Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS)

Please note that this training runs over 2 days. Delegates must attend training on both dates. Please book your place for both days.

We know that research into promoting and developing resilience shows that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps children and young people cope better with challenges in their lives.

The Educational Psychology Service have written a programme for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 students, underpinned by cognitive behavioural approaches, which aims to:

• teach life skills for coping with challenging situations
• normalise states of emotional distress and develop self-regulation and self-soothing skills
• build positive social networks and role models, and teach constructive peer relationship skills, thus reducing bullying
• improve attitudes to learning and academic performance

This programme can be delivered at the universal level or to small groups. All staff who attend this training will receive a PDF of session plans including resources that can be used in each session, which will enable them to deliver the programme. They will also be signposted to other resources that will further support the implementation of the programme.

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs. Please note that this training runs over 2 days. Delegates must attend training on both dates. Please book your place for both days.

Aims

This online training aims to enable school staff to:

• facilitate this programme within their educational settings
• understand the theoretical underpinnings of the programme including the cognitive behavioural therapy model and the relationship between risk and preventative factors and resilience
• identify the skills needed to run the programme within their setting

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

Anxiety is a natural feeling we all experience from time to time which can be useful when we face new or stressful situations. It can be our body’s way of preparing us to face a challenge by releasing a hormone called adrenaline which causes an alert and ready to react response sometimes known as ‘fight or flight’.

All children and young people can get anxious, and this is a normal as they grow up to develop their survival skills.

However, anxiety can occur too often and at the wrong time, and this may affect a child’s everyday life, development and relationships.

Recent research suggests that as many as 1 in 6 young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives. This means that up to 5 people in a class may be living with higher levels of anxiety, whether that be OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), social anxiety and shyness, exam stress, worry or panic attacks.

This course is aimed at professionals working with children and young people in a range of settings.

Aims

This half-day training aims to enable school staff to:

• understand that anxiety can be adaptive and part of the normal development of children and young people
• know that anxiety has cognitive, physiological and behavioural components
• be aware of ways to support children experiencing higher levels of anxiety and where further help and resources can be accessed

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

This session serves to help schools prepare for the unwelcome but possible occurrence of a critical or tragic event happening at school or within the school community and adversely affecting the school.

Unfortunately, incidents such as a child/student/staff death or other sudden tragic events affecting the school community traumatically can happen when we least expect it. In our experience of supporting schools, the benefits of being prepared to ensure the best possible response to supporting the school community have been found to greatly enhance positive outcomes.

This course is suitable for anyone within the school community who already has or is considering having a role in taking a lead in an incident or supporting staff and/or students following an incident.

Aims

This half-day training session will introduce participants to:

• guidance materials which consider the need for addressing necessary organisational structures, communication issues, and need for psychological support for those experiencing distress
• the focus of interventions that help the school to cope with the impact of a critical incident
• strategies and approaches which help to bring the school back to normal routines and functioning as quickly as possible

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child acknowledges the family as the fundamental unit of society. It stresses the role of parents as the primary caregivers with responsibility for the up bringing of their children and obliges governments to support parents in fulfilling their essential role.

It is a common misperception that infants and toddlers are too young to remember or be impacted by domestic violence, but the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study tells us that what happens early in life matters.

Research in neuroscience (brain and nervous system) tells us that infants and toddlers are most vulnerable because trauma that occurs during this stage impacts a child’s wellbeing. Studies show that, far from watching passively, children experience the abuse with all of their senses entire system, including those systems that help infants build capacity for self-regulation.

A quarter (25%) of children in high-risk domestic abuse households are under 3 years old. On average, high-risk abuse has been going on for 2.6 years, meaning these children are living with abuse for most of their life. Research has shown that infants as young as one year old can experience trauma symptoms as a result of witnessing domestic violence.

Children’s age and developmental stage is a vital factor often not taken into account by mainstream services, particularly with children under three.

For teachers and support staff working with children in Early Years, Reception or Year 1, this course is aimed at developing understanding of factors for healthy emotional development in younger children and strategies for enhancing this.

