Mental Health Support Team

The college host the Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of students up to 18 years of age.

What are EMHPs?

EMHPs are part of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), a new government initiative that promotes good emotional wellbeing and mental health by helping children/young people and their families through prevention, early intervention and education. MHSTs work across education and healthcare, with EMHPs based in colleges that are trained to deliver a range of evidence-based interventions for young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.

What support do EMHPs offer?

There are a number of different ways that EMHPs may be able to support our students:

  • Groups and workshops – targeted intervention focusing on certain topics/issues and delivered to a group of students (e.g. emotional well-being, coping with exam stress, self-esteem, friendships).
  • Individual work – short term low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) informed interventions for anxiety and/or low mood. This uses a ‘guided self-help’ approach, so is most suitable for young people who feel motivated to address any difficulties they may be experiencing and have not received significant previous input from mental health services.
  • Staff support – training and consultation to support the college to develop a ‘whole college approach’ to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

How to access support from EMHPs?

It has been found that the type of support being offered is most effective when students request this for themselves. So, if any of your students are interested in receiving support, we are asking them to complete a brief ‘Request for Support’ form. These forms are available from Wellbeing & Safeguarding and Moodle.