KSS AHSN is leading a best practice review of the whole school approach (WSA) within mental health support teams (MHSTs). The work aims to identify the added value and impact of MHSTs on the WSA across the South East and East of England.
The review will support the development of impact measures for the MHST model. This will be important in providing evidence of its effectiveness, as well as adding to the overarching evidence relating to whole school interventions.
MHST development and components
The development of MHSTs in schools is a core component of the Government’s 2017 Green Paper “Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision”.
The model is based on three core components:
1. Delivering evidence-based interventions in schools for mild to moderate mental health issues.
2. Supporting the senior mental health lead in each education setting to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
3. Giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.
There is a national aspiration that 20-25% of schools will be covered by a MHST by March 2021.
Partnership and timeline
The review is being done in partnership with the Applied Research Collaboration Kent Surrey Sussex (ARC KSS). School mental health is an ARC KSS priority within the Starting Well: CYP Mental Health Theme.
The best practice review and evaluation is taking place between November 2020 and September 2021.
For more information
Please contact Becca Randell, Implementation Lead – Starting Well (Children’s Mental Health)
Read the project overview:
Best Practice Review and Evaluation of WSA within MHSTs FINAL 261120
