The NHS in Leeds has launched a Mental Health Support Team across education settings to support young people up to 19 years old.
The MindMate Support Team is supported by the NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and developed in partnership with mental health services, education providers and young people. The service, delivered by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, offers early emotional wellbeing support for young people up to 19 years old in education settings across Leeds. The aim is to improve early access to support with mental health and emotional issues for children and young people, to prevent any emotional wellbeing difficulties becoming harder to manage.
Established in January 2020, the team currently works within further education and alternative provision education settings across the city and will be launching the service fully this academic year. They were recently successful in securing funding to expand the team over the next 3 years, to further support primary and secondary schools across Leeds.
Following the 2017 Government Green Paper for Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health, the team is participating in the national programme to improve access to mental health care for children and young people. One of the aims of the programme is to establish new mental health support teams to provide early intervention support for mild to moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing needs, as well as supporting education staff to provide a ‘whole school/ college approach’ to mental health and wellbeing in their education settings.
Jayne Bathgate-Roche, Pathway Integration Leader at NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We are extremely pleased to be launching MindMate Support Teams for young people. The service aims to provide early support on mental health and emotional issues such as low mood, mild to moderate anxiety, stress, sleep and panic.
“We already have a lot to offer in Leeds. Children and young people can access the MindMate website (www.mindmate.org.uk), where they can get advice and support they need to manage their emotional wellbeing.”
Andrea Cowans, Director of Student Life at Leeds City College, said: “We are extremely proud to be one of the further education settings signed up to this project. Having this early intervention will be a real benefit to young people, as we will be able to support them at an early stage.”
Hannah Beal, Clinical Lead, Children and Families Services at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are really pleased as a Trust to provide and lead on the agenda set out in the Green Paper. The current team have been able to set up and offer a high quality service to children and young people in a time of challenging circumstances. We are excited to develop and expand this partnership working across Leeds over the next three years.”
For details on which education settings are providing this service and to access the service visit https://www.mindmate.org.uk/mmst/
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The current educations setting who are supported by the MindMate Support Team (expanding to further settings between January 2022- December 2024):
Colleges
Leeds City College
Notre Dame Sixth Form College
Leeds College of building
Leeds Arts University
Elliot Hudson College (GORSE)
Independent Learning Providers
Aspire Igen
NACRO
Southway
Other
Medical Needs Teaching Service
Elective Home Educated
Pupil Tuition Team
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The programme is also supported by NHS England and NHS improvement. To read more visit www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers