Back to school mental health support for pupils in Wakefield District

Pupils and parents in Wakefield District are being reminded about the range of mental health support available for children and young people as schools go back this week.

While the beginning of a school year is exciting for many, some pupils who are starting in a new environment or changing schools may be experiencing feelings of anxiety.

Among the services available to help them is a therapeutic mobile game which has been shown to have a positive impact, particularly among children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Called Lumi Nova, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended immersive game combines a gold-standard therapeutic approach – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – with ethical and immersive gaming delivered via a mobile app and is designed to support children aged seven to 12-years-old.

The digital service was commissioned by NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in 2023 to improve access to early intervention support in Wakefield and has already been accessed by nearly 700 children and young people.

Lumi Nova has been co-designed by social enterprise BFB Labs along with children, parents, NHS clinicians, educators and mental health experts to act as a first-line treatment option to support anxiety in children. Families in Wakefield are able to access it via a digital self-signup hub.

There is also a range of other support services available to children and young people locally, which includes the NightOWLs confidential support line, Compass emotional health and wellbeing service and WF-I-Can website. Details of all of them and more can be found on the Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership website.

Jo Rooney, Children and Young People’s Senior Commissioning and Transformation Manager at NHS West Yorkshire ICB, said:

“The start of a school year inevitably brings with it a degree of change and settling in, with new environments, subjects, teachers and friendships. It’s natural that young people may be anxious and need help managing how they feel.

“In Wakefield District we have a comprehensive offer that we want families to be fully aware of and take advantage of when needed to ensure all our children and young people have the tools they need to embrace the start of the year and reach their full potential.”