Aims

Delegates will develop an understanding of:

• what healthy emotional development looks like in younger children
• factors that can help and hinder healthy emotional development in younger children
• adult emotional availability being pivotal to younger children’s emotional health
• disrupted care and likely effects on younger children

Delegates will also:

• have practical guidance on how early years settings, child minders and schools can create nurturing environments that support emotional wellbeing
• increase their knowledge of effective techniques for enhancing emotional wellbeing
• highlight how working in partnership with families strengthens emotional wellbeing

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

The Department for Education states that attendance is the essential foundation to positive outcomes within schools and educational settings have a duty to manage and improve it.

In this half-day workshop, you will be introduced to the concept of Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA). This is a broad umbrella term used to describe a group of children and young people who have severe difficulty in attending school due to emotional factors, often resulting in prolonged absences from school.

You will learn about EBSNA’s impact on attendance and the risk factors that can lead to its occurrence in children and young people.

By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge and confidence to implement universal and practical strategies that support your pupils and staff with EBSNA.

This course is aimed at senior leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs. 

Aims

The session’s objectives are to:

• increase understanding of the term ‘emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA)
• identify potential risk factors in the child, family, home, and the school environment that can lead to EBSNA
• understand practical classroom strategies that can be used to support children and young people with EBSNA
• understand interventions that can support children and young people with EBSNA in or outside of the classroom 

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

Executive Functions (EF) help us to complete a task, filter distractions, resist inappropriate or non-productive impulses, and sustain attention during a particular activity. We use them to set goals and plan ways to meet them, assess our progress along the way, and adjust the plan, if necessary, whilst managing emotions, such as frustration.

These skills are important for all of us to be able to respond to the demands of everyday life and are hugely important for learning.

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims

The session’s objectives are to:

• develop an understanding of what executive functions are and why they are important
• understand what difficulties in executive functioning look like
• find out about activities and strategies you can use in school to support children’s executive functions and as a result their readiness to learn

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

This course is aimed at professionals as an introduction to Emotion Coaching - it is not the complete training package. Following this introduction, whole-staff training can be arranged by the Educational Psychology Service.

Research at Bath Spa University has demonstrated that Emotion Coaching helps children:

• regulate, improve and take ownership of their behaviour
• calm down and better understand emotions

Further to this, Emotion Coaching helps practitioners:

• be more sensitive to children’s needs
• create more consistent responses to children’s behaviour
• feel more in control during incidents
• promote positive relationships between adults and children

Aims

This half-day training aims to enable school staff to:

• explore the benefits of Emotion Coaching and increase understanding of the impact of relationships between children and adults upon behaviour
• consider aspects of attachment theory relevant to Emotion Coaching
• discuss opportunities to receive whole school staff training in Emotion Coaching
• develop a plan in relation to how Emotion Coaching may be implemented successfully in their school

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

LEGO® Based Therapy is a highly structured evidence-based intervention, aimed at developing the social communication skills of children aged 5-14 from a variety of backgrounds.

The intervention draws on the predictability and interest of LEGO®, allowing for an adult to facilitate problem solving and social communication learning. In LEGO® Based Therapy, social skills are learnt and practiced from peers within an environment which mimics real life, overcoming a key limitation on many social interventions.

The training in Northamptonshire was developed and is delivered by our Educational Psychologists who have substantial research and practical expertise within the intervention.

It has been designed to focus on how this clinical intervention can be successfully implemented in a school environment and be accessible to school staff.

This training is underpinned by an evidence-based approach ensuring a better chance of witnessing the benefits which include: 

• shared attention
• collaboration
• listening
• social communication
• shared enjoyment

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims

Training overview:

• an understanding of the underlining theories and principles
• training on peer-led adult facilitation
• practical applications and setting up in school
• identification and monitoring progress
• intervention fidelity
• unique resources created for successfully implementing in school

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

92% of young people in the UK will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16 and 4-7% will lose a parent through death.

With the high prevalence of bereavement and other significant losses experienced by children and young people, it is important that school staff develop their thinking and resources to be able to support these children most effectively.

School staff being able to support children who have experienced a significant loss, separation or bereavement is one of the Building Blocks for Mentally Healthy Schools at the Wave 2/Targeted Level within the Northamptonshire TaMHS Programme.

