Mind and Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFC) have worked in partnership to lead change across the mental health sector for many years. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, we are combining our resources and expertise to support struggling young people aged 11-18 and the trusted adults around them, through our Schools and Colleges Early Support Service (SCESS).
The SCESS offers young people and trusted adults who play a pivotal role in a child’s life – school staff, parents, and carers - free, immediate mental health support at a time when urgent support is limited. The support of The Pixel Fund is helping experienced wellbeing practitioners and clinicians to provide care through 121 guided self-help sessions and group sessions, remotely by phone or video call in the first year of the project. This contributes towards Mind & AFC’s long term aim to support over 9,000 young people aged 11–18, school staff and parents across 204 secondary schools in England and Wales, over the next 3 years.