A Quiet Place Community supporting mental health

The increase in mental health issues over the many years I have been in teaching (over 50 years) is shocking. I have worked across all ages and abilities initially to try and prevent exclusion in mainstream and find effective support for all. Accountability and transparency have always been important to me and when I trained as a psychotherapist in the 80's, I realised that at a very practical level programmes should be effective with sustainable outcomes delivered:

•  in schools directly (no stigma) by existing staff (who know the children and families as well as being immediately available.
• non judgemental, families often feel blamed implicitly and explicitly and guilt leaves little room for changes in behaviour if indeed that is where the problem arises 
• medicalisation of our society and the rise of labels and self diagnosis from various questionnaires
• support had to be inclusive (all children, staff and families) as well as integrated into the schools outcomes otherwise it would not work.
• evidence based research into traditional forms of intervention means a session per week over a couple of years, this doesn't happen.
• many years have passed but the pain and worry (increases in self harm anxiety etc) have only increased. I needed to set up an in-house mental health service that worked with every child and as a preventative programme and with individuals as an effective intervention
• we are very small these days and money tends to go to the traditional clinical groups or those who work using that model and thought maybe we could try this way to fund therapists that will support the families in the communities where we are already working in Shotton, Queensferry and developing an outreach service.
• My passion for this work seems to go on as years pass and I often come out of schools and weep as there is something that can help but simply no money for it.
• I am hoping that we can get help and if you are reading this and need some help there are programmes available online from our website, from sleeping problems to personal development we all need understanding of how our bodies and minds work together and just how amazing we can all become despite difficulties we have overcome.The Heart of a School