School children holding hands
School children holding hands

A year-long programme of mental health support for East Devon school children and their parents has been praised after the Covid recovery initiative achieved several positive outcomes, including greater awareness of mental health in school communities and increased confidence among pupils.

Wishing to shift its attention from the immediate impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and focus on restoring strength in communities, East Devon District Council used funding from the government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) – designed to support local Covid-related public health projects – to facilitate activities in two schools in Axminster.

Axminster was selected to receive the support because feedback and insight from East Devon councillors, council officers and agencies such as the police indicated that mental health support would be welcomed in the area.

Multiple reports suggest that some young people’s mental health and wellbeing was substantially impacted during the pandemic. According to the Department for Education’s State of the Nation report (2021) “evidence indicated lower wellbeing in December 2020 and February 2021, when schools were closed to most pupils, compared to previous months in the academic year.” Additionally, data from February and March 2021 shows that rates of likely mental disorder in children and young people increased between 2017 and 2021.

During the 2023/24 academic year, East Devon District Council commissioned third sector groups Action East Devon, HeadsUp and Parental Minds to help to address the emotional and psychological needs of children and parents as they navigated life after the pandemic.

Children were supported throughout the year at St Mary’s Primary School and Axe Valley Academy, where the school communities benefited from a mixture of:

  • One-on-one and group counselling from qualified professionals.
  • Training to become mental health ambassadors, increasing subject knowledge.
  • Workshops for parents, fostering stronger family relationships and communication.
  • Face to face and virtual support hubs – including self-sustaining peer support groups.
  • Events, including parents’ coffee mornings, to raise awareness in informal settings.
  • Training for teaching assistants.
  • Lunch clubs.
  • Phone support during half terms and holidays, to address feelings of isolation.

Among the key outcomes from the project, children and parents reported they:

  • Had a better understanding of mental health.
  • Felt more confident and had higher self-esteem.
  • Were in better physical health and had an improved standard of self-care.
  • Were sleeping better.
  • Felt a stronger sense of identity, self-expression and resilience.
  • Had better access to work and a stronger commitment to school and education.
  • Experienced healthier relationships.

In one situation, a child and their caregiver were struggling with their mental health. During the programme, the caregiver had frequent support calls which made them feel “less alone, helpless and isolated” and gave them strength to support their child. The child also received support and is now able to attend school and enjoys socialising with their friends.

A parent who received support said: “Knowing that someone was at the end of the phone really helped put my mind at ease. As a parent, lots of people say ‘remember to look after yourself’ but no one really has the practical advice on how to do this when there are so many demands to keep your child safe. The support, information and network are the gifts that keep me going.”

The 2023/24 programme was made possible through non-recurrent COMF funding. Any potential expansion to other parts of East Devon will be subject to additional funding being available.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes and Communities, East Devon District Council, said: “Our health directly influences our quality of life and that of our families and the communities around us. We know that many people are still struggling after the Covid pandemic and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, so we are pleased to have funded some support for Axminster school students and their parents and carers. As good mental health is so important for everyone’s wellbeing, we are very grateful to the many local voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprise organisations working hard to support our communities across East Devon.”

Lola Coombs, Wellbeing Coordinator, Action East Devon, said: “We would like to thank East Devon District Council, Devon County Council and Axminster Town Council for helping to fund and support our wonderful school mentoring service at Axe Valley Academy. We would not have been able to do this without them, nor would the students have received the support they needed at the time they needed it most.”

Paula Baker, Director, HeadsUp, said: “St Mary’s Primary School was very welcoming during our time there and we feel we made a difference to the children’s lives. We developed a good working relationship with Parental Minds, and we signposted all the parents from our parent workshops to their support, so there was ongoing help available for those in need. Thank you to East Devon District Council for the funding the work.”

Vanessa Rossiter, Parental Minds, said: “It’s great that Axe Valley Academy staff are now using our Thrive directories and attending our skills workshops. We remain committed to continuing and enhancing our collaboration with other local support groups to benefit the community. We are so grateful for the support from the East Devon District Council, which has enabled us to make a tangible impact on the mental wellbeing of families in the area.”