Insiders on the outside: primary mental health work in schools

Date01 June 2006
Pages28-35
Published date01 June 2006
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200600016
AuthorPaula Huddart
Subject MatterHealth & social care
Pilot mental health link workers have been working in schools in West Lothian since 2002.This article
reports initial findings from semi-structured inter views with pupil support staff in 11 secondary schools
receiving this service. School staff reported an improvement in referral systems for children at the ear ly
stages of mental illness, including quicker access to specialist services, and an improvement in their own
knowledge and skills.These benefits were associated more strongly with frequency of contact with the
mental health link workers than with the physical location of the worker within the school. Link
workers with a social work background were more likely than those with a nursing background to be
asked to deal with children presenting with behaviour problems.
Insiders on the outside:
primary mental health work
in schools
Paula Huddart
Mental health research
project manager
Strathbrock Partnership
Centre
Correspondence to:
Paula Huddart
Strathbrock Partnership
Centre
189a West Main Street
BroxburnEH52 5LH
West Lothian
paula.huddart
@wlt.scot.nhs.uk
PRACTICE
28 journal of public mental health
vol 5 • issue 2
There has been national (UK), Scottish
and local recognition of the need to
improve access to mental health
services for children and young people.
Following a study of children in need,
For Scotland’s Children graphically described the
gaps and lack of access to public services for some
children across the country (Scottish Executive,
2001). Child and adolescent mental health services
(CAMHS) in West Lothian recognised that young
people were waiting up to 14 months to be seen by
clinical psychology services and the Department of
Child and Family Psychiatry (DCFP) (West
Lothian, 2002).
Alarge-scale study of CAMHS work in schools
found that primary mental health work was
common, varied, often joint, and core-funded. The
main work was consultation and support to school
staff, direct work with children, and work with
parents (Pettitt, 2003).
Weare and Gray (2003) identified 10 main
points in their study of what works in schools in
developing children’s emotional health and well-
being, including a shared language, a ‘whole school’
approach, involving parents and the community,
and meeting the needs of teachers and schools.
An extensive review of the literature by David
et al (2003) highlighted staff commitment and inter-
agency working as key to successful working with
children. Other factors found to influence children’s
emotional health in schools include bullying (Oliver
&Candappo, 2003) and access to accessible,
confidential support from adults who can listen,
understand and help if necessary (SNAP, 2003).
In response to the concerns above, in West
Lothian four (three full-time equivalent) mental
health or community ‘link workers’ were appointed
and placed in the integration offices of four schools
to provide a service to all 11 mainstream secondary
schools and their ‘cluster’ primaries (66 schools in
total). Two of the workers qualified first as social
workers then worked in psychiatric settings, one is a
psychotherapist and one is a community psychiatric
nurse, formerly in the local CAMH service.
The mental health link workers’ (MHLWs) role
comprises:
consultation for school and other community
staff, and for parents and peers
training for staff, students, peers, community
organisations and families
direct work with individuals and groups of young
people.
They aim to work collaboratively,inpartnership
with teachers and other school staff, parents,
©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
Key words
children and young
people
primary mental
health workers
Scotland
community schools
access to services

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