County council and school welcome mental health schemes for children

Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and the NHS have welcomed the government’s announcement that it plans to unveil measures to help schools to tackle mental illness. It means schools such as Kings Langley School (KLS) will be able to launch new schemes as more funding becomes available. KLS headteacher Gary Lewis also welcomed the news but told KingsNews that he felt the school already had a number of mental health initiatives that were proven. He said: “It’s an interesting dilemma. Even outside of direct education we want children to achieve the best they can, so wellbeing and education naturally goes hand-in-hand. “We are the leading school in Dacorum for wellbeing. We employ family support workers who frequently have cases linked to mental health – both children and parents alike. We also have our own counsellor, which very few schools actually have. “Most importantly, as children deal with the pressures of modern life, it is the culture and ethos that they develop at school, and what they learn in PSHE and assemblies, which sets pupils in good stead.” HCC revealed that although county children enjoy higher than UK average levels of wellbeing, at least one child in 10 has a diagnosable mental health problem. This equates to three children in every class. The most common mental health issues affecting children include conduct disorders, anxiety, depression and severe ADHD. For more stories from your community read the February issue of KINGSNEWS which is distributed on February 3.