Mental Health Support Team

Mental Health Support Team

We deliver preventative, evidence based, early intervention support to children and families in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

Our Westminster Mental Health support teams (MHST) works with 44 schools across Westminster. Additionally, we're delivering 'Be Kind' to 20 schools in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea that don’t have MHST. We work in partnership with a Bi-Borough Educational Psychology Service to support children and young people with additional needs.

We also deliver a mental health youth worker service in 10 Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea youth clubs.

Our support in primary schools

For children in primary school, the evidence base suggests that working with parents, with some contact with children, rather than working directly with the child is more effective for making changes and improvements in children’s mental health, wellbeing and behaviour.

We assess all referrals on an individual basis, however as a majority the interventions we offer to primary school children are done through parents/carers, so as to equip the parents/carers with supporting the children with their needs.

Our Support in Secondary Schools

Our work in secondary schools provides support to young people who are experiencing mild to moderate levels of anxiety or low mood.

Our team try to provide support at the primary onset of difficulties in the hope that early intervention and learning could enable the child to better manage by themselves, preventing the need for further support when their condition has worsened.

Our Support in Youth Clubs 

Research shows young people are more likely to benefit from mental health support in a relaxing and known environment such as youth clubs. Their informal nature mean young people can discuss mental health more openly. In doing so, we can identify those who may need support. Across 10 Youth Clubs in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, we offer preventative and early intervention support for young people to address mental health, friendship or issues relating to youth violence.

In Kensington & Chelsea: Rugby Portobello Trust, Lancaster Youth Hub, Harrow Club, Chelsea Youth Club. and Earls Court Youth Club. Contact: [email protected]

For more information about Mental Health support workers, click here to visit our website. You can also download our booklet here.