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Updated:
July 27, 2022
The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an increasing concern for the schools and organisations that support them. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health problems were already on the rise. But this is even more important now due to the negative impact that COVID-19 is having on children's and young people’s mental health. It has become even more critical and a priority to provide support for children and young people to develop resilience and wellbeing.
Here at Worth-it, we have been working directly to support the resilience and wellbeing of children and young people since 2011. Through our workshops and group work programmes, we have helped over 2000 children and young people in schools, organisations and the wider community. Our experience has provided us with a wealth of practical know how and when we combined this with theory and research from Positive Psychology, it has led us to base much of our direct support on the concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap).
Last year, when I was upset, I wouldn't go into the classroom. Now I work with my teacher instead to get on. You don't just give up, even if something is hard.
Year 6 pupil, Leicester
PsyCap combines the four evidence-based capacities for wellbeing of [6]:
Now known as the ‘HERO’ resources, these resources are key for developing positive behaviour and wellbeing and are much more effective in doing so when developed together rather than when alone .
We have found PsyCap to be a simple and effective framework that is easy to introduce with children and young people. Using the HERO model provides an effective, evidence-based framework that supports the teaching of strategies for positive mental health and wellbeing.
A month ago, I didn't want to go anywhere and sometimes I didn't want to get out of bed. I told (support staff at school) and now I'm okay because everything changed. I am confident and resilient now.
Year 6 pupil, Leicester
In 2019, we delivered our wellbeing and resilience workshops, based on the HERO resources to two cohorts of 20 pupils at Caldecote Primary, Leicester. The programme was comprised of two 90-minute HERO workshop sessions, to a targeted group of year 5 and 6 pupil children. They have generously provided us with their feedback from both the children and teachers on their experiences of taking part and the impacts that the workshops have had. These have been mapped onto the HERO framework to provide specific examples of how it has helped children and young people to develop their positive mental health and wellbeing.
Hope - Examples include evidence of specific goals and goal striving behaviours such as agency and overcoming obstacles to help achieve personal goals.
"My handwriting was my target. I have got better at it. I can't do my spellings properly yet, but I am confident that I am learning."
"My confidence has went (sic) up in my times tables because I got stuck and so I set it as my target. My teacher helps me practise."
Efficacy - Examples include children’s understanding of personal confidence and awareness of specific situations where their personal confidence has improved.
"It helped me be more confident because before I never really put my hand up but now I do."
Resilience - Examples include specific strategies and understanding that helps to develop personal resilience.
"Resilience is when you lift yourself up again, even if it is hard to do"
"to be confident, courage, never give up"
"to be able to state my feelings"
"you can be confident by trusting yourself"
Optimism - Examples include pupils demonstrating a positive outlook and feeling happier.
"I know now what I can be like and I know all the good things my friends think about me"
"We can think positive things about ourselves, no matter what you've been through"
Feedback from the Teacher who organised the workshops:
"I'm counting the workshops as a success. Yes, all 40 who participated were positive about them after the event and would recommend more workshops like this!"
I'm better at saying positive things. I'm funny and gorgeous and nice. I am good at boxing and I enjoy my life
Year 5 pupil, Leicester
An individual’s psychological/mental health is flexible and can be developed. As PsyCap is strongly linked to self-esteem, emotional balance and wellbeing , developing an individual’s PsyCap helps to develop people’s psychological/mental health.
Research shows us that PsyCap can be successfully developed through even short training programmes not only in adults, but also in young children, adolescents and students .
When applied to an educational setting, improvements in PsyCap via training has been seen to substantially improve student wellbeing One way in which developing PsyCap can do this is by changing how students view possible threats. By changing how students perceive possible situations, from one which is hindering to motivational, improvements in PsyCap can improve:
How wonderful it was to work with you. The children learnt so much from you and we all felt inspired by your enthusiasm… As a school, we were hoping to find someone who could help us to promote a message of self-confidence and self-worth, but also to help the children realise that it is up to them to do their best to think in a positive way. That message was put across so very clearly. We were very lucky to have found you!
Primary School Teacher, Leicester
We have developed effective and practical workshops covering a range of helpful resilience and wellbeing strategies for children and young people. Our wellbeing workshops can be facilitated online or onsite in your school or setting.
Our wellbeing and resilience workshops offer a flexible framework that can be tailored to suit the needs of the school, setting or cohort of children and young people.
We work with schools, charities, FE colleges, youth work organisations, local authorities and the NHS to deliver individual workshops, or programmes of support for children and young people. Find out more here.
This Example is currently being worked on. Be sure to check back soon!
Feel free to ask our team about this project for more information or return to our Examples page to learn about other great results our schools and settings are seeing.
