Practitioners

Welcome to our practitioners page, here you will find information about how we can support children & young people around their mental health and wellbeing. 

If you are looking for the Our SHANARRI School Evaluation tool and Resources please visit the page dedicated to the Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing here.

Parent & Carer section

You may find the Parent & Carer section especially useful as a Practitioner too. We have pulled together some of the results from the Highland Lifestyle Survey in 2021, and included useful websites and resources that relate to the responses that we received. Lots of the websites will have information that will help you in your day to day practice, as well as having staff specific sections that you may wish to look at.

A Whole School Approach to Wellbeing; Staff Wellbeing

Consideration to how staff are supported, both in their professional learning and their own wellbeing is vital in ensuring that we are able to support the Children & Young People around us. Principle 5 of the Whole School Approach focuses on staff and here is some information to allow you to support your team.

5. Supporting staff professional learning and development in order to ensure their own and others’ wellbeing (1).pdf

Professional Reflective Support and Supervision

Supervision leaflet.pdf

Ways to Wellbeing 

W2W HANDBOOK 2021.pdf

What is the Ways to Wellbeing Handbook?

This Handbook consists of information and self reflective exercises based around five areas designed to enhance the wellbeing of adults in learning communities and beyond. It can be used individually or in groups as an experiential tool to develop and reflect on wellbeing. It stems from the recognition that while the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) has provided a curricular framework to enhance emotional wellbeing for children and young people, those working in our learning communities also need to address their own wellbeing to enhance their capacity to support those learners and to shape emotionally literate settings. However, it is designed to be just as relevant for young people and adults in differing contexts living in the complexity of the twenty first century.

Check out the Principle 8 Training Grid on the WSA to Wellbeing page if you would like to access training in relation to this.

If you work in the Early Years, this site has been developed specifically to support the wellbeing of staff who deliver Early Learning and Childcare.

You will find events, resources, a way to connect with others from across the sector and focuses in on you, and your own wellbeing.

If you haven't already come across the Think Health Think Nature site it is well worth a look. Their aim is to help you to explore and enjoy your local green spaces. 

Whether this is for your own mental health and wellbeing, or whether you can see opportunities for your whole school community, it is well worth taking the time to have a look at the wide range of activities, ideas and information housed on the site. 

Less than half of adults in Scotland visit the outdoors on a regular, weekly basis, and 14% don't at all. Access to greenspace can help to protect the physical and mental health of both adults and children in Scotland.

Are you aware of the Schools Hub?

The Schools Hub is made up of various tiles to support you in your role in and around schools.

Particularly useful tiles to explore when thinking about the wellbeing of our children & young people are:

The Schools Hub is only accessible to staff of Highland Council.

School Counselling Service

Every school in Highland has a School Counselling Service to support Children and Young People over the age of 10 Years.  

The service is provided by fully trained registered counsellors, delivering 1:1 face to face and/or online sessions either in school, or at another agreed location.

Children and Young People can contact the counselling service direct if they wish.  Details of the service for their school should be on their school website and advertised in the school. 

Alternatively, they can speak with any member of school staff, or other professionals that they are in touch with such as their GP who can refer to this service.  Professionals can suggest a referral to this service through the Child's Plan process.

An initial meeting gives a child or young person an opportunity to chat with the counsellor and establish if this is something that feels right for them, and they want to continue with.

Counselling is an opportunity for a Child or Young Person to discuss things that may be worrying them or causing them to be anxious in a confidential and supportive environment. 

Kooth's_Providing_an_Online_Service_brochure_Final_pdf.pdf

Kooth has recently been commissioned by NHS Highland and is a free online counselling and emotional well-being support service providing young people aged 10-18 years across Highland with a safe and secure means of accessing support with their emotional health and wellbeing needs from a professional team of qualified counsellors.


Why Kooth?


Kooth helps to reduce waiting times for young people seeking help, removes stigma around mental health and accessing services. Kooth works with face-to-face local services to ensure a seamless transition for young people.


