Mental Health and Wellbeing Resilience
North Lanarkshire Council · 22 November 2022
Back to Education, Children and Families Committee — 22 November 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Education, Children and Families Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref GMcL Date 22/11/22 P032.1 Mental health, Well-being, and Resilience From Gerard McLaughlin, Head of Education E-mail mclaughling@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 1. Background 1.1 In 2021 NLC conducted a population survey focusing on the Wellbeing of all children and young people in schools in North Lanarkshire. This population survey was based on use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ has been used in many settings, as a screening tool for young people, to ascertain wellbeing needs. The results of this survey were shared with the then Education and Families Committee in September 2021. These are summarised in Appendix 1. 1.2 SDQ surveys are carried out in partnership with Youth in Mind, an organisation that provides the secure digital infrastructure to carry out the survey and owns the intellectual property rights to the survey tool. Executive Summary This report is intended to seek approval from committee to carry out a further survey of all children in primary and secondary schools, who agree to take part, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The report makes reference to the previous survey, which provided a rich set of data around the Health and Wellbeing of our children and young. The report shows how this would be a particularly useful approach at the moment given the recent launch of the Roadmap to Recovery, mental health and wellbeing plan for children in North Lanarkshire. Recommendations It is recommended that the Education and Families Committee: (1) Endorse the content of this report and (2) Note to endorse a further survey of children and young people’s wellbeing using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in 2023. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Support all children and young people to realise their full potential Ambition statement (7) Enhance collaborative working to maximise support and ensure all our children and young people are included, supported, and safe
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1.3 A further analysis of groups of children within the survey that may have additional wellbeing needs was shared with the Committee in February 2022. This looked at groups such as, care experienced children, children subject to child protection registration, children with additional support needs in mainstream schools, children receiving free school meals and clothing grants and children living in areas of deprivation. The results of this are shown in Appendix 2. 1.4 In September 2022, The Roadmap to Recovery Health and Wellbeing plan was approved by this committee. This plan sets out a way forward in developing the health and wellbeing of our learners over the next three years, recognising the current context in North Lanarkshire, particularly following the impact of COVID19. The plan recognises the importance of developments in North Lanarkshire in relation to health and wellbeing including the Empowering Clusters model and the GIRFEC pathway. It looks at high level outcomes that can be improved, linking into the Integrated Children Services Plan and the Plan for North Lanarkshire. 1.5 One of the sources of data that was drawn on in the Roadmap to Recovery is the SDQ results from the survey carried out across North Lanarkshire in 2021. This showed an overall encouraging picture with most children showing close to average total difficulty scores. However, certain groups showed a greater need, and this requires ongoing consideration when developing health and wellbeing intervention within schools, clusters and across partnerships. The survey data from the SDQ is an important source of information in the plan and is useful in schools and centres profiling local need. 1.6 Previous reports approved by the Education and Families Committee, introduced and updated the Wellbeing quality framework, set around the questions of: • Why we are doing it ? - Governance and Policy Drivers • How we are doing it ? – Key Systems and Processes • What we are doing? – Our Outputs and Outcomes This framework shows a model to understand the complexities of Health and Wellbeing and gives a picture as to how policy can lead to outcomes but also how outcomes can influence policy as part of a feedback loop, from what we are doing and achieving to the high-level policies that govern why we carry out this work. Reliable data is an important element in this feedback loop. 2. Report Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience – Current Position 2.1 The Roadmap to Recovery has now been launched and is available to all schools and centres through the electronic Empowering Clusters tool, launched in August 2022, to improve communication and s responses to support children and their families within the cluster model. This sits at the centre of health and wellbeing support. 2.2 The initial SDQ survey showed that most children and young people get all the help and support they need from their parents, wider family and community, but sometimes, may need a bit of extra help. The survey indicated that certain small groups of children and young people are likely to require more assistance to maintain positive health and wellbeing. Between 5% and 17% of those surveyed showed very high total difficulty scores and this varied across settings.