This course is for anyone who wishes to explore the issues that may children and young people experience and to discover strategies and resources to help.

The course should enable participants to recognise the:

• wide range of losses experienced by children and young people
• strategies and resources to help children deal with loss – including the Northamptonshire Child and Adolescent bereavement Service
• importance of different ages that affect how children deal with loss

Aims

The session’s objectives are to: 

• understand range of bereavements and loss in children and young people’s lives
• be aware of models and theories about bereavement
• see things from the children and young people’s perspective and raise awareness about the important role of teachers
• be aware of a range of strategies and resources to help children deal with loss
• recognise the importance of self-care

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

This training is an initial exploration into promoting wellbeing for ourselves at work. We will start by reflecting upon the factors that impact upon public service professionals and the interplay between these and our personal wellbeing.

We will also look at several approaches to promoting our own wellbeing and use a reflective tool to analyse our personal situation. During the morning there will be time to share your thoughts, plan ahead and learn some relaxation techniques.

This workshop is a pre-cursor to the tailor-made development programme the EPS can design for staff teams and organisations who are addressing staff wellbeing as part of their service development plan.

It is suitable for both individuals or small groups and will be an enjoyable session in a safe space with professionals from similar working environments.

This course is aimed at professionals working in education, health and social care.

Aims

This half-day training aims to enable staff to:

• recognise the potential impact of our work on staff well-being
• reflect on stress, anxiety and compassion fatigue
• learn about factors that promote positive mental health and emotional well-being
• explore some resources that support staff both as individuals and as a whole team
• consider how your organisation could further promote staff well-being in the future.

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

Change is a normal part of everyday life and can provide opportunities for personal growth and development of sense of self-efficacy and resilience. Whilst it can be a time of great excitement and opportunity, for some children and young people school transitions can be really difficult. As a result, they can have a negative impact on wellbeing and academic achievement.

Our Educational Psychology Service (EPS) have developed a four-session programme to support this transfer which is specifically designed to be delivered by Year 6 Class Teachers.

This programme recommends a range of activities with pupils including group discussion, written work and practical tasks. Through the programme, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their strengths and achievements and to capture their important memories of primary school.

The sense of loss they may experience in leaving their friends, staff and the familiarity of their previous school is normalised alongside their worries and the sense of excitement they may feel about starting a new school. The implications and effects of COVID 19 are also highlighted and recognised.

Coping strategies are explored and pupils are encouraged to find out facts about their new secondary school and to identify a network of support to reduce their potential anxieties. The webinar explains the rationale and research behind the programme, psychoeducational information and lesson content.

Staff who attend the session will receive all resources required to deliver the programme. This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims

The session aims to provide staff with an understanding of the:

• potential difficulties that come with transitions
• research into transitions and rationale behind the transition programme
• knowledge and skills required to deliver the programme to support pupils with a more successful transition

Late cancellations

Where delegates sign up for a course but do not cancel within 5 working days of the course commencing, and do not attend the training, the person’s organisation (school or another setting) will be charged a flat fee of £80.

Feeling accepted and valued by others is a basic human need. It is especially important in later childhood and teenage years, when friendships and peer support play a big role in emotional health.

School is a key place where young people build their sense of belonging. But recent research shows only 60% of pupils feel they belong at school. At the same time, exclusion rates are rising.

This training will help you:

• understand what belonging means, and how it applies in schools
• explore the difference between belonging and fitting in
• reflect on your own experiences to see what helps people feel they belong
• think about the needs of children who may feel excluded, such as those with care experience
• look at how unmet belonging needs can lead to unsafe connections - like gangs or online groups
• work together to create an action plan to build a stronger sense of belonging in your school

Aims

By the end of this session, participants will:

• understand what is meant by a sense of belonging
• know why a sense of belonging is important
• explore the link between reduced belonging and the possible pursuit of identity and acceptance in harmful environments
• explore factors which may positively and negatively influence a sense of belonging
• explore individual differences such as, being care-experienced, which may impact upon a child’s sense of belonging
• create an action plan for enhancing a sense of belonging in your school

As of May 2025, the NHS estimate that 741,000 children and young people (aged 5 to 24 years old) have ADHD. This includes those who do not yet have a diagnosis. The global prevalence of ADHD is around 5% - equivalent to an average of 1 to 2 pupils in every classroom.

