A Preston North End trust has appointed a mental health officer to support children from five local primary schools with their transition to high school.

Preston North End Community and Education Trust (PNECET) has welcomed Mary Hewitt, who will form part of the health and well-being team, one of three ‘strands’ of work delivered by the trust – along with community engagement and education.

Headstart is a new initiative piloted across Lancashire and South Cumbria to support the mental health of Year 6 children transitioning into secondary school.

It will be delivered alongside the EFL Trust and three other club community organisations that aim to support children’s mental health through a new two-year project.

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Mary Hewitt said: “I’m excited to be taking on the role of mental health transformation officer to support identified children in Preston and the surrounding areas transitioning from primary school to secondary school.

“We hope to help children enjoy as smooth a transition as possible between education settings at a key stage of their personal development and therefore support them to manage their mental health in a positive way.”

The schools include St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School, Preston Grange Primary School and Brookfield Community Primary School.

The programme will take a ‘whole-class’ approach, with one-to-one sessions offered to all pupils who may benefit from additional support.

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As part of the programme, pupils will join group sessions, which will cover the most relevant topics that affect children between the ages of 11 and 12, including relationships, body image, stress and more.

Pupils will receive new strategies and methods for managing their mental health through the programme, delivered within school time and tailored to fit the learning of identified children in need.

Head of Health and Wellbeing Jessica Riley said: “The Headstart programme is an exciting addition to our health, well-being and education strands of work.

“We hope to inspire children to continue to achieve their goals and live healthy and active lifestyles, all while utilising the power and appeal of Preston North End.”

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PNECET, Fleetwood Town Community Trust, Morecambe Community Sports Trust and Accrington Stanley Community Trust delivered the programme alongside the EFL Trust after receiving a £333,709 grant from NHS Charities Together.

Following a pilot this year, the programme will roll out to other EFL Community Club Organisations within the Lancashire and South Cumbria region.

The programme aims to reduce the strain on the NHS by targeting those children accessing or at risk of needing to access mental health services.

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Adrian Bradley, the head of health and well-being at the EFL Trust, said: “We are delighted to be delivering Headstart and directly supporting the mental health of primary school children and their transition into secondary school.

“We hope that through Headstart, we can intervene earlier and make a long-lasting positive impact on children’s lives and their well-being.

“Our CCOs are well connected within the community, and health projects like Headstart can help us address the local needs of our communities and achieve the EFL Trust’s vision of a stronger, healthier, more active community.”

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PNE will work closely with local primary schools, their pupils and their families through a dedicated mental health transformation officer based at Deepdale.

Programmes like Headstart accelerated after the chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, raised concerns about the increasing rate of mental disorders in children.

In 2020, one in six (16 per cent) children aged 5 to 16 years were identified as having a probable mental disorder, increasing from one in nine (10.8 per cent) in 2017. 

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The pandemic has further impacted mental health, with waiting lists for mental health services soaring.

Ellie Orton OBE, the chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said: “Mental health problems have long been increasing among children, and sadly during the pandemic, many of these issues exacerbated further.

“Projects such as Headstart can help change this, and we want to thank everyone at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, the EFL Trust and the community organisations who have helped make this work possible.

“By increasing access to mental health support at a critical time in children’s lives, we can take pressure off the NHS and make an important difference for vulnerable young people across Lancashire and South Cumbria.”

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Paula Wilson, the head of charities at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity, said: “It has been a privilege to be able to support this amazing project. It will help tackle some out-of-hospital healthcare issues exacerbated over recent years by the pandemic.

“I am looking forward to seeing the difference this funding will make to young people across Lancashire and South Cumbria.”

For more information, email community@pne.com

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