Spotlight Interview- Emma Bell- Place2Be
Emma talks to us about Place2Be, an organisation providing in-school emotional support to children and young people for 30 years. The importance of art as a way to build positive social and emotional connections and why they’re getting their trainers on in August!
Tell us about Place2Be and how it started?
Place2Be was set up by Dame Benita Refson in 1994 to provide emotional support at an early age. She was inspired by a Family Service Unit project called The Place to Be.
Place2Be has been providing in-school emotional support to children and young people ever since –this is our 30th year. We take a whole school approach, providing counselling, mental health support and training in UK schools. Our tried and tested model is backed by research and our work has transformed the lives of children and young people. Place2Be has been supporting children and young people in Wales for 15 years and currently reach over 4,345 children, young people and their families.
Tell us more about your universal and targeted services for pupils.
We offer a range of mental health support services to our partner schools which contribute to a whole school approach to mental health.
Our targeted services include:
One to One counselling - Providing individual sessions to support children and young people which is child led through play, talking and creative work.
Therapeutic Group Work known as Journey of Hope - an 8 session programme to improve self-confidence and resilience through group work involving creative exercises and parachute games.
Personalised Individual Parenting Training (known as PIPT) - an intensive parenting programme designed to promote a positive attachment relationship between a parent and child. is delivered by our Family Practitioner.
Our Universal Services include:
Place2Talk - Children and young people can self-refer to discuss any issues they have with a trained counsellor. They can go with a friend or alone for around 15 minutes. These sessions give children the tools and skills to help them with their difficulties in a healthy way.
Place2Think - A service available to support school staff which offers confidential support by our trained counsellors. It is a reflective space which allows staff to share any challenges and the emotional impact they may be experiencing in a safe and therapeutic space.
We also offer our Mental Health Champions Foundation Programme (available in Welsh and English). This is a 5-week online children’s mental health training programme for teachers, school staff and youth workers. It enhances understanding of children’s mental health and introduces approaches that foster positive wellbeing in schools and communities. This course is suitable for people working with children and young people of any age, including primary and secondary.
Tell us more about your online parenting course.
We are delighted to be able to offer our Parenting Smart online course. It has been developed in partnership with experts at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. It is a course designed to give parents and carers the tools to aid them in dealing with daily parenting challenges they may face. It also supports parents and carers in strengthening their relationship with their child or children.
Parents and Carers are also able to access our parenting smart site which offers practical parenting advice from mental health experts.
Tell us about the Art Room
The Art Room is a project that uses art to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The use of creativity helps children and young people to express and explore their feelings and relationships. By being creative it supports emotional development among children and young people.
The Art Room offers creative activities for children and young people to build positive social and emotional connections with others; it also helps them learn about themselves. The Art Room team are specialists in using art to support children and young peoples wellbeing, they offer a space for children to explore various wellbeing topics whilst also having fun. There are many activities which are accessible via our website which can be used at home or in school for children with different abilities and ages.
Is there anything exciting coming up this year for Place2Be?
This autumn marks 30 years since Place2Be was founded – this is such a milestone for us as we pause and take stock of the difference we’ve been able to make to children, young people and their families over that time.
We also have the BAFTA Kids roadshow visiting our partner School in Tredegarville (Cardiff) in October which we are very excited about. The roadshows are always such fun events as the children love taking part in the activities BAFTA provide – assemblies, workshops, round table discussions.
Many children want to hold the BAFTA that also comes on tour and see how heavy it is!
The visits involve championing children’s creativity to teach important life skills through film, games and television. We are very much looking forward to the visit happening at Tredegarville as part of celebrating 10 years of working in partnership with them.
We’re delighted to be attending a musical festival and darts tournament event in Llantrisant in August. This is a fundraising event raising money for Place2Be alongside two other charities and is something we are extremely grateful to be a part of.
Finally, three of our team – Gary, Carrie and Emma are lacing up their trainers to complete the Cardiff Half Marathon on October 6 th , raising vital funds for Place2Be. Training starts over the summer break!
Where can people find you online?
You can find us at www.place2be.org.uk/Wales to find out more about Place2Be in Wales.
You can also read our blogs which showcase the wonderful work our School Based Staff and Family Practitioners do.