Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 will take place 9-15 February, and the theme this year is “This Is My Place”. Our sense of belonging as individuals, in our friendships, in school, and in communities plays a central role in our mental health and wellbeing. The school community is vital for providing inclusive and nurturing environments, where children and young people feel they belong and can say “This Is My Place”.
We have pulled together some resources and opportunities that you may find useful for getting involved in Children’s Mental Health Week, and support your wider work around emotional health and wellbeing.
Training & Events
Supporting Mentally Healthy Schools Conference
Join us for a conference bringing together educators, mental health professionals, and policy leaders to address the urgent need for emotionally safe and inclusive learning environments. This year’s theme “feeling safer to connect, belong, and learn” underscores the foundational role of psychological safety, belonging, and connection in both academic success and personal development. Thanks to funding, this event is charged at just £40 per person, and will be held at Sandy Park on 10th March. Book your place here.
Anxiety & Me Resource Training for Schools – Youth Arts & Health Trust
The Youth Arts and Health Trust are offering fully funded Anxiety & Me online training workshops for school staff across Devon, thanks to funding from Devon County Council. This training will focus on using creative activities to improve communication and pupil voice; share easy to use resources to improve anxiety, stress, and wellbeing; and sharing good practice, ideas, and concerns. Training is 2 hours long, and delivered by experienced and registered Art Therapists.
Supporting Someone Who Causes Harm to Themselves Skills Workshop for Professionals – Parental Minds
Parental Minds are offering a fully funded online Skills Workshop for professionals in February and March. The workshop is designed to provide guidance and support for professionals whose individuals hurt themselves when overwhelmed by their emotions. The session will explore practical techniques and navigate the complexities of support.
Supporting Someone Who Causes Harm to Themselves Skills Workshop for Parents – Parental Minds
Parental Minds are offering a series of fully funded online Skills Workshops for parents in February. The workshop is designed to provide guidance and support to parents and caregivers whose young people hurt themselves when overwhelmed by their emotions. These sessions will explore practical techniques and navigate the complexities of support.
Youth Connect 5
Youth Connect 5 training provides the knowledge, skills, and understanding to help children and young people develop strong emotional wellbeing through resilience-building techniques, whilst understanding why we feel the way we do. These techniques help to strengthen the ability of children and young people to adapt well to adversity, trauma, and stress, skills that will remain with them into adulthood. Find out more here.
Resources & Support
Place2Be
Place2Be have a variety of brilliant free resources for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026. This includes resources for both primary and secondary schools, fundraising resources, resources for families and communities, posters, assemblies, and social media content. Get your resources here.
Mental Health Safety Plans
We can all have times when we struggle with out mental wellbeing and for some that can mean significant distress and suicidal thoughts. A safety plan is a practical tool for helping to keep someone safe. In Devon, a tool was launched in 2025, appropriate for older secondary and further education students, as well as all adults. You can find out more about the Devon safety plan on the Devon County Council Suicide Prevention webpages, including a downloadable version of the tool and details of how to request hard copies. Find out more about safety plans here.
Papyrus & Youth Safety Plans
Papyrus is a youth suicide prevention charity and have more information about using safety plans with children and young people, as well as a safety plan tool that may be useful to have in your setting. Papyrus also offer a debrief service for any professional who has had an experience with suicide and would like to talk it through – this includes teachers, pastoral, and other school based staff. Find out more.
My Way
My Way is a new Wellbeing Service for children and young people in Devon, launched in autumn 2025. Young people can access advice and information, as well as ongoing support if needed. Support is available online and face to face. Get resources here.
5 Ways to Wellbeing
Making time for mental wellbeing and self-care is important for us all. Embedding small things as part of your day to day life can help you feel better and more resilient. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple steps we can take to help us feel more positive and able to get the most out of life. Find out more about the available resources on our Emotional Health and Wellbeing pages.
Last chance! Body Happy Organisation Body Respect Resources
This is your last chance to access fully funded body respect resources for both primary and secondary schools, as access will close at the end of this term. Through this offer you can get full schemes of work for KS3 and KS4, and an interactive digital workshop for Years 5 and 6. Both are comprehensive, inclusive, and evidenced informed, designed to help pupils celebrate, respect, and accept all bodies – especially their own.
Body Image Workshops – Mental Health Support Teams
Devon and Torbay’s Mental Health Support Teams have 3 free online workshops focused around body image available: one for school staff, one for pupils, and one for parents/carers. We know that body image is a worry for many children and young people, and negatively impacts their overall wellbeing and confidence to engage at school and in their community. Additionally, appearance based bullying is the most common reason children and young people say they are bullied. The workshops are available for any school and are video based with accompanying resources.
Building Resilience: Preventing Substance Misuse Through Better Mental Health
Mental health difficulties and substance misuse are closely linked. Some may turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with stress, anxiety, low mood, trauma, sleeping difficulties, or social pressures. For others it may be linked to identity exploration or a desire to feel accepted by peers. Substance misuse can however worsen mental health by affecting brain development, sleep, emotional regulation, and relationships, creating a two-way relationship.
Early identification and supportive conversations can play an essential role in preventing challenges, and raising awareness and providing age-appropriate education through a whole school approach is key. There is a wide range of high quality resources available to support schools, including PSHE and other teaching resources, information about treatment services and staff awareness sessions, and leaflets for parents/carers available on the DSWP website.