What is the TAMHS project about?
TAMHS champions (School Extranet login required)
TAMHSÂ training and development
Related documents
TAMHSÂ resources
Contact TAMHS
TAMHS is a Department of Education initiative that aims to transform the way Mental Health Services are delivered to children and young people between the ages of 5 and 13 years. Newcastle is part of the second wave of TAMHS Pathfinder Projects in a 3 year programme. We have been asked to deliver a range of evidenced based Mental Health Services to children, young people and families who are at risk of or who have mental health difficulties using schools as the vehicle for doing this and to evaluate its effectiveness and outcomes.
Over the last 2 years 2009/2010 the Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TAMHS) project has delivered a range of services and interventions to 22 schools across the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
These schools consist of 3 school clusters Walbottle, All Saints and Walker; a total of 3 high schools and 18 primary schools as well as Thomas Bewick Special School.
The project has been robustly evaluated nationally and locally and views of schools and direct recipients of the services provided by the project have been sought.
Following an overwhelmingly positive evaluation and with continued support and interest from the schools we are proposing a citywide roll out. As this will take the form of a staged approach expressions of interest were sought from non TAMHS schools in the city to join the programme in this next wave.
We are pleased to say that Benfield cluster, Gosforth East Middle cluster, Gosforth Central Middle cluster, Excelsior cluster, Kenton cluster and Heaton cluster as well as Sir Charles Parsons School will be joining us in the next phase of the programme.  As previously we will be offering training on a variety of mental health issues and will be delivering as part of the programme some direct services to children, young people and families with an identified need.
Where possible we will offer as much of the training out city wide as possible in order to maximise the opportunities and benefits.
We will via this webpage and other means keep you informed of our progress however please contact Kevin Ward, Programme Manager TaMHS on 0191 246 6950 or at kevin.ward@ntw.nhs.uk if you would like to know more.
Â
How will it make a difference?
This initiative will support staff based in and around schools to identify, support and manage this group of young people and their families in a more accessible way and at the earliest possible stage of any difficulty emerging. We are expecting children, young people and families to feel their difficulties are being recognised and the appropriate support given promptly. There will be improved access for children, young people and families requiring a more specialist mental health intervention and they will be supported back into school/home and the local community.
The commitment not only from the schools but also from the agencies that work into the schools has been fabulous. We have a strong multiagency steering group and clear aims and outcomes that we are working towards. The biggest challenge has been in keeping the project a manageable size so we can evaluate its impact. As schools have heard about the project they have highlighted the needs of their own children and have asked to join in.
The project has 2 distinct elements: development of the workforce in and around schools and delivery of some direct services.
Workforce development: The project has already delivered training on mental health awareness to 260 staff across 22 schools and a further 75 staff have received more in depth training on a range of mental health issues. We have developed along with support from our 22 schools, a Mental Health Champion for each school to act as a resource for staff and families. This champion will receive the most in-depth training and is being supported by a Champions Network. A number of staff have received training in the incredible years parenting programme and in the Dina Dinosaur classroom programme.
Over the rest of this year 40 staff will be trained to use a drawing and talking technique to support children and young people sfuffering from trauma and 12 staff across Thomas Bewick Special School and the ARCs will be trained in the Cygnet programme to support parents and siblings of children diagnosed with ASD.
8 practitioners across the city have recently become licensed trainers in the friends programme which aims to prevent the development of anxiety and depression and will begin in November to roll this training out to schools across the city.
Service delivery: Since 1 January 2010 each school within the TAMHS Project has had one day per week of a school counsellor provided by KidsandUs (primary) or Streetwise (secondary) delivering individual work, work with small groups and work with families directly into the schools.
Them Wifies have begun to deliver a group programme to children, young people and parents to promote positive ways to manage change particularly focused on the transition to secondary school.
Nurture programme resource packs have been given to 17 schools and Jenny Mosley Quality Circle Time training is available city wide from a licensed trainer based in one of our schools.
How will the impact of TAMHS be measured and the benefits shared?
A national evaluation of the programme is underway and locally we are undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of all elements of the project. The results of both evaluations will be available to download and will be presented at our Good Practice Sharing Event on Wednesday 18 May 2011.
Currently we are mindful of sustainability and as far as possible resources and training will be shared as widely as possible.
Project Evaluation: TARGETED MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS (TaMHS) October 2010
Learning from phase one pathfindersÂ
Me and my school public reportÂ
The progress and sustainability plan
School update August 2010
LA feedback
LA feedback information sheet
Local evaluation report - July 2011
Guidance on commissioning targeted mental health and emotional wellbeing service in school
Improving the psychological wellbeing and mental health and children and young people
TAMHS training
Choosing what's best for you- what scientists have found helps children and young people who are sad, worried or troubled
Glasshouse - a multi arts outreach project that seeks to improve the emotional well-being of vulnerable young people, aged 11 - 18. The project will support young people, their families and the services working with them.
Tackling Stigma: A Practical Toolkit - pilot sites across England have been implementing the Tackling Stigma Framework and helping to add to this wealth of knowledge through their experiences. This toolkit has been developed from the Tackling Stigma Framework, designed by Dr Fiona Warner-Gale (2006). It is for all professionals, partnerships and organisations who commission and provide children's and young people's mental health services. It aids the development of a planned and informed approach to tackling the stigma of children's and young people's mental health problems. The toolkit was developed as part of a national suite of projects undertaken by the National CAMHS Support Service (NCSS). The evaluation of the National Project has shown that implementing the framework has been beneficial in changing children's and young people's beliefs about mental health and stigma. Visit the Tackling Stigma website for more information.
TAMHS Programme Manager:
Suzanne Payne
The Newcastle Springfield Centre
Off Blakelaw Road
Blakelaw
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE5 3HU
Phone: 0191 277 4477
Email: suzanne.payne@newcastle.gov.ukÂ
For access to the free mental health awareness raising training please contact a member of the Primary Mental Health Work Team on 0191 246 6950