Kooth’s team of qualified counsellors, therapists and support workers provide guided, outcome-focused help for each individual. Kooth takes safeguarding and clinical governance extremely seriously. The safety and well-being of all Kooth users is an utmost priority.

Kooth will be working in the region to raise the profile of the service with professionals and young people and is hosting an information session on Wednesday 15th June at 2pm.


Just Ask

We are delighted to be able to offer the Just Ask helpline in Highland. This service is available twice a week, and you are able to phone the number below and give a brief explanation of your concerns before your query is signposted to the relevant service. 

This is a great way to access professional advice from local staff, and is utilised well by Parents and Staff who have concerns about how best to support Children & Young People.

It is important to remember that when supporting our children and young people, you are not on your own. Re-visit the 5 questions, consider if you have all of the information you need. If you still have concerns, talk to someone. 

Do you have a question about the development or wellbeing of a child or young person in Highland? Call Just Ask on Tuesdays or Thursdays, 1–4pm. A health or educational professional will call you back within a few days.

Staff usually available are


Please call us on 0300 303 1365

e-sgoil have created a page that is dedicated entirely to learning sessions related to Mental Health for learners in S1-3 and S4-6. 

Check out their interactive PDF to see the wide range of sessions they have on offer or visit the page itself to see all of the content, including videos, lesson plans and more.

e-sgoils1-6-mhwb-infographic.pdf

SHANARRI - Links, Resources and Information

In line with the Children & Young People's page we have included links to useful websites, resources and activities to support your work as a practitioner around SHANARRI and promoting the wellbeing of all children and young people in your school or setting. You may find these particularly useful after using the Our SHANARRI School survey, especially if the C&YP have identified particular indicators that would benefit from further input.

My Rights to Wellbeing

​My Rights to Wellbeing is a universal programme, to support the knowledge and understanding of children’s rights as identified through the UNCRC, but also with a wider focus on wellbeing and the tools created nationally to support GIRFEC.​

​

This programme aims to encourage children to develop their emotional language and promotes an understanding of themselves and their social relationships, both within their families and their wider communities. Sessions focus support on pupils to take ownership of their My World Triangle and their Wellbeing Wheel. Discussion of the Articles within the UNCRC provide an understanding that every child has these rights and provides opportunities, through cooperative​

group work, interactive workshops and games for children to link the Articles and the language of Wellbeing, to better support their understanding, engagement and participation in these areas of their development.​

​

Although P6 is recommended, this programme can be adapted and delivered to any age group, to suit local needs.​

​

To discuss further or to arrange training please get in touch with louise.kinnear2@highland.gov.uk​ 

Safe

Pupils told us that to feel safe in school they wanted to have good relationships with staff and to know that things will be done to make them feel safe. They talked about feeling secure, knowing that people would help, feeling supported and having trusted adults around them. We have linked to some websites that can support you to build on these things.

The HCPC site is packed full of useful information for all practitioners.

The site has Help & Advice, Policies & Guidance and Training dates, as well as information for C&YP, Parents & Carers and Communities. 

Another local site worth looking at is Safe, Strong and Free.

Respect Me's vision is of a respecting, just, equal and inclusive Scotland in which all C&YP can live free from bullying. Their work is driven by a focus on children's rights.

The site itself has a wealth of learning resources, as well as free e-learning modules.

Put together by the National Crime Agency, CEOP's thinkuknow resource has a range of resources and information to support you to deliver education and raise awareness of online child abuse and exploitation.

Healthy

Pupils wanted opportunities for healthy exercise at school, to be supported to have positive mental health and wellbeing and to have healthy eating options. They talked about the importance of sleep, of being resilient and getting the balance right for them.

This page provides a comprehensive package of information, resources and organisations which are freely available to support primary and secondary school staff to support mental wellbeing.

It contains useful and practical resources for practitioners working with C&YP ensuring the focus on their wellbeing is equal to that of other curricular areas. The majority of these resources are universal support.


Healthy Schools is a framework to guide the teaching and planning, tracking & monitoring and evaluation of Health and Wellbeing education throughout the school year. It supports co-ordination across the school and progression throughout the learner journey from Nursery though to S4. 