Research shows that children and young people with ADHD are more likely to have a co-occurring mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression. People with ADHD also often experience low self-esteem.

With the prevalence of ADHD, and long waiting lists for diagnosis, as well as co-occurring mental health needs, it is important that professionals understand how to support children and young people in school.

This course will explore what ADHD is, as well as the co-occurring difficulties that children and young people might experience. Importantly, it will give attendees the opportunity to consider how we can support children at primary and secondary school, both with and without a diagnosis.

Aims

Participants will:

• be aware of the research and theory around ADHD, including how this may present differently in different children, as well as between boys and girls
• understand the challenges children and young people face, and how this affects emotional wellbeing
• recognise the lived experiences of children and young people with ADHD
• develop appropriate strategies to support children with ADHD at school, including their emotional wellbeing

Digital resilience is important for children and young people because it helps them navigate the challenges and risks of the online world in a healthy way.

Research from Ofcom showed that more young people (ages 5 to 16) are actively using messaging, voice chats, video calls, and live-streaming. A 2025 survey by the British Standards Institute found that young people increasingly live their lives online, with many spending over two hours daily on social media. Yet, nearly 70% feel worse about themselves afterward.

With the increasing use of online spaces both in education, for personal use and for future employment, there is a growing need for continuous learning and proactive support to protect young people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, and ensure that engaging in social media is a beneficial and positive experience.

This course will explore how digital resilience can equip pre-school children to secondary students with the skills, confidence, and emotional strength to cope with negative experiences like cyberbullying, online pressure, or harmful content.

Digital resilience allows them to recover from setbacks, make safer choices and continue to engage positively with digital spaces. It ultimately supports their emotional wellbeing, helping them grow into confident, responsible users of technology.

Aims

By the end of this session, participants will:

• be aware of the research and data involving the use of digital spaces both nationally and locally
• understand that the use of digital spaces can be both a positive and negative influence on emotional wellbeing
• be aware of how to proactively support children and young people in your settings , their families and carers to become more digitally resilient

Drawing and talking is an experiential rather than theory-based training programme designed for anyone working with children, young people or adults who may be suffering from trauma or poor mental health.

Foundation training

In the Foundation to Drawing and Talking Therapy course, participants learn how to put this simple technique into practice including how to get started, how to run a session and how to deal with common problems which can arise.

The training also aims to enable participants to know and understand:

• the importance of giving pupils time and space to draw and talk in the presence of a supportive and attentive adult
• how to use the process to help children who are struggling to process difficult emotions and possibly displaying worrying behaviour
• where further help and resources can be accessed

Advanced training

The Advanced Knowledge in Drawing and Talking training enables adults to gain a greater understanding of the therapeutic nature of the work involved and to be able to apply it in a variety of situations, including groups and sand play.

Questions can be asked about the current work you are doing 1:1 with children, building and affirming the skills already learnt in foundation training.

The advanced training also aims to enable participants to:

• review the process of Drawing and Talking (Foundation Level)
• learn how to use Drawing and Talking with small groups of children
• evaluate the progress of pupils using this process
• access support/advice in running group interventions

Professionals must have completed the foundation training to access the advanced training.

Action for Happiness have reviewed the latest research from psychology and related fields considering what influences our levels of happiness.

Everyone's path to happiness is different, but the evidence suggests that there are some commonalities in what can help us to experience greater levels of happiness.

Action for Happiness have brought together this research to develop the Ten Keys for Happier Living, all of which consistently have a positive impact on people's happiness and well-being.

Protective Behaviours (PBs) provide a framework for:

• personal safety
• self-esteem
• resilience
• confidence building

PBs are for anyone who lives and/or works with children, young people, or adults.

PB Foundation

While the Northamptonshire TaMHS Programme provides a 1-day Introductory course, Protective Behaviours Foundation is a 2-day course which covers this approach in greater depth, including the 5 elements of the PB process and provides opportunities to experience the 7 strategies in action.

