Maltby Learning Trust Academies champion mental health all year round ​​​​​​​

At the heart of Maltby Learning Trust's mental health support is the Multi-Agency Support Team (MAST), is an integral service woven into the fabric of the Trust's ethos.

MAST operates with a commitment to fostering mental wellness and prioritises engagement with children, families, and staff, delivering impactful counselling sessions and tailored interventions that make a real difference in the lives of individuals.

Natalie Braithwaite, Manager of the MAST team said: “Mental Health Awareness Week is great to focus people’s minds on what can and should be done to support people, but for us, it is business as usual, as we work all year round to provide the much-needed support for, students, their families and staff.”

During the previous week alone, MAST facilitated an impressive 66 counselling sessions, reflecting its proactive approach to supporting mental health. Over the course of this half term, MAST will have provided a total of 366 counselling sessions to students, 26 supervision sessions, 11 workshops/groups, and 2 staff training sessions.

“We know that at this time of year our y6, y11s and Y13s will need extra support as they face the stress of exams, and we deliver exam stress workshops and prioritise counselling sessions for students who are about to sit their A Levels, GCSE's and SATs.

“In recent weeks we have also provided group work for primary and secondary children to reduce stigma around mental health, promote healthy coping strategies and manage peer relationships through a trauma-informed approach to understanding and expressing emotions. This is complemented by a rolling training programme for staff to impart knowledge about trauma-informed practice and strategies for supporting children with adverse childhood experiences,” added Natalie.

MAST runs through the DNA of Maltby Learning Trust, so children, families and staff know that the team are there to support them through counselling, training, group work and supervision. 

“We also support the SEND graduated response and inclusion agenda across our schools. MAST takes every opportunity possible to support mental health across the community; we recently identified and brought in a professional theatre production and interactive workshops to one of our primary schools which was centred around mental health and supported the curriculum.

“It is fantastic to be part of a trust that really focuses on the mental health of everyone that steps through its doors,” Natalie concluded.