The term "mental health" is often used to cover a wide range of conditions, from eating disorders, mild depression and anxiety to psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Parental mental illness does not necessarily have an adverse impact on a child's developmental needs, but it is essential to always assess its implications for each child in the family. It is essential that the diagnosis of a parent/carer's mental health is not seen as defining the level of risk. Similarly, the absence of a diagnosis does not equate to there being little or no risk. Children may also be experiencing mental health issues as a result of recent experiences during the pandemic, or for longer.

The team working with the children and families know them well and are well placed to spot changes in behaviour that might indicate an emerging problem with the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the child.

For children the impact of parental mental health can include:

• The parent / carer's needs or illnesses taking precedence over the child's needs.
• Child's physical and emotional needs neglected.
• A child acting as a young carer for a parent or a sibling.
• Child having restricted social and recreational activities.
• Child finds it difficult to concentrate- impacting on educational achievement.
• A child missing school regularly as (s)he is being kept home as a companion for a parent

/carer.

• Adopt paranoid or suspicious behaviour as they believe their parent’s delusions.
• Witnessing self-harming behaviour and suicide attempts (including attempts that involve the child).
• Obsessional compulsive behaviours involving the child.

At Paint Pots we recognise that a mental health issue can be as a result of previous abuse or traumatic event –staff will always report any concerns about a child to the DSL, acknowledging if the behaviours observed are new or triggered in certain situations. The balance between the risk and protective factors are most likely to be disrupted when difficult and adverse childhood events occur in pupils’ lives. These include:

• loss or separation – resulting from death, parental separation, divorce, hospitalisation, loss of friendships (especially in adolescence), family conflict or breakdown that results in the child having to live elsewhere, being taken into care or adopted;
• life changes – such as the birth of a sibling, moving to a new house or changing schools or during transition from primary to secondary school, or secondary school to sixth form; and traumatic events such as abuse, domestic violence, bullying, violence, accidents, injuries or natural disaster.
• COVID separation from others, unexpected change, changed endings and pandemic related issues for individuals and their families.

If staff become aware of any of the above indicators, or others that suggest a child is suffering due to parental mental health, the information will be shared with the DSL to consider a referral to The Children’s Resource Service or Hampshire Children’s Services.