Attending a 2-day course provides individuals with an opportunity to develop their knowledge of Protective Behaviours and build confidence in applying it, while also helping to identify areas for future development.

The Solihull Approach is a nationally recognised and locally endorsed theoretical approach to working with children and their families that enhances team working within and across services. It focuses attention on promoting the emotional well-being and mental health in infants, children, adolescents and families.

The approach draws on theories of psychotherapy, child development, including attachment and behaviourism, and brings them together in a practical way. As part of the course, participants will view video footage and discuss baby and adolescent brain development.

Solihull Approach model

The model:

• integrates the concepts of Containment, Reciprocity and Behaviour Management into a reflective model that informs practice
• supports practitioners in their work with children and families and helps parents and carers to understand their child
• provides a framework for thinking about children's behaviour that develops practice and consistent approaches across agencies and within services

More information about the approach can be found on the official Togetherness – Bringing the Solihull Approach to the World website.

Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) partners

NCT partners can also find details on accessing funded Solihull Approach training via the NCT website or by emailing Dawn Delaney at [email protected]. NCT partners include Early Years professionals, school professionals, and partners working with children and families in any organisation within Northamptonshire.

The Solihull Approach is a nationally recognised and locally endorsed theoretical approach to working practically with children of school age and their parents/carers.

The approach focuses attention on promoting the emotional well-being and mental health in infants, children, adolescents and families. It draws on psychodynamic theories, child development, including attachment and behaviourism, and brings them together in a practical way. The model within the Solihull Approach integrates the concepts of Containment, Reciprocity & Behaviour Management.

Solihull Parent Group Facilitator Training

Solihull Approach Parenting Group is designed for families with children aged 0-18 years.

Groups, for parents/carers, are usually run in the following approximate age ranges:

• 0-4 years
• 5-11 years
• 12-18 years

The aim of the group is to:

• promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of their developmental age and issues
• increase confidence and self-esteem in both parent and child
• develop a framework for thinking about parent/child relationships, which can be developed into a life-long skill

It gives parents and carers strategies for repair when things go wrong, and promotes reciprocity in parent/child relationships, alongside reflective, sensitive and effective parenting.

More information about the approach can be found on the official Togetherness – Bringing the Solihull Approach to the World website.

Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) partners

NCT partners can also find details on accessing funded Solihull Approach training via the NCT website or by emailing Dawn Delaney at [email protected]. NCT partners include Early Years professionals, school professionals, and partners working with children and families in any organisation within Northamptonshire.

Zippy’s Friends, Apples Friends and Passport are evidence-based international programmes for teaching primary school children social and coping skills.

Developed by Partnership for Children, they are engaging mental health promotion programmes which are suitable for children of all abilities.

Zippy’s Friends

Zippy’s Friends teaches children aged 5 to 7 years old (years 1 or 2) how to cope with everyday difficulties, to identify and talk about their feelings and to explore ways of dealing with them through using role-play, drawing and discussion activities and games, and stories featuring characters of a similar age.

The programme covers themes of:

• feelings
• communication
• friendship
• solving problems
• changes
• moving forward

It also encourages children to help other people with their problems.

The programme is based on extensive research and has been evaluated in many countries. It has also been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and national governments.

Apple’s Friends

Apple’s Friends builds on what has been taught in Zippy’s Friends and is suitable for children aged 7 to 9 years (years 3 or 4). The programme covers themes similar to those in Zippy’s Friends. The activities in Apple’s Friends give children the chance to practice and develop effective coping and social skills.

Once again, there are role-play, drawing and discussion activities and games, and stories featuring the same characters, but this time with Apple the Hamster.

Passport

Passport is for 9 to 11 year olds (years 5 or 6). The programme is based on the same theory as Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends – the Concept of Coping – but looks quite different.

Passport covers the following themes:

• emotions
• relationships
• difficult situations
• change and loss
• fairness, justice and what is right

Children develop their own positive strategies to deal with problems through engaging activities such as reading the comic strips, discussion, role-play and games. They use the colourful game board to find as many solutions as possible. There are also Home Activities to reinforce learning at home with the family.