Published on: 9th July 2026
Our mental health support teams work with local schools and colleges to provide early help to children.
They also run workshops to help parents and carers better support their children’s mental health.
The Tameside team supported Louise through an ‘understanding children’s anxiety’ workshop, giving her the tools to better help her daughter, Georgia.
Georgia is about to finish Year 1 and is now feeling much more confident and able to enjoy new experiences, thanks in part to the skills and understanding Louise gained through the workshop.
Louise explains: “Georgia is very, very shy. She doesn't talk or communicate with people she doesn't know. She doesn't cope very well in new environments, with new people. She just completely shuts down. She gets very anxious.”
“From the workshop, I've learned so much on how to understand Georgia and her anxiety. The main thing is giving me the tools to help and understand her, how to help her move forward, and how to talk to her – because it's not something we really did.”
One of the biggest changes Louise has seen has been Georgia’s confidence at school.
“The transition from reception to year one has been fantastic. Since coming back to school, she's putting a hand up and answering questions in class. Her teachers said she's talking in class now and talking to the teachers, which she never did before.”
Georgia’s growing confidence has also shown in her willingness to try new things and become more independent.
“She has decided that she wants to do swimming lessons, which I thought we would have to go so many times before she agreed to it. But she didn’t – she just said she wants to do it.
She's definitely getting more independent at home, helping out more, going to the toilet on her own. She's like a different child. And you can see the confidence in her as well. I'm really, really happy.”
You can find out what support is available by speaking to a teacher or mental health lead at your child's school or college.
You can also read more on our mental health support teams webpage.