Region’s school-led mental health commission announces members
- Eleven education and health services heavyweights, from the region and beyond, join the Healthy MindED Commission as it sits for the first time on Monday 23 January
The North East’s first school-led commission into the mental health of pupils brings together a representative group of school leaders along with influential practitioners working within and alongside the education system to consider how best to tackle growing problems with children’s emotional wellbeing.
It was created and co-ordinated by SCHOOLS NorthEast as a response to growing concerns from school leaders in the North East at the lack of expert knowledge schools can easily access to efficiently deal with their pupils’ issues related to mental health.
Professor Dame Sue Bailey will be co-chairing the Commission with Steffi Ellison, Head Girl at High Tunstall College of Science in Hartlepool.
They will be joined by:
• Kate Chisholm, Head Teacher at Skerne Park Academy
• Hilary Ellam, Senior Manager at the National College of Teaching and Learning
• Dr Lynne Howey, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and Children and Young People’s Mental Health Clinical Lead at Northern England Strategic Clinical Networks
• Colin Lofthouse, Head Teacher at Rickleton Primary School
• Dr Peter Mulholland, Senior Educational Psychologist and Team Manager for the Emotional Wellbeing and Effective Learning Service at Durham County Council
• Maura Regan, CEO of Carmel Education Trust
• Sue Fisher, Executive Head Teacher of Teaching School at Percy Hedley School
• Steve Wilkinson, Executive Head Teacher at Monkwearmouth Academy
The shortage of support for schools was recognised at national level this month, with the Prime Minister’s announcing that secondary schools will receive free mental health first aid training for their staff.
Professor Dame Sue Bailey said: “It is an honour to be asked to chair what will be a timely and important piece of work. I look forward to working with SCHOOLS NorthEast and the Commissioners to collectively produce recommendations and actions that will not just be useful in the North East of England, but across the country as well.”
The Commission will hold open sessions during which will gather evidence from schools as well as regional and national organisations.
SCHOOLS NorthEast will be holding a conference on mental health in schools – linked to the work of the Commission – in early June.