New mental health team helping Doncaster borough's students

The new Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CAMHS) locality service was set up in September last year and over the past 12 months has gone from strength to strength.

Initially four members of staff worked in the team, which will soon increase to eight and, over the year, the team has helped an estimated 1,800 pupils through direct and indirect consultations.

The team’s main role is to work closely with schools, supporting teachers and school staff to spot young people who have mental health needs as early as possible, so they can support them, encourage them to seek help and to promote positive mental health. The service is run by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH). Principal clinical psychologist at RDaSH, Dr Monica Birdi, said: “Our team members visit schools in the area empowering school staff to support young people who may have mental health needs. As a team we have seen many young people make significant progress in terms of their emotional health and wellbeing. For example, we’ve supported young people who are now able to attend school full-time after not being able to do so before due to anxiety. This is of course due to the hard work of these young people and progress has been helped through the weekly meetings that have taken place at school with school staff, family and the young people, as well as regular one-to-one support for them.”