Embedded Files
Each week, we feature "The Wellbeing Bookshelf" - a spotlight on one key resource to support your family. Whether it is a book, a podcast, or a helpful website, we will hand-pick tools that offer insight, practical advice, comfort, and inspiration.
Check out this week's recommendation, along with news on upcoming wellbeing events.
The Wellbeing Bookshelf
The Wellbeing Bookshelf
Topic: Connection and Belonging
As we come to the end of a busy term and look ahead to the Christmas holidays, we’ve chosen The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. This gentle, reassuring story reflects ideas from attachment theory, which emphasise how children feel safest and most settled when they experience a sense of connection and emotional security with the adults who care for them. The book’s central metaphor, the “invisible string”, can be especially helpful for children, offering a simple, concrete way to understand that loving relationships continue even when people are apart or routines change. Shared at bedtime or during a quiet moment, the story supports emotional regulation and reassurance without needing to analyse or fix big feelings. Suitable for younger children and often appreciated by older ones too, it encourages closeness, reflection and calm moments together.
‘Helping children with…’ Webinars for parents 2025/26
‘Helping children with…’ Webinars for parents 2025/26
Achieving for Children’s Mental Health Support Teams are delivering a series of webinars for parents of primary-aged children. The ‘Helping Children with …’ series of webinars will cover a range of common difficulties experienced by children and will aim to share evidence-based strategies to help parents and carers support their children with these difficulties. Below is a list of webinars on offer over the coming months.
Worries and anxiety
Worries and anxiety
The ‘Helping children with worries and anxiety’ webinar will help you learn ways to support your child in dealing with their big feelings, worries, and fears. This webinar will give you practical ideas on how to help your child to think more positively and develop their self confidence. You will also be introduced to some helpful cognitive behavioural therapy concepts.
Tuesday 20th January, 6pm
Friendship difficulties
Friendship difficulties
In this webinar we will learn how to support our children develop their friendship skills: learning to communicate better, repair difficulties, and negotiate solutions when relationships between peers are tricky.
Thursday 20th November, 9am or Tuesday 27th January, 6pm
Challenging behaviours
Challenging behaviours
Children often communicate their needs through their behaviours. The ‘Helping children with challenging behaviours’ webinar will help you to learn about the different factors that can impact children's behaviours, build or strengthen positive relationships by reinforcing the importance of giving positive attention. You will also learn strategies to establish home rules and boundaries to create a safe and structured environment for your children.
Tuesday 3rd February, 6pm
Digital wellbeing
Digital wellbeing
In this webinar we discuss the positive and negative impact of screen time and gaming on a child's mental wellbeing. We will share the recommendations for screen time based on age, how to have this conversation with your child in a positive and effective manner and a simple and effective way to manage the use of screens in your home.
Tuesday 13th January, 6pm
Self esteem
Self esteem
In this webinar we will explore what self-esteem is, how low self-esteem can develop and be maintained, and will introduce some practical techniques to support you to improve your child’s low self-esteem.
Thursday 27th November, 9am or Tuesday 10th February, 6pm
Transition to Secondary
Transition to Secondary
In this webinar we will explore the main worries children may experience when moving from primary to secondary school. We will help parents/carers think about the different ways to help to support and get their children prepared for the transition.
Thursday 7th May, 9am or Tuesday 19th May, 6pm
All Webinars are 60 minutes long, with 15 minutes at the end for questions and answers.
Parents and carers can sign up to the webinars here.
Information from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST): Making a Self Referral
Information from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST): Making a Self Referral
Who are we?
Who are we?
The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is a schools-based service, supporting children, young people and parents’
emotional wellbeing in a range of ways.
Who do we support?
Who do we support?
We work with children and young people, from the age of
5 to 18, who experience difficulties with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. These can be common for lots of young people and might include sadness, feeling low, anxiety or low self-esteem.
In primary schools, we also offer parents individual guided self-help sessions based on cognitive behaviour therapy principles, either around supporting their child to manage anxiety, or behaviour that challenges.
Whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing
Whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing
In addition, we support schools and families with:
In addition, we support schools and families with:
● parent webinars on a range of topics
● coffee mornings based at your child’s school
● staff workshops and support
● group work, assemblies and workshops to promote
emotional wellbeing
To self-refer, please follow the link below to complete a short online form:
Mental Health Support - Self Referral - Achieving for Children
Page updated
Report abuse