Education

Pilot scheme for mental health plan

Published

9 years ago

September 27, 2017

One in four experience mental health problems: Vaughan Gething

HEALTH Secretary, Vaughan Gething and Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams have agreed a £1.4m investment to strengthen the support from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to schools.

Dedicated CAMHS practitioners will be recruited to work with pilot schools in three areas across Wales. The practitioners will provide teachers with on-site help and advice, ensuring pupils experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, and compulsive self-harm or conduct disorders receive early help in schools from suitably trained staff, preventing more serious problems occurring later in life.

The model will enable:

Support for teachers to better understand childhood distress, emotional and mental health problems, and reduce stress experienced by teachers concerned about their pupils, by up-skilling them to recognise and deal with low level problems within their competence
Ensuring that when issues are identified that are outside teachers’ competence and skills, that specialist liaison, consultancy and advice is available to enable the young person to be directed to more appropriate services such as CAMHS or Local Primary Mental Health Support Services, and to support the teacher and school in providing for the young person’s educational needs
Ensuring systems are in place to share appropriate information between CAMHS and schools, shared care arrangements are agreed for those young people requiring more intensive support,and that arrangements are in place to escalate/de-escalate as the young person’s needs dictate

Initially operating as a pilot programme, the initiative will commence by the end of 2017 and cover two full academic years, concluding in the summer of 2020. The results will be evaluated, and take into account a broad range of measures from the perspective of both teachers and pupils.

Wales has led the way in the UK by being the only nation that requires local authorities to provide counselling services in their area for children and young people aged between 11 and 18, as well as pupils in Year 6 of primary school. This initiative complements that work by providing an additional layer of more specialist support in schools.

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: “One in four people in Wales will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives. Getting the right treatment at an early stage, coupled with greater awareness of conditions, can in many cases prevent long term adverse impacts.

“This unique new initiative we’re unveiling today will see specialist NHS Wales services extend into the classroom. This will ensure children, teachers and others charged with caring for children in our schools, receive support to promote good emotional and mental health. It will help identify and address issues early, helping to prevent more serious problems occurring later in life.

“One of the Welsh Government’s key aims is to improve the health and well-being of the people of Wales. This will help us achieve our ambition of prosperity for all, while taking significant steps to shift our approach from treatment to prevention.

“We hope this initiative will improve accessibility to support services, better address school related stress, and ease pressures on specialist CAMHS by reducing inappropriate referrals. We also hope it will facilitate a wider culture which promotes and values positive mental health and wellbeing within our schools.”

Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams said: “Most young people spend a large part of their time in school, so there is a clear need for teachers to be able to help and support them should they experience difficulties in life, such as anxiety, low mood, compulsive self-harm or behaviour disorders.

“Through this new initiative, we are making schools places that actively promote positive mental health and wellbeing, providing evidence-based prevention and early intervention where it’s needed.

“For children and young people, it will enable them to have their problems addressed earlier, before they escalate. For teachers, it will help ensure they feel able and confident in dealing with emotional distress, and know where to go to seek support.”

Responding to the announcement, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said: “Teachers and school leaders are deeply concerned about the mental health issues being faced by the children and young people they teach.

“A recent NASUWT survey showed high on the list of issues was the lack of timely and effective access to CAMHS services when pupils exhibit mental health problems.

“Less than a quarter of the teachers surveyed were confident they would be able to get timely support from expert services such as CAMHS and therefore the announcement that dedicated CAMHS professionals will be recruited to work in a number of schools during the pilot will no doubt be welcomed by the profession.

“Going forward however, it will be important that teachers are not expected to take the place of qualified healthcare professionals.

“Whilst support for teachers to recognise the signs of mental and emotional distress in their pupils may be helpful, this must not lead to teachers, already struggling to cope with excessive and unsustainable workloads, being expected to diagnose, treat and manage pupils’ mental health.”

Rex Philips, NASUWT National Official Wales, said: “It is disappointing that, having acknowledged the mental health issues facing children and young people, yet again the extensive evidence of the mental health issues faced by teachers themselves has been ignored.

“The Welsh Government must also act to provide pupils and teachers alike with direct and readily available access to mental health services staffed by professionally qualified and trained staff and also to tackle the contributory factors in schools which are damaging mental health and wellbeing.”

The policy document’s release follows a call by the National Education Union to have ‘wellbeing officers’ permanently located in schools.

