Looking after everyone's mental health and wellbeing is vital.
At Black Firs, we place a great emphasis on understanding and promoting positive mental health for all children, staff and the wider school community. It is embedded into our school culture and ethos in various ways. We have dedicated staff who play a vital role in supporting children, parents/carers, each other and the wider community with any mental-health and well-being concerns. Looking after everyone's mental health and wellbeing is vital, and this includes our emotional and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.
Mental Health Support Team
Our Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Harrison is our Senior Mental Health First Aider and Miss Andrews runs our ELSA support for pupils. If you feel that your child or you as a parent might need some additional help please contact Mrs Jones our Headteacher/ SENDCO who will be happy to help to tell you more about ELSA and other ways we can support your child. We work closely with NHS play therapists and also offer counselling support through SWANS.
Emergency Help can be received by calling 0800 145 6485 or 999.
We all hope that no one we love or care for will need support with their wellbeing, but it is becoming increasingly common with 1 in 10 young people suffering. Possible warning signs to look out for include (but are not limited to):
- Changes in activity and mood; sadness or withdrawal that lasts at least two weeks or severe mood swings
- Increased isolation away from friends or family or becoming unusually socially withdrawn
- Physical signs of harm that appear non-accidental
- Changes in eating habits including excessive unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Lowering academic achievement
- Repeated lateness or absence from school
- Repeated physical pain or nausea with no evident cause
- Secretive behaviour
- Abusing drugs or alcohol
- Missing Physical Education or getting changed secretively
- Fearful, anxious, withdrawn and demonstrating poor self-esteem
- Aggressive, coercive or controlling behaviour
- Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
- Over friendliness or excessive clinginess
- Expressing feelings of failure, uselessness or helplessness
- Unwilling to talk about feelings
- Finding it hard to concentrate
There are lots of things we can do to protect our mental health, here are just a few that we do:
- A school ethos that is caring and open
- All of our staff are trained in trauma informed approach
- Everyone Welcome Everyone Equal – ensuring no one is excluded/ discriminated against and everyone is included
- Literature and resources that reflect our global community
- Peer mentoring/buddy system
- The daily mile
- Weekly PE sessions
- We offer yoga regularly to our pupils and have a lunchtime sports coach!
- Regular circle times in all classes and year groups
- Trained mental health champions and mental health first aider
What we are also doing for 2026-2027:
Introduce Peacemakers conflict resolution program and emotion coaching for all staff.
Peacemakers
Staff at Black Firs have received Trauma Informed schools training and follow the restorative justice approach when helping children to solve problems that they have personally encountered. This enables them to identify the source of the problem, understand their own and other people’s feelings and take responsibility for their actions.
When helping children to solve problems, five key questions are always asked in line with the restorative justice approach. These are:
1. What happened?
2. What were/ are you thinking?
3. What were/ are you feeling?
4. Who has been affected and how?
5. What do you need (to do) to move forward?
Our belief is that when children are given more independence and responsibility for their actions, they are more able to make meaningful resolutions and build relationships with others to move forward and find peace.
Our school is part of a community and we work with you to support your children. If you have any concerns or worries regarding your child’s emotional and mental health, please feel free to speak to your child's class teacher or a member of school staff.
Please see the links and contact numbers below for resources/help to support emotional well-being and mental health. You do not need to register to use these resources.
Please call 0800 145 6485 if your mental health or emotional state deteriorates. Staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you to access the help that you or your child (of any age) needs.
To get help quickly, you can also call 0300 303 3972
The MyMind website also provides resources for self-help and ideas to support your emotional well-being.
Childline provides a free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday and is provided by the NSPCC. Children can talk to them about anything - no problem is too big or too small.
You can call them on 0800 1111 or get in touch online. It’s confidential and names do not have to be given. If urgent support is needed, click on the tab "Get support" then "Log in for a 1-2-1 counsellor chat". Signing up is straight forward and this will enable your child to enter a waiting room where a dedicated counsellor will be available.
The CWP (Cheshire and Wirral Partnership) provide health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care. If visiting this website, click "Our Services" and find "Cheshire East" to find out what is available in our area. Call 01606 555 120 for advice between 1 - 5 pm Mondays to Fridays.
The Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgemental, emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. You can call the Samaritans free anytime on 116 123. The website also provides details on how to email or write to access support, plus a Samaritans self-help app. Furthermore, there are support groups available for people bereaved by suicide.
Young Minds offers advice and tips for parents (as well as young people and educators) to support children's mental health and well-being.
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Visyon is a charity that supports the emotional health of children, young people and their families in Cheshire East. Any young person (11+) or parent can call Visyon if they need a space to talk - no issue is too small. You can call them on 01260 290 000, text on 07508 074748 or email: administration@visyon.org.uk. They have open access appointments available at various times and days in the week.
Mind Ed - a free educational resource on children and young people's mental health. MindEd has advice and information from trusted experts and will help you to understand why problems occur, what you can do to best support your family, and how to take care of yourself. MindEd for Families is written by a team of specialists and parents, working together.
Congleton Family Hub, New Street, Congleton, CW12 3AH.
Email: congletonfamilyhub@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Contact number: 01260 371 061. Main contact: Tracy Turner
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday - 9:00 - 17:00, Friday 9:00 to 16:30
Family T.I.E.S is a privately run business and has extensive experience in developing and delivering innovative, creative and bespoke intervention programmes for children and their families. The Family Ties practitioners’ skills include Social Work, Family Support Work, Management, Practice Education, Extensive Child Development knowledge and Play Therapy.
Creative Action Team is a privately run business and offers a team of innovative creative therapists working together to improve emotional well-being for children, young people and families. They work throughout Cheshire and North Staffs and have a base in Cheshire East, near Crewe, for their larger animal work. Solutions they use include Animal Assisted Therapies, Art and Creative Interventions, Play Therapy and Talking Therapies.
Stress Management - For advice on Stress Management click on the following link: https://pacificmedicalacls.com/stress-management