Self-harm: guidance and policies
Self-harm is a sensitive issue, and it can be difficult to know how to support pupils at risk of self-injury. Have a look at guidance from a mental health charity and two of our associate experts on possible actions you can take, and see examples of risk assessments for pupils.
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Collaborate with external agencies and parents
We spoke to Young Minds, a UK charity dedicated to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people, and to Brenda McHugh, co-director of the Anna Freud Centre’s Mental Health in Schools programme, about supporting pupils who self-harm.
Young Minds explained that when dealing with pupils who are at risk of self-harm, each case is unique, and there are no generic procedures that schools must adopt.
Brenda agreed that it’s important you’re not alone as a school when assessing the level of risk for a child. She advised that you should contact your local child