Do you link with the Active Schools Co-ordinator for your ASG? 

There are a wide range of opportunities that you can access to support C&YP via HLH. From Active Schools, to Outdoor Learning, the Leadership Programme and not forgetting the Youth Development Officers and Countryside Rangers they have lots of information and ideas to promote healthy choices for our children and young people.

Achieving

Feedback from pupils suggested that they wanted support, encouragement and feedback in relation to their learning, they wanted to be supported to set and achieve realistic goals, to have opportunity to develop skills related to their interests and to feel that effort and hard work are valued in their school.

The leadership programme offers a selection of awards through High Life Highland, where pupils can sign up and become a Young Leader in a variety of roles; not just sport. Take a look at the information and get in touch with the Leadership Programme Development Officer to find out more about the vast range of opportunities they have available or if you have an idea for new leadership opportunities. 

hi-hope is an online resource listing what’s out there for young people leaving school in the Highlands. It is aimed at the 14+ to 24 age group. It will also be of relevance to anyone who supports young people at this stage in their life. 

It contains information covering Life, Work & Employability, Education and Personal Development. Work Experience can also be accessed here.

The Awards Network was established in Scotland in 2008 as a forum of providers of non-formal learning opportunities for young people, recognised by youth work awards. Its members work together to raise awareness of the range and impact of awards accrediting learning and achievements of young people aged 10 to 25. It recognises awards that use youth work approaches and are available throughout Scotland. 

Nurtured

Knowing that there is someone to talk to, staff that care about you and feeling safe and protected by school staff were the main themes fed back in relation to Nurture. Pupils wanted to feel reassured and for people to be able to ask if they were ok in a supportive, happy and safe environment.

Realising the Ambition: Being Me builds upon the original principles and philosophy of Pre-Birth to 3 and Building the Ambition. 

It explores the range of interactions, experiences and spaces we need to provide for babies and young children to help them learn and grow best from their earliest days through to being a young child in early primary school.


We have mentioned Young Minds in various points across this site. 

This page is full of wellbeing resources that can help to build a culture of positivity and support the recognition of strengths and qualities within ourselves and others.

There are even more resources to support you to support C&YP here.

Nurturing and trauma-informed approaches can have a positive impact on attainment and social and emotional competences and confidence.  At the heart of nurture and being trauma-informed is a focus on wellbeing and relationships and a drive to support the growth and development of children and young people, many of whom come from areas of disadvantage and require additional targeted support to close the equity gap. 

Active

Being active was all about opportunities to engage with sport and other activities, having regular chances to engage with time outdoors and play and the building in of breaks from academic tasks during the school day and lessons. 

SAMH recognise that there are a number of barriers that prevent people experiencing mental health problems from participating in physical activity including low energy and confidence, lack of support and motivation, and side effects of medication. Their work is centred around changing this so we can all experience the benefits of being active.  

Play Scotland is the lead organisation for the development and promotion of children and young people’s play in Scotland. They work strategically to make the child’s right to play a reality so that all children can reach their full potential and be able to confidently inhabit an inclusive public realm, as well as help shape child friendly communities. 

Take a look at High Life Highland's Outdoor Activities page. There is information here about their countryside rangers, winter sports, paddle sports and the Duke of Edinburgh award amongst other things. Not forgetting their Active Schools Co-ordinators, Youth Development Team, Leadership Programme and Highland Disability Sport.

Respected

Pupils reported that it was important to be listened to and heard by staff, for their opinions to matter and for relationships to be respectful both with staff and with other pupils. 

This link is for Highland Council staff.

Under the ASN, Inclusion and Equality, Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing tile you will find a tile focusing on Equality, Diversity and Children's Rights.

Here you can access the bullying survey and a whole host of other resources to support you to consider equality, diversity and the rights of children.

