Introducing the Mental Health Support Team in Schools

The teams offer support to children and young people who are experiencing:

• low mood
• worry
• anxiety and avoidance (eg simple phobias or separation anxiety)
• sleep difficulties

Take a look at this short animation that you can watch with your child for more information about the team:

The team can provide techniques and strategies to children and young people, either on a direct 1:1 basis, or within school groups. MHST also work closely with parents/carers to help them understand and support their child’s mental health.

The team work collaboratively with the school’s mental health lead and senior leadership team to raise awareness and promote better mental health for everyone as part of the school’s ‘Whole School and College Approach‘.

Who are in the teams?

The MHST is a multi-disciplinary team comprising Senior Clinicians, Clinicians and Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHP’s) who work directly with schools, parents, children and young people. EMHPs are trained to deliver evidence-based early-interventions, which includes Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Li-CBT).

How can they help?

MHST staff are trained to offer a range of interventions to support children and young people:

• low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• sensory strategies
• mindfulness
• practical ideas
• creative problem solving
• thought challenging

What is Low Intensity CBT?

CBT involves the EMHP working with the individual to focus on their mental health concern, in particular their thoughts and feelings, and the impact it is having on them. The EMHP will work with the young person to develop a toolkit of practical strategies and coping mechanisms to help them deal with difficult situations when they arise.

CBT is a talking therapy, based upon the understanding that thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected. It suggests that negative thoughts and feelings can trap the individual in a cycle and helps to identify ways to break that cycle.

Where are the teams working?

Below is a list of primary schools the teams are currently active in. We’ll be adding to this list on a regular basis.  If you are looking for secondary schools, please visit our MHST page on Health for Teens.

Leicester City Primary Schools

• Abbey Mead Primary Academy
• Alderman Richard Hallam Primary School
• Avanti Fields School
• Avenue Primary School
• Barley Croft Primary School
• Beaumont Lodge Primary School
• Belgrave St Peter’s CofE Primary School
• Braunstone Community Primary School
• Braunstone Frith Primary Academy
• Bridge Junior School
• Buswells Lodge Primary School
• Caldecote Community Primary School
• Catherine Infant School
• Catherine Junior School
• Charnwood Primary School
• Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Dovelands Primary School
• Eyres Monsell Primary School
• Folville Junior School
• Forest Lodge Academy
• Fosse Mead Primary Academy
• Glebelands Primary School
• Granby Primary School
• Green Lane Infant School
• Hazel Community Primary School
• Heatherbrook Primary Academy
• Herrick Primary School
• Hope Hamilton CofE Primary School
• Humberstone Infant Academy
• Humberstone Junior School
• Imperial Avenue Infant School
• Inglehurst Infant School
• Inglehurst Junior School
• Jameah Academy
• Jameah Boys Academy
• Knighton Mead Primary Academy
• Krishna Avanti Primary School
• Marriott Primary School
• Mellor Community Primary School
• Merrydale Infant School
• Merrydale Junior School
• Millgate School
• Montrose School
• Mowmacre Hill Primary School
• North Mead Primary Academy
• Overdale Infant School
• Overdale Junior School
• Parks Primary School
• Queensmead Primary Academy
• Rolleston Primary School
• Rowlatts Mead Primary Academy
• Rushey Mead Primary School
• Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Saint Patrick’s Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Sandfield Close Primary School
• Shaftesbury Junior School
• Shenton Primary School
• Slater Primary School
• Spark Vale Academy
• Sparkenhoe Community Primary School
• Spinney Hill Primary School
• St John the Baptist CofE Primary School
• St Mary’s Fields Academy
• St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Stokes Wood Primary School
• Taylor Road Primary School
• Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
• Tudor Grange Samworth Academy, A C of E School
• Uplands Infant School
• Whitehall Primary School
• Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy
• Wolsey House Primary School
• Woodstock Primary Academy
• Wyvern Primary School

Leicestershire Primary Schools

• All Saints C of E Primary School, Coalville
• Badgerbrook Primary School
• Barrow Hall Orchard C of E Primary School
• Belvoirdale Community Primary School
• Bishop Ellis Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Blaby Stokes C of E Primary School
• Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School
• Brocks Hill Primary School
• Brookside Primary School
• Broom Leys School
• Broomfield Community Primary School
• Brownlow Primary School
• Christ Church & Saint Peter’s Cofe Primary School
• Cobden Primary School
• Ellistown Community Primary School
• Forest Way School
• Foxfields Academy
• Glen Hills Primary School
• Glenfield Primary School
• Greenfield Primary School
• Hallam Fields, Birstall
• Heather Primary School
• Holywell Primary School
• Hugglescote Community Primary School
• Huncote Primary School
• Langmoor Primary School Oadby
• Launde Primary School
• Lift Beacon
• Loughborough C of E Primary School
• Millfield L.E.A.D. Academy
• Mountfields Lodge School
• New Lubbesthorpe Primary School
• New Swannington Primary School
• Newbold Church of England Primary School
• Newcroft Primary Academy
• Newlands Community Primary School
• Newton Burgoland Primary School
• Oxley Primary School Shepshed
• Parkland Primary School South Wigston
• Rendell Primary School
• Richmond Primary School
• Riverside Community Primary School
• Robert Bakewell Primary School
• Rothley Church of England Primary School
• Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Sherard Primary School
• Sileby Redlands Community Primary School
• St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary School
• St Botolph’s C of E Primary School
• St Denys C of E Infant School, Ibstock
• St Francis Catholic Primary School
• St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Loughborough
• St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Whetstone
• St Simon & St Jude C of E Primary School
• St Winefride’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, Shepshed
• Swallowdale Primary School
• Swannington C of E Primary School
• The Fusion Academy
• The Grove Primary School
• The Hall School
• The Latimer Primary School
• The Merton Primary School
• Thorpe Acre Infant School
• Thorpe Acre Junior School
• Townlands C of E Primary School
• Viscount Beaumont’s C of E Primary School
• Warren Hills Community Primary School
• Water Leys Primary School
• Westfield Infant School
• Whitwick St John The Baptist C of E Primary School
• Woodhouse Eaves St Paul’s C of E Primary School
• Woolden Hill Primary School

Rutland Primary Schools

• Brooke Hill Academy
• Cottesmore Academy
• Edith Weston Academy
• English Martyrs’ Catholic Voluntary Academy
• Exton and Greetham C of E Primary School
• Great Casterton C of E Primary School
• Ryhall C of E Academy
• St Mary and St John CofE VA Primary School
• St Nicholas C of E Primary School

How can a child get help and support?

If your child is based in a school in which the Mental Health Support Teams in Schools are active, you or your child can speak to a teacher, member of school staff or mental health support lead to find out more about when they are visiting and how you can connect with the team.

Further support

Download the winter wellbeing pack, filled with lots of activities to support mental health during the winter months.

MHST Winter Holiday Wellbeing Pack

If you are a carer or young carer, you can find more information on the Leicestershire Partnership Trust website.