It’s no secret that there’s been a huge amount of change and uncertainty in the lives of children and young people following the Covid-19 pandemic. With schools being shut for significant periods throughout 2020 and 2021, teacher absences and more recent cost-of-living crisis, it’s no wonder that student mental health and wellbeing has suffered.
As a result, schools should be looking to step up their mental health and wellbeing support even more. So, how can we support student wellbeing after the distressing events of the past two years and current, ongoing stressors? In this blog, we outline the importance of recognising poor wellbeing in children, as well as the benefits of keeping a detailed record of these concerns.
The Impacts of the Pandemic
UNICEF reports that lockdowns and school closures led to increased reports of fear, anxiety, stress and depression in children. What’s more, 74% of teachers and school staff in the UK agreed that school closures had a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of young people.
The challenges from the past few years are likely to have a lasting effect on pupils. In fact, a report from NHS Digital showed that in pre-pandemic in 2017, 11.5% of school-aged children had a probable mental disorder. As of 2021, after two lockdowns, this number jumped significantly to 17%.
How Can We Help?
Though the above stats may be concerning, the good news is that there are ways to help the young people in your setting and support positive wellbeing. CPOMS software gives staff from schools and other settings one online software system where they can log concerns – no matter how big or small. The concerns are kept digitally, and can be accessed from anywhere, allowing the setting to build up a detailed picture of issues and trends regarding young people. This can then also be shared with local authorities via CPOMS Engage, creating a joined-up response across settings.
What to Look Out For
Keeping a log of even the smallest detail regarding a young person’s health and wellbeing can paint a more comprehensive picture over time, and allows authorized staff to spot trends more easily. It can be difficult to know what changes to look out for, so here’s a good place to start. Pay attention to and keep a note of things like:
- Changes in appearance and hygiene
- Frequent absences
- Withdrawal from social circles and friends
- Wanting to spend time alone
- Becoming angry easily
- Becoming more disruptive in class
- Not being able to concentrate
- Seemingly very tired during school hours
With CPOMS software you can group any of these incidents together through a chronology so that you can monitor their frequency and identify patterns. For example, hygiene and social issues may be logged as a cause for concern whereas absences would have their own category.
Measurement is an essential way to track pupil chronology. By measuring and logging concerns you can be sure that everyone that needs it has access to the key information about children who need support. This also allows staff to provide the best and most appropriate support to children and young people, helping them thrive.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As we move away from the pandemic’s direct disruption to learning, it’s more important than ever that we prioritise student wellbeing. Although the pandemic has had lasting effects on pupils, CPOMS makes it simple to log concerns, spot trends and keep the relevant people across departments and settings informed.
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of monitoring mental health and wellbeing in schools and other settings, download our Guide to Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools for more information.
