Who are Mental Health Support Team (MHST)?
Our service, also known as Manchester Thrive in Education Team, is based within education settings across Manchester, including primary and secondary schools and colleges, we aim to:
- Provide support for mental health and emotional wellbeing, using evidence-based approaches (informed by research, your preferences, and professional experience) for mild to moderate difficulties such as worry and low mood.
- Work with school and college staff, including Senior Mental Health Leads, to develop a whole-school approach where students, staff, parents, and carers all contribute to a supportive environment that prioritises emotional wellbeing.
- Offer timely advice and work with other services to ensure children and young people receive the right support and can continue engaging in education.
Our People
The team are split across the North & south areas of the city,
- South Manchester Service Manager
Sara Yunus - North Manchester Service Manager
Nikki Farmer
Please contact either Sara or Nikki to discuss any complaints by email or use the team email.
We have a range of mental health professionals that work in the team to support you, such as Education Mental Health Practitioners, Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners, Registered Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Speech & Language Therapist and Mental Health Practitioners. Even though people in the team have different job titles, we all support children, young people and their families.
Manchester Mental Health Support Team Location
Contact Details:
The team will meet you, and your family, if appropriate, in your school/college setting so it doesn’t interrupt too much with your life.
In need of urgent help?
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Schools and colleges make referrals directly to our team. You can ask the Senior Mental Health Lead in your school/college, or someone from your pastoral team if we work in your school or college.
If you’re finding things difficult with your mental health or wellbeing, talk to someone you trust in your pastoral team. They can help you explore what support might be right for you — this could include a referral to our team.
Waiting times
Our team aims to see all children and young people within four weeks of a referral being made. We’ll usually contact your family/carers within the first two weeks to arrange your first appointment.
If you’re under 16, we’ll normally meet with your parents or carers separately at first. This helps us understand what’s been happening and how we can best support you.
We know meeting new people and talking about how you’re feeling can feel a bit scary at first — that’s completely okay. We’ll take things at your pace and explain everything as we go.
While you wait
Our team shares mental health and wellbeing information with the Senior Mental Health Lead at your school or college. This helps them support you while you’re waiting to work with our service, so you’re not on your own in the meantime.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll usually meet your worker at your school or college. They’ll arrange a time and place that works best for you during the school day.
We offer one-to-one sessions with children and young people aged 8 and over, usually for around 6 to 8 sessions. These sessions are CBT-informed, which means they’re based on practical ways to help you understand your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
We also run groups and workshops, where you can learn new skills and connect with others who might be going through similar things.
The workers may ask questions about your life to gain more insight; however, you do not have to recall your whole life story unless you wish to.
What you share with your worker stays private unless they’re worried about your safety or someone else’s. If they need to share something, they’ll always talk with you about it first and you can share how you want this to be discussed.
You can tell us what name and pronouns you’d like us to use, and we’ll make sure to use them in your sessions. Just let your worker know when you meet them — we want you to feel comfortable and respected.
We work with schools and colleges to make sure mental health and wellbeing are a priority. This includes:
- Training for staff
- Workshops and groups for parents and carers
- Advice and consultation for staff
- Support to develop action plans that promote a positive, whole-school approach to mental health
Yes — our team works during school holidays too. When schools and colleges are closed, we can offer appointments in community settings instead.