Supporting LGBTI pupils: "It"s important a school is ready for anyone"

It was not long ago that LGBT pupils at the Priory School in Hitchen, Hertfordshire, hid behind a mask of silence. Fellow students used the word “gay” to describe something that was rubbish. Faced with homophobic language, they felt unable to come out in the classroom and kept their true identities secret.

Three years later, dozens of students have come out thanks to a “massive culture shift” in school. Today, diversity and inclusion are celebrated across all aspects of school life: from the setting up of an LGBT drop-in group and appointment of an LGBT student champion, to changes in the curriculum and the building of gender-neutral toilets and changing rooms. Indeed, the school has established such a reputation for equality it is attracting transgender pupils from neighbouring areas.

Priory now has a resident counsellor and has forged close links with local child and adolescent mental health services. Sixteen staff have also been trained in mental health first aid.

Assistant head Katie Southall has led the transformation. Responsible for student wellbeing, Southall realised that more needed to be done to promote equality and diversity. Surveys of young people who identify as LGBT revealed that many are at high risk of mental health problems.

The 2016 Youth Chances survey, conducted by the charity Metro in collaboration with the University of Greenwich, found that out of the 6,414 respondents aged 16-25 who took part in the survey and identified themselves as LGBT, some 44% said they had considered suicide.

Southall says: “We realised from an annual survey on student wellbeing that lots of students identified as gay or LGBT, but didn’t want to be open about it. We are now in a position where pupils are openly transgender, gay, bi, lesbian or gender questioning. For those who are transgender we have procedures in place for name changes and work together with the young person. That can mean getting people who have transitioned to come in and talk to young people.”

LGBT role models have also visited the school, including actor Sir Ian McKellen, co-founder of LGBT charity Stonewall, who spoke to 35 student members of the weekly LGBT drop-in group. “One sixth-former who is gay said he wished the school had been as open when he was in key stage 3,” Southall says.

Meanwhile Arbury primary school in Cambridge is working hard to promote diversity and has become a beacon of good practice. It has adopted a range of initiatives to stamp out gender stereotypes across the school, from abolishing pink- and blue-coloured name badges for reception children, to having a non-gendered school uniform.

Children are taught to respect difference from the start in reception: through picture books showing different types of families, and talks during circle time highlighting the school’s golden rules. Displays of materials from Stonewall with the slogan: “Different families, same love” are posted around the school, which also celebrates LGBT history month.

Staff are trained to understand how stereotyped views of how boys or girls should behave can prevent them from reaching their potential. Senior teacher Kathy Whiting says the school advises other schools on creating a trans-inclusive environment, including training on the use of inclusive language.

Headteacher Ben Tull says: “It is really important that a school is ready for anyone who walks in. For children at primary level, the more we can do to non-stereotype them the better. We steer away from the binary model.”

Supporting LGBTI pupils: "It"s important a school is ready for anyone"

Charities" vital role in supporting children"s mental health | Catherine Roche

Public and political understanding of young people’s mental health is growing; the prime minister herself emphasised recently that mental illness too often starts in childhood and that, “when left untreated, can blight lives”.

Theresa May’s plans to offer every secondary school in the country mental health training, as well as strengthening links between schools and NHS specialist staff, are important steps in the right direction.

But it is equally important to prioritise support in primary schools. Half of all mental health problems start before the age of 14. Intervening at the earliest opportunity is vital.

This is something we at Place2Be understand all too well. For more than 22 years we have championed the role of primary schools in addressing young people’s mental health.

We work with children like seven-year-old Malik, who came to Place2Be when his mother was suffering from depression following the death of her own mother. Malik was so quiet he was almost invisible, but through one-to-one weekly counselling, using the medium of art and play, he grew into a young boy with the confidence to speak in front of his class.

The same is true of seven-year-old Abbie, who became increasingly anxious as she wasn’t getting to school because her mother had trouble getting up in the morning. We provided counselling support for both Abbie and her mum, who had been abused as a child and resorted to self-harming as a way to cope. We supported Abbie’s mum through a referral for a mental health assessment, giving her the tools to understand and cope with her problems, which in turn enabled her to become a reliable parent and get her daughter to school. With support Abbie was also able to manage her anxieties, develop self-confidence, settle and do well in class.

What would have happened if we hadn’t been there to support these young children and their families?

Many schools already provide mental health support on site, but the challenges they face in referring young people to overstretched child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) are well documented. There is simply not enough provision and families face long waiting times.

Two-thirds of 10- and 11-year-olds worry all the time about things to do with their school life, home life or themselves

Our survey of headteachers found that over half of school leaders say it is difficult to find mental health services for pupils, and more than one in five who attempt to find support are unsuccessful. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of 10- and 11-year-olds are telling us they worry all the time about at least one thing to do with their school life, home life or themselves.

By intervening early in schools we can help to alleviate the pressure on Camhs – and prevent many young people reaching an unacceptable and dangerous crisis point.

Early intervention makes financial sense too. A Centre for Mental Health report highlighted that children with early conduct disorder are an estimated 10 times more costly to the public sector by the age of 28 than other children, and impose lifetime costs on society as a whole of around £260,000.

