Music Therapy from Nordoff Robbins 

SNUG nurture based group sessions from trained staff in blocks of 5 - 8 weeks 

Mindfulness sessions 

Arts & Crafts Therapy (for Duke Of Edinburgh Students)

SHE Scotland - S3 Female mentoring/leadership pilot 

HE Scotland - S3 Male mentoring/ leadership pilot exploring gender based violence and stereotypes

L.I.A.M Groupwork - Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management) and also Individual Sessions through our school nurse 

Seasons for Growth - Bereavement/ Loss & Change Support Programmes run by trained staff 

Health Zone drop ins - Mental/ Physical/ Sexual health drop- ins for young people 

Counselling service across all year groups

Penumbra - Edinburgh Self Harm Service 

The LGBT award is run by LGBT Youth Scotland and their website is a great starting resource - (link included above)
https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/

As part of our progress with the award, we have done a full audit of LGBT inclusive practice throughout the school - and there is lots of it - as well as giving students and staff the opportunity to express their experiences around the school. We collaborated with our librarians to ensure that a list of LGBT inclusive books were stocked in the library and there are some great new intersectional titles in our library as a result. We are also in the early days of collaborating with our feeder primaries so that some of our students can 'buddy' primary students who would appreciate this opportunity.

A young carer is a young person aged 5-25 who cares for or is affected by another person at home. The cared for person at home may be an adult or child and suffer from mental health issues, a disability, chronic ill-health, or drug/alcohol misuse. 

Caring responsibilities may be practical and/or emotional. It is easy to think of a young carer as someone solely responsible for preparing meals, cleaning, and caring for an adult who is unable to do these things for the family. While this is true in many circumstances, it by no means defines fully what it is to be a young carer. A young carer can be adversely affected by another person at home, without having to carry out the daily responsibilities of the household.

Responsibilities at home for a young carer can interfere with their ability to socialise and join in after-school activities and clubs. Young carers often feel stressed, frustrated, tired, lonely, and also have a sense of shame. The feeling of stigmatisation in young carers still persists, which may prevent them coming forward to ask for help. This can mean young carers often remain hidden. 

It is important, as a school, we become aware of any signs which will enable us to identify and support those who may be reluctant to come forward or do not realise they have a caring role.

The following signs have been compiled by Edinburgh Young Carers for identifying young carers in school:

Tiredness 
Mature for age

Academic performance below potential Physical illness, poor eating habits, poor hygiene

Absence from school 
Transport difficulties

Socially isolated 
Lack of parental contact with school

Behavioural difficulties 
Illness or disablility in the household

Young carers can remain hidden for a number of reasons:

· They don’t know where to go for help

· They may not know they are a young carer

· They may be worried about sharing personal information

· They may fear being taken into care

Edinburgh Young Carers is a voluntary organisation that provides respite and support to young people between the ages of 5 and 25 who care for somebody at home. They also work closely with schools to raise awareness and offer guidance on how to support young carers in schools. More information can be found on their website (link below)

Lockdown also had a huge impact on young carers, with increased caring hours and less outside support. It is vital that young carers get the support they need at school. Young carers need emotional support and a space to go where they can feel safe. This is where everyone at JGHS can help.

Young Carer Coordinators: Fiona Oatman and Richard Sievwright. Please contact either for further information.

Useful Links

Edinburgh Young Carers https://www.youngcarers.org.uk/

Lothian young carers information for staff https://services.nhslothian.scot/supportingcarers/Pages/YoungCarers.aspx