1. MindMate Lessons: information for parents
© Leeds South and East CCG

2. What is MindMate? MindMate is:
A series of 6 lessons per year aimed at improving pupil’s mental health and wellbeing
Themes include ‘Being the Same and Being Different’ and ‘Solving Problems’
When you open the slide allow time for the liquid in the thermometer to go up and down and the emojis change.

3. What do these people have in common?
Answer they have all talked openly about their mental health problems. They have all succeeded in life in spite of their mental health problems. The slide is intended to make the point that many different people have had mental health problems to normalise the issue.

4. What is mental health?
If we are mentally healthy are we happy all the time?
No sometimes we need to feel uncomfortable feelings
What happens if our uncomfortable feelings are there all the time?
This is when we could have mental health problems
How common are mental health problems?
1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children will have a mental health problem at some time in their life
Can you name any mental health problems?
2 common mental health problems are depression and anxiety
This is a very short Q&A session which aims to highlight the fact that mental health problems are relatively common.

5. In the words of young people
This is an example of the kind of things that pupils will see in the lessons. From Mind the Mental Health Charity. 13 people, aged talk about what it's like to live with a mental health problem, and what helps them cope.

6. Why are the lessons so important?
They will everyone to be able to talk about how they feel
Good mental health in childhood leads to less mental illness in adults
Working together parents and school staff can help children build resilience, manage their emotions and have a happy and healthy life
This slide sets out the aims of the lessons

7. Why is it important to have good mental health?
Children & young people with good mental health are better at:
Managing their behaviour
Coping with difficult situations and life changes
Doing well at school
Making and keeping friends
Doing well at sports and hobbies
If parents are unsure of the value of the lessons this sets them out in ways which they will relate to.

8. What will pupils do in the lessons?
Watch videos
Talk in pairs
Learn about their feelings
See familiar faces, such as Stormzy and Zoella, that they can relate to
Practice ways of helping themselves and others
Here are some of the things that children will be doing in the lessons. The lessons are all age approprite and younger pupils will be using well known characters such as Elmer to help them relate to the concepts.
Copyright © 2017 Andersen Press

9. Let’s take a look
Here’s an example of the kind of thing that pupils might look at in a lesson. It also makes a point about the need for stigma-free talking to children about mental health. It will remind parents of the need to focus on what their children are good at as well. Make it clear to parents that this would be shown to older pupils such as Years 5&6 and NOT KS1. They are using videos such as Elmer

10. How will the lessons help?
They will teach emotional literacy skills; such as empathy and motivation
They will explore life changes and healthy relationships
They will help pupils to see what they are good at and set goals in areas they need to improve

11. How will children be kept safe?
Each lesson will begin with a reminder of the class’s ground rules.
The teacher will explain the importance of confidentiality.
Particularly vulnerable pupils will be treated sympathetically and warned of sensitive issues before the lessons
With very sensitive topics pupils will use videos, stories and role play
The content will be age appropriate; with very young children looking at very simple concepts such as naming feelings and making friends
The aim of this slide is to answer any concerns parents might have about the lessons before they are voiced. You might also want to talk about other PSHE RSE content and how that is handled to reassure parents that you are confident you can handle things sensitively.

12. Examples of the kind of things that pupils will do in MindMate Lessons
The following 2 slides (13&14) show excerpts from the lessons and are shown here to reassure parents that pupils will be comfortable in the lessons and not exposed to disturbing material or asked to share very personal information. They are accompanied by the notes from the lessons so that the person presenting this information has a good sense of what will be happening in the lesson. It is NOT intended that parents will have a go at the practices.

13. What are talking therapies?
Think about what some of the advantages or disadvantages are
Think about how they differ from taking medicine
In small groups…
…come up with an explanation of what a talking therapy is and who might benefit from them.
Notes from a lesson for information (see slide12):
Talking therapies involve talking to someone who is trained to help you deal with your negative feelings. They can help anyone who is experiencing distress. You do not have to be told by a doctor that you have a mental health problem to be offered or benefit from a talking therapy.
Talking therapies give people the chance to explore their thoughts and feelings and the effect they have on their behaviour and mood. Describing what'€™s going on in your head and how that makes you feel can help you notice any patterns which it may be helpful to change
If time allows learners could create a leaflet or poster for a talking service. 13

14. Practising a solution focused approach to problem solving
On your own think of a small problem that you have at the moment
Then pair up and use the solution focused handout to lead you through the practice session
Take about 5 minutes each
Notes from a lesson for information (see slide12):
Go through the practice and support them to give it ago and not give each other advice.
Solution focused approaches often use scaling like the one at the beginning of the lesson. 14

15. Taking the learning away
When someone tells you a problem listen and ask questions like the ones we have practised today
Try and avoid giving advice
Notice how you feel when someone gives you advice rather than listening to you or helping you find your own solutions
As above an example of the take away activity included in each lesson. It reinforces, for parents as well as pupils, the take-away idea of listening rather than giving advice. 15

16. Want to know more or get help?
im-a-young-person
get-support
Contact:
Call, or go online
At he end of the lessons pupils will see this slide to show the where they can get additional help. 16

17. MindMate help for parents
Explain that there is a website which has been developed in Leeds to help improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. There is a link to the website embedded in the image. See below:

18. Who can help with wellbeing and mental health in school?
Complete for your school

19. Goodbye and thanks

20. MindMate Lessons