Mental health is as important to a child’s safety as their physical health; mental health issues can sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues. By recognising when a child is struggling with their mental health, and intervening to provide appropriate support, professionals working with children can help prevent mental health problems from escalating into crisis. 

A mental health first aid kit is one tool that can be used to help. The kit contains a selection of resources to help young people manage their mental health if they’re struggling, such as ways to distract oneself, relax or calm down, and pointers to further support. 

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about the mental health first aid kit and how you can use it with the young people you work with.

You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers 

Gawain Griffiths is a Practitioner in the Childline Online Services team. He works to develop resources and content for the Childline website to help and empower young people using the Childline service. 

Alice and Douglas are members of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change. They meet monthly to discuss issues they care about, giving young people the chance to shape and influence the NSPCC’s work and ensure the young people’s voices are heard both inside and outside the organisation. Mental health is one of the priority areas in the board’s 2023-25 manifesto.

📚 Resources mentioned in this episode 

> Access the Childline mental health first aid kit resource 

> Find out more about child mental health 

> View Childline’s mental health information page for young people 

> Learn more about promoting mental health and wellbeing 

> Take our mental health and wellbeing safeguarding course

Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros