£10m HeadStart Kent helps to prevent mental health issues in young people

Children and young people in Kent are less likely to have emotional or mental health problems as they enter adulthood thanks to a £10 million programme funded by The BIG Lottery.

HeadStart Kent is a programme for 10-16 year olds in schools, aimed at improving their emotional resilience so they will be less likely to suffer from emotional and mental health issues.

HeadStart Kent was created with young people’s involvement and schools involved are asked to regularly evaluate the impact the programme is having on their pupils.

HeadStart Kent is currently operating in Swale, Gravesham, Ashford, Canterbury and Shepway. During 2018 it will be rolled out in Maidstone and Thanet and in 2019 Dover, Tonbridge and Malling.

Roger Gough, cabinet member for children, young people and education, said at the HeadStart Kent County Stakeholder Event: Every Conversation Counts on 17 October: “Mental health problems, if not prevented or treated, can be the cause of the lifelong suffering of those individuals impacted by it, and their families.

“Nationally, despite all our efforts over many years, the prevalence of young people with mental health problems has been growing. However, I know that by all of us joining with many others across schools and communities, using the outcomes and learning from the HeadStart Kent programme, we can stop this trend and begin to reverse it.

“The welfare of children and young people across this county is the council’s top priority – and a key element of this is the delivery of HeadStart Kent.

“As a preventative programme, HeadStart Kent will work with schools to help young people to develop their own resilience to cope with the everyday pressures they may face throughout their lives. Young people will be equipped with the skills and confidence to navigate their own way to support when they need to.

“We also want to ensure that those working in schools and local communities have the information, skills and resources to be able to respond to young people – early and effectively.

“HeadStart Kent is promoting the message that building resilience is everyone’s business and that if a young person needs help then every conversation counts.”