Mental health and wellbeing: whole school approach: framework

Appendix 1: Policy framework

The legal and policy context in Scotland emphasises the need to take a child-centred, rights-based and preventative approach to supporting positive mental health and wellbeing. Below are some of the key policies and legislation that will be relevant to this framework

1. Getting it right for every child promotes the need for children and young people to get the right support at the right time in the right place and this is now enshrined in legislation in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014) which also emphasises the rights of the child. The National Practice Model within Getting it right for every child also offers a helpful framework to help identify wellbeing needs and identify the risk and protective factors that contribute to mental health and wellbeing.

2. Learning in Health and Wellbeing is a key part of the Curriculum for Excellence and Building the Ambition which emphasises the need to ensure that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing as outlined within Responsibility of All. Within Curriculum for Excellence, health and wellbeing is a 'responsibility of all'.^[28]

3. The National Improvement Framework sets out clear priorities to deliver excellence and equity, including: closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people, and; improving children and young people's health and wellbeing.

4. The Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan has a clear vision where people get the right help at the right time, expect recovery and fully enjoy their rights, free from discrimination and stigma. Prevention and early intervention lie at the heart of this.

5. The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework sets out a clear broad approach for the support that children and young people should be able to access for their mental health and emotional wellbeing within the community. It states that the kind of support provided by community mental health services is additional to what can be provided through universal services, including by educational establishments, and to the clinical services provided through CAMHS.

6. Counselling through Schools is now in place in all Scottish local authorities for children 10 and over. Guidance for local authorities on counselling states that counselling is one of a range of services, and is best seen as part of a whole school approach to supporting wellbeing.

7. A range of Mental Health Quality Indicators have also been developed by Public Health and can be found here: Quality Indicators | Mental Health Quality Indicator Profile | Health Topics | ISD Scotland