mental health support to help young people into employment and sustain employment opportunities alongside the continuing youth employment initiative.
- Emotional Resilience Coaches continue and two additional post-16 coaches.
- Health and Justice programme; the programme works with Hull Youth Justice Service, Children’s Social Care, Humberside Police and other partners to prevent young people entering the Youth Justice system. A team of 11 Youth Support Workers to work with young people in the community.
- Youth Justice – Mental health support for young offenders.
- Holiday Activities and Food Programme: contributes to improved emotional and mental health in children and young people by providing access to enriching, fun, social activities, reaching some of our most vulnerable children.
- The city’s Youth Work offer continues to provide ongoing emotional health support for young people across Hull’s communities.
Councillor Shane McMurray, Portfolio Holder for children’s services said: “Children’s emotional and mental health remains a priority for the city. Supporting children and young people’s mental health is everybody’s business and we are now working through a period of transition, which we will do without leaving any gaps in service or support for the city’s children.”
