To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements there are for educating schoolchildren in how better to deal with (a) depression and (b) related emotional help and wellbeing problems. [114744]
Many schools actively adopt a variety of methods to help address the emotional needs of their pupils, including dealing with depression. Some adopt whole-school approaches, working to create a school environment with features designed to promote pupils emotional well-being. Other schools choose actively to promote emotional well-being through the curriculum by using specific programmes designed to teach emotional, social and behavioural skills. Where individual pupils could benefit from more intensive support, schools may decide to involve them in individual or group work, such as nurture groups, anger-management training or bereavement support groups, to help address their particular problems. Many schools use a combination of these approaches.Schools within the Behaviour Improvement Project (BIP) are encouraged and advised on how to respond to the emotional needs of their pupils. In addition, the BIP funds the provision of multi-agency teams who help in the identification and support of those with, or at risk of developing social, emotional and behavioural problems including depression. Known as Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BESTs) they work in targeted primary and secondary schools, and in the community, alongside a range of other support structures and services. The BIP is fully operational in 34 LEAs and will apply to selected schools in a further 27 LEAs, which will be operational from September 2003. The Department is also looking at other ways of extending the spread of this work across schools, primarily through training and guidance.In June 2001, the DfES issued guidance, Promoting Childrens Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings. This is designed to help teachers and others, working alongside mental health professionals, to promote childrens mental health and to intervene effectively with those children experiencing problems. There is a section in the guidance on the interventions teachers might use to address specific mental health disorders including depression. Schools are also encouraged to work closely with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Research on effective joint working between schools and CAMHS is given in the DfES Research Report 412, published in April 2003.