We are delighted to work with Northamptonshire Mental Health Support Team (MHST), providing us with access to specialist support and extra capacity for early intervention and help for mild to moderate mental health issues.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) were established from the ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a Green Paper, 2017’, which recognised that providing support in school would improve children & young people’s access to early mental health and wellbeing support. 

What are the Mental Health Support Teams?

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) have been created to offer early intervention, low intensity, mental health support within schools for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. 

The MHST will also offer support and advice to education setting staff to identify the most appropriate services for their need and help liaise with other appropriate services.

The purpose of the MHST is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and is driven by the Green Paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’ (www.gov.uk)

What are Educational Mental Health Practitioners? 

Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) are part of the government’s MHST plans for schools to provide mental health early intervention support for children and young people. EMHPs are currently training at Northampton University and will be at University 2 days a week whilst working 3 days a week in schools to gain qualification and experience. This phase is the ‘trainee phase’. During this time, they will build up their experience through individual, group and whole school work with pupils, families and staff.

What can the MHST support with?

There are many things the MHST can help with. Where needs are more complex, they may need to refer a young person onto another team or service that is better placed to help. The following table shows the types of presentations MHST can help with, things they may be able to help with (with discretion and under close supervision), and things they won’t be able to help with.

How to refer

Referrals will be made by our Pastoral Team following the current pathway for emotional health and wellbeing needs for Children and Young People via the Referral Management Centre (RMC). The RMC provides a single point of access for professionals to make referrals into children and young people’s specialist community health services. The RMC aims to manage all referrals to ensure that children and young people are seen by the right person, with the right skills at the right time. (https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/camhs).

All sessions are face to face and take place at Guilsborough Academy. We will gain consent from parent/carer and the child/young person before any referrals are made. 

What next?

If you think your child would benefit from this service and you would like to discuss a referral then please contact one of our Pastoral Team/Head of Year.

All contact details for the team can be found here.