Cassie Ramos-Stovin’s Post

While trauma-informed approaches in schools are valuable, they cannot single-handedly resolve the UK's exclusion crisis. Hear me out: I'm a former headteacher and trauma-informed practitioner who believes wholeheartedly in inclusion. My ex-colleagues will attest to this. The African proverb 'It takes a village to raise a child' resonates deeply here. Successful child development requires coordinated effort from all agencies working with children and families - from mental health services to social care, family support workers to youth services. Our teachers, though skilled in pedagogy and many in trauma-informed practice, are being asked to fill gaps left by diminishing support services. Many go above and beyond, providing extraordinary support for children with complex needs. However, this unsustainable burden contributes to teacher burnout and retention issues. To truly address the exclusions crisis, we need a comprehensive, multi-agency approach that: ☑️ Provides early intervention support for families ☑️ Ensures accessible mental health services ☑️ Strengthens community support networks ☑️ Restores funding to vital youth and family services ☑️ Supports schools to focus on their core educational mission Only by rebuilding this network of support can we both prevent trauma and help children cope with adverse experiences they've already faced. 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 - 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. The question we should be asking is not just how schools can become more trauma-informed, but what systematic support needs to be restored or developed to create a truly effective support network for our most vulnerable children. What essential support services do your pupils lack access to? How might their educational outcomes improve if these services were readily available?

What can schools and government do to put the life chances of young people at the heart of policymaking and delivery? Two important new reports: 1. How can schools design their curriculum and policies around the needs of the community? 🚸Our inspiring partner Surrey Square Primary School features in a new report - an exciting step towards schools that truly prioritise the health and happiness of children: https://lnkd.in/eATDicQH 2. We know that scrapping the two child benefit cap would lift thousands of children and families out of poverty, and have a huge impact on young people's mental health. But how does this policy impact children's learning, too? 📖 Read Nesta's new research: https://lnkd.in/eHeE9xin

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition recently commissioned polling with 2,000 respondents to gather voters views on children’s mental health ahead of the upcoming general election. What were some of their key findings? - 59% of respondents believe that political leaders have not done enough to support children and young people’s mental health over the last decade. - Only 23% of respondents are very or somewhat confident that political parties will prioritise issues facing children and young people in the general election. - Improving mental health was the most significant issue to be addressed for children and teenagers according to respondents aged 18-24. - The top three priorities all respondents want addressing in the general election are: ensuring children get a good education, protecting children from online harm and child poverty (for children under 12 years) and protecting children from crime and anti-social behaviour for teenagers. There needs to be real and substantial change for babies, children and young people's mental health in this general election for the tide to turn. Alongside the coalition we are committed to calling for all political parties to: • Commit at least an additional £1.7bn per year for Integrated Care Systems to deliver a comprehensive mental health pathway for all babies, children and young people aged 0-25. • Embed whole educational approaches to mental health and wellbeing across all education settings. • Increase the provision of early intervention support in the community through the national roll-out of early support hubs in every local area. • Bring forward reform of the Mental Health Act 1983, to ensure that children and young people’s rights are protected and promoted, and that they receive high quality and compassionate care. Read more about the findings here: https://buff.ly/4bZFAzQ

𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗣 🗞 Here's the latest news relating to children and young people - locally, regionally and nationally. 1) Childline: Financial hardship can have an impact on children’s physical and mental health - https://lnkd.in/edqgfqC3 2) Disadvantaged children hardest hit by education and social care challenges, warns Ofsted - https://lnkd.in/ec7M-iWD 3) Making the Case for Youth Work - https://lnkd.in/ebEvTE3u

Tomorrow is #DressPurpleDay, a day that raises awareness about the importance of supporting vulnerable children, youth and families. When children don't get the support and resources they need, they're at greater risk of adverse childhood experiences, or "ACEs." Our latest blog, by Sophie Baker, Maura Eswaradas and Christine Sheppard, explains how we don't know enough about ACEs and their impact on health and health equity, and how Wellesley Institute is working to help fill that gap.  https://lnkd.in/g2DF4xGs

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition recently commissioned polling with 2,000 respondents to gather voters views on children’s mental health ahead of the upcoming #generalelection. What were some of their key findings? 👉 59% of respondents believe that political leaders have not done enough to support children and young people’s mental health over the last decade. 👉 Only 23% of respondents are very or somewhat confident that political parties will prioritise issues facing children and young people in the general election. 👉 Improving #mentalhealth was the most significant issue to be addressed for children and teenagers according to respondents aged 18-24. 👉 The top three priorities all respondents want addressing in the general election are: ensuring children get a good education, protecting children from online harm and child poverty (for children under 12 years) and protecting children from crime and anti-social behaviour for teenagers. There needs to be real and substantial change for babies, children and young people's mental health in this general election for the tide to turn. Alongside the coalition we are committed to calling for all political parties to: ☑️ Commit at least an additional £1.7bn per year for Integrated Care Systems to deliver a comprehensive mental health pathway for all babies, children and young people aged 0-25. ☑️ Embed whole educational approaches to mental health and wellbeing across all education settings. ☑️ Increase the provision of early intervention support in the community through the national roll-out of early support hubs in every local area. ☑️ Bring forward reform of the Mental Health Act 1983, to ensure that children and young people’s rights are protected and promoted, and that they receive high quality and compassionate care. Read more about the findings by clicking on the link in this post.

