Young Minds Matter Gloucestershire

Young Minds Matter (YMM) is a safe and confidential mental health support service tailored for children and young people up to 18 years of age. At Chosen Hill School, we are proud to be part of the Trailblazer programme, offering accessible support to students in need.

 Mental Health Support teams are supporting up to 8,000 children and young people in around 20 schools and colleges in their locality. Chosen Hill School is one of the early adopter participating schools.

The programme is called “Young Minds Matter Gloucestershire” (previously “Trailblazers”)

How Can YMM help?

The YMM team is here to support students who may be struggling with issues such as anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, or similar concerns. Support can be provided either face-to-face at school or virtually through an online platform. If you are a student at Chosen Hill School, you can ask a teacher or member of staff to make a referral for you. Alternatively, if you prefer not to talk to someone at school, secondary school students can self-refer using YMM Chat.

Contacting ymm

· YMM Chat Text Service: 07480 635723 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 4:30pm)

You can text the YMM team during school hours whenever you need to. Whether you're feeling worried, stressed, or simply need advice, this service is designed to take the pressure off. Our friendly team of professionals will aim to respond either the same day or the next working day. Through YMM Chat, students can share their worries, seek advice, or self-refer for an appointment—all without needing to involve a parent or teacher.

What can you expect from ymm?

Young Minds Matter provides a safe, confidential space for students at Chosen Hill School to address difficulties in a structured and focused way. The team uses Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which helps students explore how their thoughts, actions, and emotions are interconnected. You can either speak to someone at school to be referred or use the text service to discuss your concerns and options confidentially with a team member.

The role of mental health support teams

The Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) within the Trailblazer programme aim to provide early care for students experiencing mild to moderate or early symptoms of mental health challenges. These are issues that often fall outside the scope of traditional NHS services. By offering early intervention, appropriate signposting, and focused, evidence-based interventions, MHSTs enhance collaboration between schools and mental health services and ensure earlier and more effective support for children, young people, their families, and carers.

Core functions of mhsts

· Work with teachers and school staff at Chosen Hill School to identify students with emerging mental health needs as part of a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

· Build relationships across services to ensure joint delivery of care.

· Pilot cultural and arts-led approaches as alternative and contemporary methods of support.

· Conduct appropriate assessments of needs, signposting, and referrals to relevant services.

· Provide evidence-based interventions for students presenting with mild to moderate mental health problems within the school setting.

· Offer consultation and advice to school staff on understanding students' mental health.

· Integrate into the referral system with specialist NHS services to support those presenting with complex needs or requiring more intensive interventions.

Understanding mild to moderate mental health problems

Moderate mental health problems involve symptoms that make daily life significantly more difficult than usual. Examples include:

· Low mood

· Exam stress

· Mild anxiety

· Low self-esteem

· Friendship issues

· Daily worries and upset

Chosen Hill School students can rely on Young Minds Matter as a vital resource for addressing mental health challenges and building resilience in a supportive environment.