Supporting your child's emotional wellbeing

Materials to help support your child's emotional well-being following COVID-19 pandemic.  Resources for parents and carers

Children's mental health support pathway

Where do I go for support and how do I access it? 

Take a look at Staffordshire's mental health support pathway.  This shows support  available to children and young people and how to acccess it.

The North and South Pathway can be found below:

Children's Mental Health support pathway referral routes

Where can I go for more information?

For more information on mental health and wellbeing support services in your area, please visit our social, emotional and mental health directory. 

Use the categories in the directory to search by subject.  The filters can help you to refine your search further by age, areas served and whether you are looking for a funded, private or voluntary service.

Children's Mental Health Pathway
Supporting your child’s return to school during COVID-19

This Parent Guide provides information to support your child with their return to school.

School children
Resources for Parents and Carers
  • Anna Freud Centre for families

    Support and guidance for families to help manage coronavirus outbreak.

  • App Finder - Mental Wellbeing Apps

    To help you find trusted apps that meet your needs, Staffordshire County Council have set up a super easy-to-use Health App Finder.

    It's a library of fully reviewed and handpicked apps proven to help with things like mental wellbeing, weight loss and fitness.
  • Hungry Little Minds. Activities to help support parents when supporting their children whilst at home

    All activities divided into ages 0-5. Supported by Department for Education. Primarily focussed on communication, speech and language. There is also a section signposting and offering links to other websites and recommendations of apps for early years.

  • Maudsley Charity: Supporting Behaviour

    Website to support families with children’s emotions and behaviour.

  • Nottinghamshire EPS: Therapeutic Story

    Therapeutic Story to support primary-age children in exploring strong emotions linked to the corona virus pandemic.

  • Public Health England

    Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Relate have developed some advice to help with difficult relationships at home, how to support your child with their emotional wellbeing and tips on managing anxiety

  • Reading Well Books on Prescription - Book lists containing accredited and helpful reading to support health and wellbeing.

  • Sue Cowley- Managing children’s behaviour while at home

    Support for parents regarding managing behaviour at home.

  • The Special Needs Jungle 

    The Special Needs Jungle website has compiled a range of resources that will be helpful for supporting children and young people with SEND. The page also contains links to activities, resources and ideas relating to a range of topics including wellbeing, self-regulation, exercise, sensory and formal learning.

  • Staffordshire County Council - lots of local advice and guidance to support families

    New Family Hubs

    The eight Family Hubs are virtual spaces where local people can find information, advice and guidance, as well as connect with others in their area. 

    The hubs will answer questions, help families find support and share ideas for coping with the changes coronavirus is making to our lives.

    Please like and share the Facebook pages to help families know we are here to help.
School
Easy Read Guide - Looking After Your Feelings and Your Body
Resources for Children and Young People

Watch Eliza's video to hear some thoughts & advice on returning to school after lockdown. This has been produced by Eliza, one of Tamworth's CAMHS Youth Workers.  More @ejtalks can be found on TikTok.

    • Picturing mental health - what good mental health looks like for you.
    • Lockdown life - things you are coping well with and areas you may want to work on.
    • Ten tips for coping with change.
    • The emotional wellbeing spectrum
    • Young people in isolation worksheet - stress triggers for me and things that may improve my emotional wellbeing.
    • Ten tips for sleeping better.
    • Stress triggers, understanding stress and tips for coping with stress.
    • Understanding thoughts, feelings and actions and how you respond to different challenges.
    • Things that make you happy.
    • Helping hand - people you could call on for support with anxiety and stress.
    • Postcard to my future self.
    • Useful contacts.

  • The Autism Educator

    A coronavirus social story from The Autism Educator referencing social distancing and why we are unable to visit favourite places.

  • The Health for Teens website delivers interactive messages and advice, covering a range of topical subjects, such as Coronavirus and online gaming that promote health and wellbeing and help young people to make the right choices.

  • Think Resilient- What Can I Control document 20-minute activity for young people to identify ways to look positively at challenges and minimise the negative effects of them.
Field
Take a breath

Take a moment to try this breathing exercise if you feel overwhelmed.

  • Breath in for 4 seconds.

  • Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

  •  Breath out for 4 seconds.

  • Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

Take 2 normal breaths and then start again.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Take a breath
Take a minute

When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed try doing this exercise to help distract and calm your mind.

5.  List five things you can see.

4.  List four things you can feel.

3.  List three things you can hear.

2.  List two things you can smell.

1.  List one thing you can taste.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Take a minute
Take a moment

Take the next 10 minutes to write out everything this bothering you.

Include your thoughts, fears, feelings and frustrations.

Then ask yourself

"What can I control in this situation?"

"What things do I have the power to change?


"What can't I control in this situation?"

"What things do I need to let go of?"

"What positive activities can I do to take my mind of them?"


A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Take a moment
Take a break

Write down all the ways you can help yourself when you're having a hard time.


Make sure you inlucde things that relax you or make you laugh, as well as activities you enjoy and things that make you feel happy.

Then set yourself a challenge to do at least two of these activities by the end of the day.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Take a break

Actions

Save to Shortlist
Skip back to top of page