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2.3 Some of the messages from the survey on specific groups may also be helpful, these indicate higher levels of difficulty in certain children and young people: • Children on the Child Protection Register • Children looked after at home • Children with previous care experience. • Secondary school age girls reported higher difficulty scores • In primary schools boys were reported by teachers to have higher difficulty scores 2.4 Clearly the information on the groups above is linked to some of the highest priority groups that Children’s Services work with. Ongoing SDQ data, that allows identification of emerging trends, may provide some useful insights into safeguarding children, fulfilling corporate parenting duties and in keeping the Promise. It is also useful information in taking forward the Roadmap to Recovery. Our Plan for Wellbeing - Roadmap to Recovery 2.5 The Roadmap to Recovery plan was developed through a process of consultation that started with an audit of school improvement plans and was further developed with consultations with key groups of staff and partners. The plan was considered at a staff conference that involved senior leaders from all schools and centres and representatives from services across the children’s services partnership. SDQ information was used both to prepare the plan and as a useful data source for schools in taking it forward locally. 2.6 The Roadmap to Recovery sets out a way forward in developing the health and wellbeing of our learners over the next three years recognising the current context in North Lanarkshire, particularly following the impact of COVID19. It uses a number of indicators to measure progress, including: • Attendance levels • Exclusion figures • Numbers entering and sustaining post school positive destinations • Information from GIRFEC planning 2.7 The Roadmap to Recovery relies on implementation by schools, centres and services supporting wellbeing. As part of this process understanding local pictures and trends is important, and the SDQ data provides this picture from across the school population. However, this will become dated over time, and while a one-off snapshot is useful, a follow up survey will allow examination of changing trends. This will be particularly valuable in charting wellbeing in the recovery from COVID 19. In addition, many of the targets in The Roadmap to Recovery are to be reviewed in 2023 and up to date SDQ information will give a rich context to information gathered in the review of these measures. Further Use of the SDQ – Measurement of Ongoing Wellbeing 2.8 All the above information indicates that a further SDQ survey would be a valuable exercise going forward. This could be carried out through the involvement of a group of officers within the service, mirroring the process that was set up to previously carry out the survey. The digital infrastructure that required to be established between schools and Youth in Mind is still available so the survey would involve less work that
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was required to set up the previous one. The arrangements around data sharing and protection will also remain. 2.9 Data from a further SDQ survey would provide a picture that will allow the identification of developing trends, give a view as to how the health and wellbeing of our children and young people is developing, post pandemic, and allow development of the frontline activity. It would also assist in reviewing of the policy direction in health and wellbeing. This would provide North Lanarkshire with a strong health and wellbeing data set, across all school pupils, which would be the first of its kind in Scotland. 2.10 In order to take forward a further SDQ survey, if approved, engagement would have to take place with Youth in Mind to scope out a project for the survey. Progress with this can be reported back to future committees. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success in developing the wellbeing of children and families are set out on the Roadmap to Recovery. A further SDQ survey would help to demonstrate the trends emerging in the wellbeing of children and young people in North Lanarkshire, providing a context to the other measures in the Roadmap to Recovery. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 – SDQ First Analysis Appendix 2 – SDQ Second Analysis Gerard McLaughlin Head of Education (North)
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Financial Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? There will be further costs associated with a further SDQ survey, however as much of the digital infrastructure has been set up to support this, costs should be less than they were in the initial survey. Engagement will take place with Youth in Mind to look at the costs of a further survey and these will be detailed in a further report. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People and Organisational Development? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☒ No ☐
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for technology, has an assessment been carried out (or scheduled) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Communications with children, young people and their parents was carried out as part of the initial survey. This will be carried out again in the proposed follow up survey. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? The measures in this plan will help to meet statutory duties around children and young people, in particular around assessment of wellbeing needs and therefore reduce risk to the organisation and to children and young people. This includes the requirement to report against eleven indicators, including strengths and difficulties scores, that are stated within the National Improvement Framework.
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Appendix – 1
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Appendix – 2