“Having a more standardised approach ensuring additional funding is put into schools to employ people specifically trained for wellbeing could certainly be looked at,” Owen Hathway, Wales’ policy officer at NEU Cymru, said.

The Children’s Commission for Wales, Professor Sally Holland, said: “I don’t think teachers can be expected to undertake the mental health work in schools, there are experts who can come into schools to do that with the necessary expertise and training.

“Schools need better and more direct access to mental health services so teachers have someone they can pick up the phone to or speak to in school to get the expert help they need.”

The two-year Welsh Government trial will take place across north east, south east Wales and Ceredigion.

Education

Parents urged to rally as final decision looms over Ysgol Clydau

Published

4 days ago

May 26, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaigners call for supporters to attend ‘crucial’ County Hall meeting in bid to save village school

SUPPORTERS fighting to save Ysgol Clydau are urging parents, children and members of the community to gather at County Hall in Haverfordwest next month as councillors prepare to make a final decision on the school’s future.

The grassroots campaign group Save Ysgol Clydau – Cadw Clydau yn Gadarn has called on as many people as possible to attend an extraordinary meeting on Monday, June 15, describing it as a “crucial” moment in the battle to keep the school open.

Campaigners are asking supporters to gather outside County Hall from 9:00am ahead of the meeting, which is due to begin at 10:00am.

In a public appeal shared online, organisers said the day would likely be emotional regardless of the outcome, but stressed the importance of showing a united front.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: “We need as many parents, children, and supporters as possible at County Hall, Haverfordwest to help save our school.

“A final decision will be made. Please do your very best to attend and stand with our community.

“It will be an emotional day, whatever the outcome — but together we can show the county and the country that we are here, united, and determined to be heard.”

The campaign has become a rallying point for local families concerned about the future of education in rural communities, with supporters arguing that closing the school would have a lasting impact on village life and young children.

Promotional material shared by the group encourages families to bring children and “their voices” to the demonstration, with campaigners insisting: “Together we are stronger.”

The Herald understands the meeting is expected to draw strong local interest, with campaigners hoping a large turnout could influence councillors ahead of what may be a decisive vote.

Ysgol Clydau has been at the centre of an ongoing debate about the future of smaller rural schools in Pembrokeshire, with supporters arguing the school plays a vital role at the heart of the community.

The meeting takes place at County Hall, Haverfordwest, on Monday, June 15, with supporters gathering from 9:00am.

Education

UWTSD Summer Degree Shows celebrate emerging creative talent

Published

4 days ago

May 26, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Students recognised as exhibitions and performances continue across Wales and beyond

THE UNIVERSITY OF WALES Trinity Saint David has celebrated the work of emerging artists, designers and performers through its annual Summer Degree Shows.

The exhibitions and performances, held during May and continuing into the summer, showcase final-year projects from students across a wide range of creative disciplines, including Fine Art, Graphic Design, Surface Pattern and Textiles, Photography, Illustration, Automotive and Transport Design, Acting and Adventure Filmmaking.

Events have taken place across Swansea, Carmarthen, Cardiff and London, with major showcases held at Swansea College of Art’s Dynevor and Alex buildings. Performances have also been staged at Yr Egin in Carmarthen, with further exhibitions planned at national venues.

A key part of the celebrations was the annual prize-giving ceremony at Dynevor in Swansea, where students were recognised for outstanding achievement.

Aimiee Brown and Branwen Jones received the Elysium Sculpture Award, with two £500 prizes presented for excellence in sculptural practice.

The Hayden John James Prize awarded £1,000 prizes to undergraduate student Tilly Lewis and postgraduate student Andrew T Gardiner.

Surface Pattern student Samantha McGrath received the Elizabeth Jeffries Prize, while Cel Hopkins was awarded the Josef Herman Carolyn Davies Prize, presented by the Josef Herman Foundation.

Illustration student Morgan Stevens received the Rhys Bevan Jones Illustration Prize, while Seren Trodden was recognised twice, receiving both an Old Dyvorians Association President Prize and the Mission Gallery Makers Award in collaboration with the Jane Phillips Award.

Other Old Dyvorians Association President Prizes went to Bella Watkins, Rhiannon Hughes, Adam Mayhew, Emi Joy and Becca May.

Jewellery student Jessica Theobald received the ACJ College Jewellery Prize, which includes membership of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery, while Photography student Carys Bristowe-Davies received the Sarah Tierney Award, offering mentoring and access to workshops at Swansea College of Art.

Dr Mark Cocks, Dean of UWTSD’s Wales Institute for Science and Art, said: “The Summer Degree exhibitions celebrate the inspirational creative talents of our students.

