The Covid pandemic has had a worryingly huge impact on young people’s mental health, with self harm rates doubling in children within the year.The number of children aged nine to 12 admitted to hospital having hurt themselves intentionally rose from 221 in 2013-14 to 508 in 2019-20. This and other reports found a rise in the number of children with sleep problems and eating disorders, and long waits for treatment. Similarly, a recent national poll indicated that the mental wellbeing of staff in education settings is at a crisis point, too.

We know that good mental health is the foundation of all people’s emotional and intellectual growth, underpinning the development of confidence, independence and a sense of self-worth. KIP Education specialise in providing mental health training programs for organisations striving to create a culture of proactive mental health amongst their community – staff and young people. Participants in our training feel more equipped to notice when they and others might be struggling with their mental health and how to help source the support they need.