I recently got to ponder on a subject that, for the longest time has driven me. In our weekly team meeting at Youth Alliance we were reflecting on the crisis which if gets eliminated can bring a positive change in the world (you can trust Rachit Sharma for posing us with the best Reflection questions) The question started a trail of thoughts for me, so much so that, Sharing it with the larger world felt like one of the ways to contain it. So here I am! I have always strongly believed that if us adults, parents, teachers and/or care givers, trust on the WISDOM OF CHILDREN, a lot of the self-worth crisis that we go through as adults could be eliminated. Children are raised with the intention to "prepare" them according to the ways of the world. The only problem is, that this is a sick world, so all we are really doing is to push them towards that sickness. When we teach children to learn and follow methods that have been happening all along, what it does is to take away the possibility of what a fresh mind can bring to the world, we completely shun that imagination. Not that I am completely discarding the wisdom of the old but what I also vision, is a world which follows a system of exchange between the old and the new. A world where children are not made to feel any less intelligent than us adults. Maybe what they might not have is knowledge (acquirable), but what we as adults might not have is a fresh perspective. So can we learn to collaborate! Having worked with children, something I have understood about them is, that they are capable of showing immense vulnerability (something we find hard to do as adults) and when given the right environment, they don't back down on challenges which we adults have already given up on, like love, care and cooperation. Kids are trying to make sense of the world, its mysteries, evils, goodness and possibilities As adults we need to do a better job in supporting the young minds and their enquiry of the world and witness What new answers they discover, instead of imposing our infected ways on them

Tomorrow Starts With US is a survey carried out with Amárach Research to mark the OCO’s 20th Anniversary. Over 1,000 children participated in the survey where we asked them about the issues that are most important to them and the changes they want to see in Ireland. It was really important that this survey was future focused because this is what our Youth Advisory Panel have told us they wanted! They helped us come up with the concept of Tomorrow Starts With Us and they were passionate about children's voices being heard on the big topics of the day. The cost of living, mental health services and future housing needs were the top three issues for the young people who took part in the survey. Other big findings were the number of children who have experienced bullying (47%), how children view their lives online and the fact that over 70% think Ireland is a good place to reach your potential. Read the survey in full here https://lnkd.in/ebnad9KJ

Introducing Our International Health & Child Expert from the UK: Understanding ACEs and the Crisis Facing Our Youth. Are you ready linked in Community for this new series? This week, two 12-year-old children from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, in the United Kingdom will be sentenced for the tragic murder of an 18-year-old youngman , brutally attacked with a machete on a park bench. It’s a devastating example of how deep-rooted issues in childhood manifest in violence and loss. These children weren’t born violent—so what went wrong, and why is this a matter for every adult who has failed them? Yes I repeat, these children were failed by their families and society. When a news reporter visited the neighborhood, a Youth Leader revealed a chilling reality: some young people are roaming the streets armed with knives, to protect themselves but others were actively seeking to commit serious crimes—why? Because in their minds, imprisonment offers food, shelter, and entertainment. How did we get here? Our UK expert will give an overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the issues currently facing the country, including the rising levels of violence in young children. This is a crisis that involves every adult, not just those directly involved with youth. To intervene, we must understand ACEs and the family and the environment in which children are reared. 🔎 What Every Teacher Needs to Know About ACEs: Coming Next In Part 1 of our series, we’ll explore how teachers can recognize the signs of childhood adversity in their students and play a crucial role in addressing the root causes of behavior. Stay tuned as we discuss this with our experts in the metaverse. Do share, comment and interact. #MentalHealthMatters #ACEsAwareness #YouthViolencePrevention #TraumaInformedCare #TeachersRole #ChildhoodAdversity #UKCrisis #TheBrandAeye #HealthAndEducation #EveryAdultCounts

🎉 Thrilled to see the incredible work of over 200 dedicated community organizations and leaders and most importantly, #youth, in Greater Cincinnati shine in this article about the #collaborative Hopeful Empowered Youth. If you are looking for inspiration on how to galvanize your community around deep systems challenges, like youth #mentalwellbeing, take a look at what they are up to below!