“The innovation and diversity of the student work is testament to their dedication and creative application of their personal practice. These shows are the culmination of academic study, but also the beginning of professional creative journeys.”

Caroline Thraves, Academic Director for Art and Media at UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art, said the shows provided students with an important professional platform.

She added: “Hosting the Summer Shows is a vital part of our mission at UWTSD. It gives our students a professional platform to share their creativity with the world, celebrates their hard work, and connects them with the industries they are about to enter.”

Lynne Seymour, Academic Director for Design and Performing Industries, said this year’s programme was particularly significant as the university marks 25 years since the first graduates from its Set Design and Production course.

She said: “These exhibitions and performances represent not only the culmination of years of hard work, collaboration and artistic exploration, but also the beginning of many professional creative journeys.”

The Summer Shows continue throughout the season, including Architecture, Engineering and Computing exhibitions at UWTSD’s Swansea Waterfront campus, performances from WAVDA students at Yr Egin and in Cardiff, exhibitions at New Designers and Copeland Gallery in London, and Automotive and Transport Design showcases at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

Community

Pembrokeshire adventurer Tori James named National Learn Welsh Ambassador

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2026

Richard Lewis

AS THE NATIONAL Centre for Learning Welsh celebrates its highest ever number of learners – over 20,000 in 2024–2025 – it has announced a new ambassadors scheme with the aim of inspiring even more people to learn, use and enjoy the Welsh language.

The Learn Welsh Ambassadors Scheme will be launched today (May 23) at the Urdd Eisteddfod on Anglesey, as part of the Eisteddfod’s ‘Learners’ Day’ celebrations.

Four high-profile ambassadors have been appointed to the new scheme:

Aleighcia Scott – singer and DJ, and one of the mentors on S4C’s talent show Y Llais, who will also be honoured with the Green robe at Eisteddfod Genedlaethol y Garreg Las in August.
Tori James – adventurer and the first Welsh woman to climb Mount Everest.
Katie Owen – DJ and social media influencer.
Ian Gwyn Hughes – Head of Public Relations at the Football Association of Wales.

The four ambassadors will represent the Centre, sharing their personal experiences of the Welsh language, and promoting the work of the Learn Welsh sector. They will also support recruitment campaigns, encouraging people from all backgrounds to begin learning Welsh, or to continue their language journey.

The scheme reflects the Centre’s vision to attract and support a wide range of audiences to learn and use Welsh, including workforces, communities, key sectors such as Health and Social Care, the Education Workforce and Sport, young people and families.

The Centre is launching the scheme at the Urdd Eisteddfod. It works in partnership with the Urdd to provide a range of opportunities for the organisation’s staff, and the young people using its services, to strengthen their Welsh language skills or to begin learning the language.

The Centre is also pleased to support the Urdd’s medals for young Welsh learners, the Bobi Jones Medal for learners aged 19 years’ old and above, and the Learners’ Medal for learners aged under 19 years.

Dona Lewis, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, said: “Creating new Welsh speakers is the Centre’s main aim, supporting them to use and enjoy the language with confidence in their everyday lives.

“I’m pleased to say the Learn Welsh sector is going from strength to strength, with more people than ever completing our courses.

“We’re delighted to welcome a group of passionate ambassadors who will share their experiences of the Welsh language and help promote and celebrate our work. We’re proud to launch this new scheme at the Urdd Eisteddfod, one of our partners.

“The Centre works creatively and in partnership across different sectors, providing one, single learning pathway to becoming a Welsh speaker. We are all here to welcome and support our learners and new speakers at every stage of their language journey.”

Aleighcia Scott said: “I’m delighted to take part in this scheme. Learning Welsh has been an important personal journey for me, and it has opened new doors – both creatively and socially.”

Tori James said: “Learning a new skill can be a bit like climbing a mountain – it can be a challenge, but every small step is a success!

“I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to support people to take their first step into learning Welsh, and to keep going – it’s a journey well worth taking.”

Katie Owen said: “I’d always wanted to learn Welsh, and it has been the best thing I’ve done. The Welsh-speaking community is so welcoming, and the National Centre for Learning Welsh offers so many opportunities to learn and use the language.”

Ian Gwyn Hughes said: “Welsh belongs to all of us, and it has been fantastic to see the positive response to our use of the language at the Football Association of Wales. I look forward to supporting the Centre’s work to extend the use of Welsh in all kinds of contexts.”