Mental Health Support Team (MHST) - supporting children and young people

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) will support children and young people with emerging, mild or moderate mental health difficulties which may be affecting day to day life. The project initially is for those pupils on roll at 12 schools in Wokingham.

Depending on the age of the child or young person, we may work either directly with them or with their parents.  We also work with school staff and offer support on different levels with the aim of developing and supporting a whole school approach to mental health.

The team consists of:

• Senior Educational Psychologist
• Primary Mental Health Workers
• A Specialist CAMHS practitioner
• An Outreach worker 
• Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs)
• Administrator 

Participating schools:

Our service is only available to children and young people who attend, or are on roll at one of the following schools, and with emerging or mild to moderate emotional and mental health difficulties:

• The Forest
• The Holt
• Maiden Erlegh
• St. Crispins
• Foundry College
• All Saints Primary
• Hawkedon Primary
• Keep Hatch Primary
• South Lake Primary
• Winnersh Primary
• Loddon Primary
• Hawthorns Primary

For children and young people who live in Wokingham, but do not attend these schools, please visit Emotional Wellbeing Hub.

What is the Emotional Wellbeing Hub?

The Emotional Wellbeing Hub provides a central point of contact for young people, families, and professionals to access emotional wellbeing services.

This service is for people who have concerns about the emotional wellbeing of a child or young person aged between 0 and 19 years (25 years for those who are disabled) living within Wokingham Borough. Young people aged 12 years and above can self-refer, with parental consent, whilst those aged 16 years plus do not require consent (unless disabled or in specific circumstances).

We deliver a range of evidence-based interventions focused on mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behaviour management.  

This may include interventions such as:

• Helping your Child with Fears and Worries programme:  an individual guided self-help intervention for parents of anxious children aged 12 and under
• Webster-Stratton Incredible Years: an individual guided self-help parenting intervention for parents of primary aged pupils 
• Worry management for children experiencing anxiety (Year 6 and above)
• Graded exposure (facing feared situations step by step) for children with phobias and other anxiety difficulties (Year 6 and above)
• Brief behavioural activation support for young people to explore and develop helpful coping strategies specific to improving low mood (Year 6 and above)

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) also offers support to school staff by:

• Delivering training on various mental health topics
• Offering consultations (individual or group) where staff can think through their concerns or difficulties regarding students or class groups
• Working with staff to support students individually
• Supporting staff wellbeing

Referral process

• Parent/Guardians can use the Wokingham Mental Health Support Team referral form (PDF document)
• Parent/Guardians can speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) or Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) at school and they will complete the referral form with you.
• Young people can also speak to a member of school staff, School Nurse, their GP or any other professional who works with them who could support them with completing a referral.
• Young people who are 16 years or over and on roll of a participating school can self-refer. Or as above, the referral can be supported with consent from the young person.

Urgent help

The MHST is unable to provide urgent or emergency support.

If your concerns are serious, urgent or complex in nature, please visit the Berkshire NHS Healthcare Children, Young Poeple and Families website where you will find all contact details as well as other sources of support and what to do if you are concerned about a child or young person's safety.

When referrals are received they go through a triage process to explore how the young person’s needs can be best met. We may contact you if we need more information.

If the referral is accepted, an MHST practitioner will be in contact to let you know. Depending on demand for our service, there may be a waiting list.

Once an MHST practitioner has been allocated, they will contact you and school to arrange a visit and an initial assessment to explore with you what intervention we may be able to offer.

If we are unable to offer you a service, we would discuss other options with you and look to signpost you to other services that may be able to meet your needs.

Our service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Telephone: 0118 974 6000
Email: mhstadmin@wokingham.gov.uk

Advice on how to help someone you're worried about

The Samaritans offer advice on how to help someone you're worried about open up about their feelings. 

Visit the Samaritians website  

For parents of children at primary school

Anna Freud has produced useful information and resources for parents and carers. 

Anna Freud website.

For parents of young people at secondary school

The teenage years are both exciting and challenging to parent and carers. It can be hard to know whether your child's feelings and behaviour are normal or becoming a problem. Anna Fraud have produced a leaflet which provides simple advice and guidance to parents and carers about how to make conversations about their teenager's feelings part of everyday conversation.   

Download the 'Talking mental health with young people at secondary school' from the Anna Freud website

For children and young people aged 11-19

Tellmi is a safe, anonymous app where you can talk about anything. From anxiety to autism, dating to depression, or self-harm to self-esteem. Sharing your experiences with the Tellmi community. Moderators check everything to keep you safe and their in-house counsellors are always on hand if you need extra support.

The Tellmi App can be downloaded from Play Store or Apple Store.

For parents, young people and professionals

There are a number of charities supporting parents, young people and professionals to help children and young people’s mental health. Visit our emotional and mental health support for young people web page for a list of national organisations.