Collecting statistics on pupils ‘not within department’s remit’
Saturday 2nd March 2013, 3:00PM GMT.
EDUCATION does not know how many island schoolchildren and young people have mental health problems, it has confirmed.
The department responded after Deputy Andrew Le Lievre, pictured, told the States it was possible that as many as 700 schoolchildren could be affected.
Education said it did not collect statistics because it was not within its remit.
However, the department said it recognised the mental health and wellbeing strategy highlighted that approximately one in 10 people would suffer from mental health issues during their lifetime.
‘The Education Department and its schools and services recognise the importance of good mental health and wellbeing for children and young people, and indeed our staff, and will continue to build on the existing work taking place within schools to ensure our children and young people are healthy and nurtured, safe, achieving and active, respected and responsible and included,’ it said.
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It would also be a good idea to take into account the severity of the individual mental health problems…
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While there are undoubted needs we should beware of accepting all estimates of “mental health and wellbeing” needs as they tend to expand to meet the resourcs available?
Is someone now attempting to seeking to rival and build a second Mental Centre for a futher £24m ?
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Fair comment from the Education Department. Although they should hopefully be able to see some telltale signs, diagnosing mental health issues is not the remit of teachers who will not have received the necessary training.
I hope this doesn’t result in a silo mentality though. Rather than just passing the buck what’s needed is collaboration between parents, HSSD and Education to ensure children receive the best possible start in life.
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I’m sure they can pick up the distress markers but I suspect the observations and concerns of educationalists on the front line are not always promptly followed through by the appropriate departments. I believe early intervention is key in mitigating these problems.
I gather the new mental health strategy addresses everything.
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This story has all the hallmarks of the Dr Bridgeman revelation that there are 10,000 people under the poverty line in the island
Deputy Le Lievre was on the radio this morning saying that the 700 figure was as a result of extrapolating the UK figures … which have somehow managed to reach five times the EU average figures for affected children
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2286259/UK-FIVE-times-special-needs-pupils-EU-average-Schools-accused-classifying-poor-performers-having-learning-difficulties.html
… and where do we recruit our teachers from?
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I think you’re confusing “special needs” with “mental health and wellbeing”.
Special needs refers to learning difficulties (things like dyslexia, autism, or general developmental delay).
Mental health refers to problems like depression or anxiety.
They are different things entirely.
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All they need to do is set up something on the education website.
PHQ-9 scores are a good indication of depression etc.
Then you have the GAD-7 score which is an indicator for Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
Then of course the WSAS which stands for Work and Social Adjustment Scale.
These three indicators should provide sufficient evidence to pull students in for further testing.
It could be a very cheap and simple way of auditing student mental health.
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Except all three scales are for adults.
Assessing all Guernsey school students for mental health problems would be an expensive, time-consuming task. It’s very much not a case of just “setting something up on the education website”.
It would also very probably tell us pretty much exactly the same as existing UK surveys of mental health and wellbeing.
We’re better off saving the money (and the staff time spent on such a survey) and directing it at identifying and treating mental health problems, or putting in place strategies to improve overall wellbeing.
A quick example: exercise and time spent outside in the company of others improves wellbeing – so improve access to recreational sport and exercise opportunities (cheap access to tennis or basketball courts; a skate park; encourage banks to put funding into the GSC quids-in sport programme)
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There are versions of these forms designed for children.
Once they collate the data they can see which children need to be assessed (thoroughly) it’s a way of spotting those that may be problematic.
I agree with you on increasing recreational sports.
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I’d also like to add that these surveys shouldn’t be anonymous, however, they should obviously be kept confidential.
Once those that are suffering with an as yet diagnosed mental health condition are highlighted further support could be sent their way.
Our mental health statistics are rubbish. More money is needed in this area to help protect those that are vulnerable. There are a lot of people on this island who commit/attempt to commit suicide. It really is shocking.
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