The national Building Racial Literacy programme promotes anti-racism as a baseline professional value, empowering educators to identify and implement anti-racist behaviours and processes in their everyday practice. The ultimate goal of the Building Racial Literacy programme is to make every educator in Scotland racially literate, effective at dealing with racism and confident in leading anti-racism.

The Children & Young People's Commissioner Scotland website has resources for Primary and Secondary schools on helping children and young people to understand their human rights and what that means for them in Scotland. 

The resources page is packed with useful documents, some of which can be sent out by post so that you can have hard copies for display around your school.

Responsible

Leadership opportunities and responsibilities are important at every stage of the learner journey, pupils wanted to attend school in a place where they are encouraged to take care of themselves, others and the environment around them and perhaps most of all, they wanted to feel trusted.

Learning for sustainability (LfS) is an approach to life and learning which enables learners, educators, schools and their wider communities to build a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society. An effective whole school and community approach to LfS weaves together global citizenship, sustainable development education and outdoor learning to create coherent, rewarding and transformative learning experiences. 

The leadership programme offers a selection of awards through High Life Highland, where pupils can sign up and become a Young Leader in a variety of roles; not just sport. Take a look at the information and get in touch with the Leadership Programme Development Officer to find out more about the vast range of opportunities they have available or if you have an idea for new leadership opportunities. 


The purpose of the programme is to help children and young people to be more actively involved in helping to improve their schools by:


Included

Pupils talked about how important it was to have a sense of belonging to both their peers and their school, they wanted to be able to have their say about what happens in their school, if they needed support they wanted to know how they could access it and they wanted to ensure that opportunities were available to all members of the school community.

You will find the INCLUDE: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Guidance and Self-Evaluation for Educational Settings (developed by pupils at Nairn Academy) on this page, as well as a host of other resources and examples of practice across the site that demonstrate participation and inclusion of children and young people across our schools and settings.

Visit the LGBTI+ Inclusion & Education tile on the Schools Hub for training resources, LGBTI+ Classroom Resources, Guidance and short films and video resources.

The schools hub is only accessible to Highland Council staff.

Education Scotland have created a Wakelet with a host of useful information relating to inclusion.

The Wakelet is a collection of links to materials that can be used to support inclusive education and learner wellbeing. The links take you to the National Improvement Hub, Glow, Websites and YouTube. Please check which are available and suitable for use within your Local Authority, as well as age and stage appropriateness. 

We are committed to supporting the needs of children and young people and their families from Armed Forces families: serving, reservist and veteran.

The Military Liaison Group (Education) provides a unique partnership of services and agencies that come together regularly to plan to ensure that the right support meets the needs of the children of Armed Forces Families in school at the right time.

This information sits on Highland Council's Schools Hub and is only accessible to HC staff.


Stonewall’s dedicated team of education professionals work hard to bring you the resources and guidance you need regardless of whether you’re just getting started with your LGBTQ+ inclusive work or whether you’re looking to further embed and develop your practice.

 Whether you’re looking for best practice guidance and policy templates, posters or lesson packs written by a qualified teacher, there’s something here for you. 

The Promise works with all kinds of organisations to support shifts in policy, practice and culture so Scotland can #KeepThePromise it made to care experienced infants, children, young people, adults and their families - that every child grows up loved, safe and respected, able to realise their full potential. 

You may also want to check out Highland Champs to see what support is available for CEYP in your area.

Or Who Cares? Scotland, who provide support to corporate parents.

If you are supporting children and young people with additional support needs, Enquire have information and advice to help you to:


For learning resources, information about support, toolkits, e-learning and more, visit the Schools Hub Young Carers tile. The schools hub is only accessible to HC staff.

It is also worth noting that there are 4 Young Carers groups across Highland:

Caithness Klics

TYKES in Sutherland

Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers

Connecting Young Carers

STEP is a national knowledge exchange centre supporting equitable access to education for mobile communities. It is funded mainly by Scottish Government and is based at the University of Edinburgh.


STEP’s vision is to be a centre for excellence supporting education leaders, teachers, and families to ensure that education is accessible, authentic and has the highest expectations for all children and young people from mobile cultures in Scotland.