At Lift Unity City our aim is to ensure all staff and pupils have access to the opportunities and support they need to become resilient, confident and independent individuals. Our school’s wellbeing pledge is to provide every member of our learning community with the opportunities to maintain, manage and build their positive mental health and wellbeing.
Our Personal Development and PSHE curriculum is underpinned by Social, Emotional and Mental Health research and is designed to educate our students on the importance of physical and mental health, offering a range of practical strategies our staff and pupils can utilise to be mentally and physically healthy both now and in the future.
Our enrichment offer provides all pupils with the opportunity to participate in activities that enhance physical, intellectual, emotional and social development which are incredibly important factors in supporting mental health and wellbeing. We actively encourage our staff and pupils to be proactive in improving and maintaining positive mental health by participating in extra-curricular activities.
At Lift Unity City, we offer a wide range of opportunities and levels of support for Mental Health and Wellbeing including our:
Excellent pastoral support system - every pupil is allocated a Personal Development Coach, a Student Support Leader and a Head of Year
Personal Development programme
PSHE lessons
YouHQ online pastoral hub - Inspiring a Generation - by youHQ
The Retreat - additional SEMH support (with Honey - our very own therapy dog)
Access to external providers for workshops, interventions and group work
Our on site Mental Health & Therapy building - accessible by appointment only.
MATS can help with:
Loss and Bereavement
Anxiety
Trauma
Emotional regulation
Self harm
Suicidal ideation
Low mood/depression
Discovery of authentic self
What we provide:
Staff, parent and child therapy
Psychotherapy
EMDR
One to one therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Group and one to one sessions
Healthy Relationship workshops
External Providers include:
Inside out - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Mind Chronic Illness Team - Medical needs
Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation - Switch it programme
Arch Ed - Healthy Relationships
My Sister’s Place - Healthy Relationships
Forget me not - Bereavement
The Junction - Young Carers services
External counselling services
Pupils may be referred into this service by their Pastoral Team or the school’s Safeguarding Team through a comprehensive triage system. We offer group work as well as one to one sessions with our friendly and highly qualified staff.
We also work directly with and facilitate external providers to ensure our students have access to the support and education they need.
Donna Clarkson
MATS manager : Integrated Psychotherapist/ EMDR/ Clinical supervisor
Ashleigh McLean
Educational Mental Health Practitioner / DBT Practitioner
Jodie Henry
Educational Mental Health Practitioner / Psychotherapeutic Counsellor
Paul Skeech
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor
Our Retreat provides a safe space for pupils who require additional TLC to support their journey with us. The team facilitates interventions, workshops and individual one to one sessions with pupils to help them to build confidence, resilience and their ability to communicate effectively. The Retreat is a designated space for students with access to spend break and lunchtime away from the main school population, where they can participate in different activities or spend some quiet time to relax.
Mrs Connor
Miss Bartley
Mrs Rouse
Honey
Lift Unity City recently underwent an external safeguarding audit conducted by Incyte International and was awarded Platinum Status once again for safeguarding across the school including our specialist Mental Health and Wellbeing provision.
Place2Be - Parenting advice from our child mental health experts - practical tips to support children’s wellbeing and behaviour
https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/
As part of our Mental Health & Wellbeing offer, we work with a number of different external agencies to provide the best possible care for all pupils including:
For more information - https://fis.middlesbrough.gov.uk/kb5/middlesbrough/fsd/service.page?id=QDpPLwTUYhI
For more information - https://www.nenc-healthiertogether.nhs.uk/
For more information - https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/adult-social-care/accessing-change-together/