1. MindMate Lessons: information for parents
These slides are designed to be shown to parents to explain the SEMH curriculum you are delivering via the MindMate Lessons. They could be shown as part of an event to engage parents such as a ‘Welcome to…’ or in a designated session. They could also be adapted and then hosted on your website.
© Leeds South and East CCG

2. What is MindMate? MindMate is:
A series of 6 lessons per year aimed at improving children’s mental health and wellbeing
When you open the slide allow time for the liquid in the thermometer to go up and down and the emojis change.

3. What do these people have in common?
Answer they have all talked openly about their mental health problems. They have all succeeded in life in spite of their mental health problems. The slide is intended to make the point that many different people have had mental health problems to normalise the issue.

4. What is mental health?
If we are mentally healthy are we happy all the time?
No sometimes we need to feel uncomfortable feelings
What happens if our uncomfortable feelings are there all the time?
This is when we could have mental health problems
How common are mental health problems?
1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children will have a mental health problem at some time in their life
Can you name any mental health problems?
2 common mental health problems are depression and anxiety
This is a very short Q&A session which aims to highlight the fact that mental health problems are relatively common and thus to reduce stigma.

5. Why are the lessons so important?
We want everyone to be able to talk about how they feel
1 in 10 pupils will have a mental health problem at some point
Good mental health in childhood leads to less mental illness in adults
Working together parents and school staff can help children build resilience, manage their emotions and have a happy and healthy life
This slide sets out the aims of the lessons

6. Why is it important to have good mental health?
Children with good mental health are better at:
Managing their behaviour
Coping with difficult situations and life changes
Doing well at school
Making and keeping friends
Doing well at sports and hobbies
If parents are unsure of the value of the lessons this sets them out in ways which they will relate to.

7. What will pupils do in the lessons?
Watch videos
Talk in pairs
Learn about their feelings
See familiar faces such as Disney and cartoon characters
Practice ways of helping themselves and others
Here are some of the things that children will be doing in the lessons. The lessons are all age approprite and younger pupils will be using well known characters such as Elmer to help them relate to the concepts.
Copyright © 2017 Andersen Press

8. Lets take a look
Here’s an example of the kind of thing that pupils might look at in a lesson. It also makes a point about the need for stigma-free talking to children about mental health. It will remind parents of the need to focus on what their children are good at as well. Make it clear to parents that this would be shown to older pupils such as Years 5&6 and NOT KS1. They are using videos such as Elmer

9. How will the lessons help?
They will teach skills, such as self awareness, to help pupils look after themselves and support their friends
They will explore life changes and healthy relationships
They will help pupils to see what they are good at and set goals in areas they need to improve

10. How will children be kept safe?
Each lesson will begin with a reminder of the class’s ground rules.
The teacher will explain the importance of confidentiality.
Particularly vulnerable pupils will be treated sympathetically and warned of sensitive issues before the lessons
With very sensitive topics pupils will use videos, stories and role play
The content will be age appropriate; with very young children looking at very simple concepts such as naming feelings and making friends
The aim of this slide is to answer any concerns parents might have about the lessons before they are voiced. You might also want to talk about other PSHE RSE content and how that is handled to reassure parents that you are confident you can handle things sensitively.

11. An example of the sort of thing pupils will do in the lessons
What kind of things do these words describe?
happy sad angry mean excited frustrated angry panicky resilient joyful calm anxious depressed comfortable
This is taken from the MindMate Lessons and is an example of what pupils will do in the lessons. Ideally ask the parents to have a go and answer the question. If not simply show them how it will be used in the lesson

12. Feelings words
Pair up
Pick a word and tell the person next to you when you might feel like this
Decide together whether the feeling is comfortable uncomfortable
Now think about other feelings words; are they are comfortable or uncomfortable feelings?
The idea here is to both explore the feelings and also to remind parents that feelings aren't good/positive or bad/negative, sometimes it is appropriate to feel sad, angry etc. If we label feelings in a more neutral way it will support pupils to talk more openly about a range of feelings.

13. What helps when someone has strong and uncomfortable feelings?
Pair up and see if you can come up with 4 ideas (some of them were mentioned in the film)
Talking to friends and family
Talking to a trusted adult
Writing down how they feel
Being active and eating well
Changing the way we think
Talking therapies
Remembering that the feeling will pass
Breathe through panic
MindMate and MindMate lessons
As above

14. Taking the learning away
Show someone at home a feelings face.
Ask them to guess what the feeling is.
Ask them to show you a feelings face.
See if you can guess their feeling.
Tell them you are going to be learning more about this kind of thing in your school MindMate lessons.
This is an example of what pupils will see at the end of each lesson. Explain to parents that this is intended to help pupils continue to practice the skills they have learnt in school and to get used to talking about how they feel at home too. The website 14

15. Additional resources and help
Talk to your teacher or an adult in school
Talk to your Mum, Dad or someone you trust at home about how you are feeling
If you have them: – Write your worry down and post it in the class worry box – Talk to a peer mediator in your school – Write your worry down on the worry wall on the school’s website
Contact:
Where can I go for help?
Explain this is the last slide that pupils see every lesson so that they can get additional support if they need it. 15

16. MindMate help for parents
Explain that there is a website which has been developed in Leeds to help improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. There is a link to the website embedded in the image. See below:

17. Who can help with wellbeing and mental health in school?
Complete for your school

18. Goodbye and thanks

19. MindMate Lessons