Wellbeing and Mental Health

Wellbeing and Mental Health at Three Bridges School

We are committed to providing all our learners with rich and diverse experiences which promote their wellbeing, as well as their personal and social development.

We know that in order to secure positive outcomes for our learners, promoting and prioritising positive mental health is essential, which is why all learners participate in emotional well-being sessions that are tailored to meet their individual needs.

At Three Bridges, we believe the wellbeing of our parents/carers is just as important as our learners. We have a Parent/Carer Mental Health Well-being Lead who keeps in close contact with regular phone calls and texts to offer support and advice when needed. Once a month we run a parent/carer group away from the school. Tea, coffee and sweet treats await as parents/carers take a breath and enter an inclusive environment, where they can engage through shared experiences with others.

We also have a Mental Health First Aid trained, school Wellbeing Lead who is there to support learners and our staff team. Our Wellbeing Champion manages a number of initiatives designed to promote a healthy and proactive environment, and to create a sense of community and belonging for all members of the school community.

Young Minds

“We know parenting isn’t always easy. Although it’s often amazing and rewarding to watch your children grow up, and to help them learn to be independent, it can also be really hard work. It can feel especially hard if your child’s mood and behaviour seem different and you’re not sure why, or what you can do to help. But you are not alone.” (Young Minds 2020)

Young Minds Parent Support

YoungMinds offers free confidential online and telephone support to anyone worried about the emotional and mental wellbeing of a child or young person up to the age of 25.

call the free parents’ helpine on 0808 802 5544 from 9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
email parents@youngminds.org.uk and YoungMinds will respond to your query within 3 working days

MindEd for Families

MindEd for families is a branch of MindEd, intended to support parents and those caring for children and young people.

MindEd is an online e-portal offering free, simple advice about children and young people’s mental health for all adults.

Although MindEd is aimed at professionals, parents and carers may also find the information helpful.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) – Cornwall

Cornwall CAMHS take referrals from any source, including parents or self-referrals. There is a referral form that is sent to a central multi-agency hub based in County Hall in Truro.

Each referral is carefully screened by a CAMHS clinician that is referenced to our eligibility criteria. The criteria lists the specific mental health disorders we treat with the thresholds clearly defined.

The threshold is based the child global assessment scale. This is a rating of functioning based on a clinician’s assessment of a range of aspects related to a child’s psychological and social functioning. The scale is available as a guide for referrers.

A referral that does not meet the threshold for a specialist intervention, but the child has a moderate level of impairment can be allocated to the Primary Mental Health team. These workers are specialists in early interventions in mental health and will offer consultation and advice. They have some limited capacity to offer some solution focussed interventions.

Referrals not suitable for CAMHS are offered alternative resources through our partner agencies via the hub.

Autism spectrum disorder

Children and young people with autism spectrum disorder will only be offered a mental health assessment within CAMHS when there are indications of a mental health condition which go beyond the core features of the primary diagnosis of autism.

Moderate to severe learning disabilities

A child or young person with a moderate to severe learning disability can often present with complex behaviours which may, or may not be symptomatic of a mental health condition. These referrals will not automatically access a mental health assessment within the specialist CAMHS service. They will be given to the specialist CAMHS learning disabilities part of the service and offered an appropriate response that acknowledges and understands this complexity.

New referrals

All referrals are triaged by a CAMHS professional with a view to needs being met by the most appropriate service. This may include CAMHS, a CAMHS-commissioned community-based service, other NHS services, or services provided by Cornwall Council.

Referrals are made by completing the form and emailed to the CAMHS Access team. We are unable to accept referrals over the phone. If you have any queries, call the CAMHS Access team on 01209 881 600, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

To make a referral, use the links below: