Social, emotional, mental health of children..

[pfrench]

.. has it got significantly worse/more time consuming for your school recently? This academic year/last academic year?

We're spending so much time dealing with issues related to mental health problems, with no outside resource to really help. The CAMHS wait is 26 weeks, the PCAMHS wait is 14 weeks... meanwhile we have children extremely distressed every day, parents upset etc, and not really the skills to deal with it. Certainly don't have the resource to deal with it.

Just wondered if we were on our own here?

I could have written exactly the same thing.

Yes.

I'm a teaching HOY and I have such little time.
More needs to be done.

I'm an NQT so I don't have much to compare it to, but we're definitely seeing a lot of it. And as you say, waits for professional help are long.

I'm in primary, and a lot of the behaviour issues I deal with are MH related as opposed to SEND. Anger issues especially. With some of the children's backgrounds that' no surprise, but it's impossible to 'fix' with just me.

Oh for sure, some children have what I would call 'obvious' reasons for anxiety or anger or depression. Those who have attachment issues, trauma, PTSD etc. But, I don't know why we seem to be getting such a huge percentage of children who struggle to a lower degree with regulating their emotions, or responding appropriately to situations.

Any in particular, why now?

Where I live there are many charities that want and can engage with schools to support teachers to help children with mental health problems. There are more who can help children and families directly following referral from a school.

Have you fully explored the voluntary sector offer in your area, or even nationally?

Sorry, that post sounded a little accusing . It really wasn't supposed to.