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Hi, this is a community board that is full of links to resources to support young people and adults regarding mental health and resilience.

Please feel free to contribute to this project by adding links of your own to the board and sharing it with other Scouters.

any feedback please direct it to inclusion@kentscouts.org.uk

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Supporting M ental He alth in Scouting

Mental health can sometimes feel like a complex and intimidating subject. However, anyone can experience a mental ill health, so being able to talk about it's important to us all. And you don’t need to be an expert on mental health.

Often, small everyday actions can make the biggest difference. Scouting can play an important role in supporting mental health and wellbeing, as research has shown that young people who are involved in Scouts or Guides have better mental health in later life (Dibben, Playford & Mitchell, 2016).’

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to the way we think, feel and act. Everybody has mental health, the same way everybody has physical health, and we need to look after it.

If you go through a period of poor mental health, you might find that the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting can become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with.

Lots of things can impact mental wellbeing for young people and adults such as a challenging time at work or at school.

1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem (Mind, 2020).

Spotting the signs and symptoms

If you are concerned about an adult volunteer or young person’s wellbeing, try to stay calm and have a conversation with the m. Where appropriate you might have a conversation with the young person’s parent or carer.

If a young person is at immediate risk of significant harm follow the advice and guidance on the Y ellow Card and inform their parents or carers.

How to start a conversation

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families provide advice and guidance for adults working with young people and a helpful way of remembering how to promote mental health. They provide an easy model to remember how to approach mental wellbeing – CARE (Curious, Approachable, Refer and Empathy).

Promoting good mental health in your group

Some people find it difficult to talk about mental health and wellbeing. Being open and gently encouraging conversation helps mental health to become an everyday topic that people are more comfortable to talk about.

Just like our physical health, there are things we can all do to improve our mental health. The five ways to wellbeing have been researched thoroughly, and there is evidence to show that they can improve our ability to feel good and function well.

Additional help for young people

NSPCC’s Childline: 1-to-1 chat support and 24-hour helpline for young people.
Phone: 0800 1111
Website: childline.org.uk

HOPELineUK: A specialist telephone service that gives non-judgemental support, practical advice and information to young people.
Phone: 0800 068 4141
Website: papyrus-uk.org

On My Mind: Information for young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing.
Website: annafreud.org/on-my-mind

YoungMinds: Crisis Messenger textline for free 24/7 support in the UK if a child or young person is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Text: YM to 85258
Website: youngminds.org.uk

NHS Go: NHS confidential health advice and support for young people under 25. Download the app to your phone.

MeToo: MeeToo is a multi-award winning pre-moderated peer support app where young people can safely and anonymously talk to each other about their worries and problems and get immediate support. Over 43,000 young people have accessed MeeToo since its launch in 2017 and it is featured on the NHS Apps Library.

Additional help for volunteers

Samaritans: Samaritans offer a free service any time 24/7. If you need someone to talk to, they listen. They won't judge or tell you what to do.
Phone: 116 123
Website: samaritans.org

NHS 111:  For urgent medical advice out of hours you can contact NHS 111. They can help if you have an urgent problem and don’t know what to do.
Phone: 111
Website: 111.nhs.uk

MIND: Mind Infoline is open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. We're closed outside of those hours
Call: 0300 123 3393
Website: m ind.org.uk

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Guidance for leaders to share with young people relating to mental health.

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Alongside our friends at Beano, we've created some lesson plans on emotional literacy and resilience to help children understand how they're feeling and what to do when things don't feel right. Help your class learn about mental health wellbeing with 12 easy step-by-step lesson plans with presentations and worksheets linked to the English, Welsh and Scottish PSHE Curriculums and complete with learning objectives and outcomes.

You can download all six lesson plans, including 'Understanding Our Emotions' and 'Understanding Change' from the Beano for Schools website.

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Resilience Lesson Plans | School Resources from Beano

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Alongside our friends at Beano, we've created some lesson plans on emotional literacy and resilience to help children understand how they're feeling and what to do when things don't feel right. Help your class learn about mental health wellbeing with 12 easy step-by-step lesson plans with presentations and worksheets linked to the English, Welsh and Scottish PSHE Curriculums and complete with learning objectives and outcomes.

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Regular exercise can improve our mood and self-confidence, increase our energy and help us sleep better. You could try:

something small, like a short walk or talking the stairs instead of the lift

going for a walk, swim, run, or bike ride

a group activity, like tennis, rounders or football.

There are options for you to get your body moving, whatever your ability. For easy suggestions and links to video tutorials, visit the NHS page on physical activity for young people.

Before you start exercising: if you experience compulsive or addictive feelings about exercise, medication side-effects, or other health problems, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first.

"I feel that exercise releases a lot of tension and gives me purpose."

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Regular exercise can improve our mood and self-confidence, increase our energy and help us sleep better. You could try: something small, like a short walk or talking the stairs instead of the lift going for a walk, swim, run, or bike ride a group activity, like tennis, rounders or football.

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Supporting 10-16 year olds to cope better with the pressures of everyday life.

Here at the Kent Resilience Hub we wanted to create a resource that helps young people, parents and carers and professionals to understand emotional growth and resilience.

Sometimes it can be hard to know how best to support a child or young person in difficult times. We have tried to help by finding the best and most reliable information, articles, tools and resources relating to resilience and emotional wellbeing. One place where you can increase your understanding and awareness, find approaches and tools or navigate your way to appropriate support and services.

Sometimes it can be hard to know how best to support a child or young person in difficult times. We have tried to help by finding the best and most reliable information, articles, tools and resources relating to resilience and emotional wellbeing. One place where you can increase your understanding and awareness, find approaches and tools or navigate your way to appropriate support and services.

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Here at the Kent Resilience Hub we wanted to create a resource that helps young people, parents and carers and professionals to understand emotional growth and resilience. Sometimes it can be hard to know how best to support a child or young person in difficult times.