What role is there for the charitable sector within all this? There are many local and national voluntary organisations providing excellent in-school support across the country. At Place2Be, for example, we provide tried and tested services that are funded by our partner schools and voluntary contributions. We also offer training for child counsellors and professionals working with children. Campaigns such as Time to Change and Heads Together mean we are seeing a welcome increase in voluntary commitments from the public, companies and other donors to fund early intervention.

Addressing children’s mental health is everyone’s business and will require investment, expertise, commitment and joined-up working from the public, private and third sectors to ensure we deliver the high quality mental health support that our young people deserve to thrive in the future.

Names have been changed.

Catherine Roche is chief executive of Place2Be

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Charities" vital role in supporting children"s mental health | Catherine Roche

Acupuncture believed to support battle cancer by improving the immune technique and supporting remission!

A lot more and more individuals are in search of alternative cancer therapies.  Studies finished by the Survey Sampling Worldwide and The Investigation Intelligence Group report that two-thirds of people across the planet feel disrespected by their doctors.  They also report that unclear communication is a major cause for patient dissatisfaction.  One-fourth of individuals across the globe reported that their physicians really do not response inquiries, don’t involve them in treatment decisions and use health care terms with out explanation. (1)

Two-thirds of individuals close to the world feel disrespected by their doctors!

There is an estimated 13,776,251 people living with cancer in the United States.(2)  Many of us have cancer and precancerous cells in our bodies.  Scientists feel that cancer thrives with the immune methods defenses cannot or don’t react correctly.  The high incident charge of cancer recurrence following traditional therapy, proves that the remedies fail to restore the immune method response.(3)

Following cancer treatment, the physique could acclimate to the presence of abnormal cells and the brain could even send messages that help the regrowth.(3)

Whether pairing option treatments with standard treatments or searching for a hundred percent option treatments, there is higher comprehending about the damages that conventional cancer treatment method causes.  More and a lot more people are in search of option therapies to assist enhance the immune program.(three)

Acupuncture located to enhance the bodies immune method in buy to battle cancer and continue to be in remission!

Dr. Wang Fuda of Greenville Study Clinic sees one hundred-200 sufferers per day.  Over 70 percent of his individuals have a cancer diagnosis.  Dr. Fuda is an acupuncturist that believes that acupuncture can retrain the body’s immune program to defeat cancer.  The therapy he offers is seldom acknowledged by local oncologists as the reason for recovery, nevertheless sufferers line up at Dr. Fuda’s clinic to share how acupuncture resulted in their cancer remission.(three)

Dr. Vivien Griffiths is an acupuncturist and coordinator of postgraduate research at Southern Cross University.  Dr. Griffiths is also a breast cancer survivor, who at first did not consider acupuncture as a primary treatment method. Following surgical treatment and chemotherapy, she then sought out an acupuncturist.(three)

Following surgical treatment, her acupuncturist utilised requirements and electrical stimulation on her surgical scar.  Within 12 hours the scar modified from blue to warm pink and her discomfort drastically decreased.  The improvement allowed her to participate in lymphatic drainage treatment and vigorous physiotherapy.(three)

Dr. Griffiths identified that acupuncture greatly enhanced her bodies ability to heal following breast cancer therapy and believes the acupuncture enhances the immune technique, enabling for remission!

Dr. Griffiths now believes that acupuncture is an crucial portion of publish cancer treatment method and can improve the immune program and enable for patient to continue to be in remission. Following breast cancer, Dr. Griffiths aisles utilizes herbal medication to assistance her immune overall health.(3)

“As a cancer patient, you receive a cancer diagnosis and a whirlwind of activity begins: constant tests, surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiation,” she explained. “But as soon as the cancer is arrested, it’s a extended struggle to regain the overall health one had prior to the diagnosis. It appears as if obtaining a strong, healthier immune system is not perceived as ‘that important’ by typical medication. You are sent on your way and told to report back for a check out-up after a yr. You hold your breath hoping the cancer doesn’t return. When you get a very good result from your examine-up, you believe ‘Thank God, I’ve got yet another year.’ Your daily life depends on these phrases ‘in remission’ or ‘clear.’ Who or what is assisting cancer survivors to keep in that group?” (3)

Whilst Western medicine continues to fight cancer in laboratories, it is crucial to recognize that different medication is creating a difference.  Ultimately, men and women diagnosed with cancer want to join the list of cancer survivors.  In the vulnerability of this diagnosis, they also want to trust their supplier, be treated with respect and be a component of the therapy procedure.

Sources incorporated:

(one)  http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/08/sufferers-flock-substitute-medication-suppliers.html

(2)  http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html

(three)  http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/post.php?id=28310

Acupuncture believed to support battle cancer by improving the immune technique and supporting remission!

Shared Lives: a neighborhood-based technique to supporting adults

In an era of shrinking social care budgets and a increasing elderly population, politicians are increasingly referring to the need for care to come “from the community”. David Cameron viewed this notion of collective responsibility as the driving force behind the “massive society”, and final year the wellness secretary, Jeremy Hunt, referred to as for the restoration of “the social contract amongst generations”.

