Pre chat blog written by Annie O'Neill

The statistics feel shocking; an average of 4 schoolchildren take their own lives every week in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The majority are teenagers, but some are in primary school (official statistic don’t recognise suicides in children under 10 - so potentially this figure could be higher!) (Harry Biggs-Davison, The Guardian 18.11.17). One quarter of young women age 16-24 show symptoms of depression or anxiety with 32% of 15 year old girls and 11% of 15 year old boys reporting that they self harm. (AYPH Key Data on Young People 2017).

Emotional health and mental wellbeing are high on the agenda currently. Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England giving evidence to the Commons Education Select Committee just last week, stated that schools should be judged on the wellbeing of their pupils. ‘I am concerned’ she said, ‘we measure attainment ad infinitum, but we don’t measure wellbeing’ (TES 14.11.17).

Anecdotally across the country all School Nurses report that a high percentage of their caseload is supporting pupils with their emotional wellbeing; in many different ways: be it to assess and then signpost, or to offer ongoing interventions. School Nurses feel best placed to offer early support but also to support the schools. Schools, and as a result teachers, appear to be increasingly placed in the spotlight as being ‘in a unique position to help prevent tragedies; they are in the right place to recognise that a child might be risk’ (The Guardian 18.11.17). But surely most teachers become teachers because they want to teach!

Of course they have a responsibility to their pupils but are we starting to ask to much of them? Should this be the role of the School Nurse? What is the role of School Nurses in supporting a whole school approach to emotional Wellbeing as well as individuals? Is it because their are fewer and fewer School Nurses that this has been passed onto teachers?

Join us for our next TwitterChat on Tuesday the 12th December to discuss these questions and any others relating to emotional wellbeing.


References

Biggs-Davison, H. (2017) Losing a child to suicide is devastating. Schools can help prevent these tragedies. London:The Guardian 18.11.17

Hagell A, Shah R and Coleman J (2017) Key Data on Young People 2017. London:Association for Young People’s Health

George M. (2017) Social Media, mental health and 5 other issues which need action, according to the children’s commissioner. London: TES 14.11.17