Signposts for Parents
The following resources have been collated to help you support your child's mental health and wellbeing at home. A copy of the pupil signposts have also been attached as these may be useful in guiding your young person to the correct support.
Click on the title below to access the link.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Signposts for Parents’
CAMHS - reasons for school refusals, symptoms and advice
Child Mind Institute - a variety of mental health issues addressed
Dyslexia Scotland - offers advice and guidance on dyslexia related issues
MindEd - Are you a parent or carer who is concerned about the mental health of your child or teenager? Do you just want some hints and tips on parenting?
My Tutor - A guide for parents supporting a teens mental health.
Place2Be - Advice on how to understand and manage a young persons feelings as they grow up.
SANEline - Out of hours emotional support, guidance and information
Stem4 - Supporting teenage mental health/downloadable resources
Harmless - A user-led site that provides support and help for self-harm and suicide prevention
Youth Link Scotland - Advice for helping children, young people and their families manage their anxiety about COVID-19
The Anxious Child - A booklet for parents and carers wanting to know more about anxiety in children and young people
Young Minds - Supporting your child with anxiety and school refusal
Free Apps
Headspace - free 10 day mindfulness programme
Smiling Mind - meditation for every age
Emoodji - allows young person to keep track of their mood and share it with people close to them
New Services and Support
Substance misuse continues to be a significant issue in Scotland, causing damage to people’s lives, families and communities, and contributing to violence and crime.
Please see the following videos created to explain, understand and highlight the issues of substance misuse:
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. They have trained volunteers there to help you 24/7 to listen and support you to get to a calmer and safe place. It is anonymous and wont appear on your phone bill. To start a conversation, text ‘Shout’ to 85258.
From 1st March this will change to, text the ‘Falkirk’ to 85258.
A new digital therapy in the form of a mobile app is now available for people in Forth Valley who are experiencing symptoms of worry and anxiety.
Known as Daylight, it uses science backed cognitive behavioural techniques to guide you through exercises to tackle your worries and feelings and address your fears so you feel more in control.
NHS and social care staff already have free access to Daylight and in partnership with the Scottish Government, NHS Forth Valley is one of the first health boards in Scotland, to extend this access to the public.
Daylight is available to adults (18+) and can be accessed directly on a web-based or mobile device at trydaylight.com/nhs. People create their own user name and password so no-one can access any of their details and all data is stored in an encrypted database. No referrals are needed.
Help is now available for people in Forth Valley who are struggling with poor sleep and insomnia.
An NHS-accredited online programme known as Sleepio is now available alongside two other digital therapies – Daylight for anxiety and Silvercloud for wellbeing.
Dr Sally Rankine, NHS Forth Valley’s Head of Adult Mental Health Psychology, said: “We are delighted to be adding Sleepio to our programme of digital therapies. Difficulties with sleep can have a negative impact on many aspects of wellbeing so it is wonderful that this is now available.“Daylight, Sleepio and Silvercloud allow local people to access cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) in their own time and at their own pace to help them learn, develop and practise new skills proven to reduce worry and anxiety as well as improving their sleep.”
Pupil Signposts
Barnardo's
At Braes High School we also work alongside partner agencies, in particular Barnardo’s to provide parental support or advice. This can be advice on supporting your young person through change, with their mental health or through difficult periods of life such as bereavement. There are a variety of well-being and parenting resources from Barnardo’s online, but there are Barnardo’s workers in the school also who can work with families or provide advice.