Shared Lives is a scheme rooted in the neighborhood neighbourhood, which aims to fix a whole host of useful concerns. If you are an grownup who requirements assistance, and do not have a household capable to provide it, then choices can be restricted: moving to a residential residence, obtaining care workers come to you. Both can be unappealing or impractical. Shared Lives gives an substitute: living with an individual or family members who have signed up to turn into carers.

It is a nationwide network of companies, administered by way of councils at a regional level. Michelle Williams manages the Shared Lives service for Surrey council, which relaunched in 2012 but has been close to in various guises for numerous years. “It is just about people sharing their homes and lives,” she says. “What we do is recruit men and women and families who supply help and accommodation inside their very own houses to individuals who may possibly have a range of wants.”

Carers come in all shapes and sizes: households, people, couples. They are individuals who provide up their home to an grownup with assistance requirements. This can be somebody with a understanding disability or psychological wellness problem, or an elderly individual: the service aids men and women with a assortment of different needs. The Surrey scheme, says Williams, is hunting to extend its remit to older people with dementia. And the variety of support supplied varies based mostly on the individual’s preferences and individuals of the carer. It can consist of occasional day visits to complete-time living, and anything in amongst. The essential issue is that it occurs inside the carer’s residence.

Clare Very best, forty, has Down’s syndrome. She lived with her mother and father, but when her mum died, and her dad became abruptly unwell, she necessary somewhere to go – and did not want to move into a residential property. Via Shared Lives she was matched with Alex and Greg Clare, a married couple with 4 kids, and has been residing with them full-time for the final 3 many years.

“We just looked at obtaining a alter of lifestyle,” says Alex Clare, when asked why they determined to get involved. “We’re really family members-centred, and considered it would be nice to contain a person with a finding out disability with that. We talked about it for really some time, due to the fact we wished to make sure everyone was pleased with it.” What did her youngsters consider? “They were totally fine about it, they treat Clare as a single of the family.”

The method of matching a individual to a family members can get a extended time, as “it’s really a commitment from each events”, says Williams. “It wants to be as nicely considered out and worked through as feasible.” At first, a particular person is referred to the Shared Lives scheme by their care manager or social worker, and is assessed to see what they want out of the arrangement: what variety of items are non-negotiable, and the level of support they are looking for. Then Shared Lives workers seem into the carers they have who may possibly be ready to meet that need. If there is much more than one particular potential match, the client is introduced to a handful of people and decides who they get on with greatest.

Anybody who wants to grow to be a carer has to go by way of a rigorous process to ascertain regardless of whether they would be ideal. This involves supplying references, a criminal data verify, and checking with their landlord or home loan provider that they would be satisfied for them to use their property for this function. As soon as a particular person or loved ones has been accepted, they undergo instruction in safeguarding, wellness and security, and Shared Lives values. It is these values, says Williams, that are most critical in a carer. “It really is not always about qualifications, though frequently men and women come with some variety of background in social care. It truly is about obtaining some commitment and compassion, and willingness to open their property up, and welcoming a person into their local community.”

Each Alex and Greg Clare have caring backgrounds: he has been a understanding disabilities neighborhood nurse, and she skilled as a psychiatric nurse and has also been a childminder. Alex isn’t going to believe that a caring background is necessary, but possibly aided them to recognize what it was going to entail. “We do motivate Clare to be as independent as possible, and we’ve been capable to teach Clare a good deal of expertise – simple capabilities like cooking, and she can now stroll into town on her own and come back, which she was in no way capable to do prior to. But I can not say [a caring background] is crucial. For anyone who has anything they want to offer or give, Shared Lives is a lovely scheme for that.”

Since moving in with Alex and Greg, Clare has turn into rooted in the community, and manufactured a robust network of buddies – like reconnecting with men and women she went to college with. She has a large loved ones, with “tons of sisters”, and sees them when or twice a week. “Given that I moved, my life has changed. It has acquired greater,” says Clare. “On Tuesday mornings, I volunteer at the Certain Commence centre, with babies, and we do baby massage.” She goes to a community centre a couple of mornings a week, and is also carrying out an adult schooling course. And she has a boyfriend, who she met at a community group. “It was enjoy at very first sight,” she tells me happily. What made her choose Alex and Greg to reside with, in the very first spot? “They are a very good couple. Which is why I got to know them.”

The Surrey scheme has just more than 30 individuals living in Shared Lives areas, with an additional 10 waiting to be matched. Nationally, it is used by about twelve,000 people. Shared Lives schemes are at the moment council-funded, with cash frequently coming from a person’s individual budgets. Carers get some income to cover time and expenses, but are not paid by the hour, and – like all carers – do a massive amount that is not paid. By going into a Shared Lives property, rather than residential care or an different, an yearly average saving of £13,000 is manufactured for each and every individual by councils.

“It is been totally rewarding for Greg and I,” says Alex. “By means of Clare we have produced lots of new buddies as effectively. It truly is not a 9 until 5 occupation, it’s seven days a week, but you get to share your experiences, and be concerned in your client’s experiences, and laugh at tons of blunders.”

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Shared Lives: a neighborhood-based technique to supporting adults