Unity College Mental Wellbeing Worker

Matthew Aspin is currently the Unity College Mental Wellbeing Worker through BFitC. He provides the opportunity for young people to discuss issues that are bothering them in confidence to help them work through these thoughts, feelings & behaviours that are negatively impacting their emotional health and mental wellbeing.

The issues covered in sessions depends upon the individual, but may concern problems at home or within school, worry and anxiety, relationship and friendship group conflict, coping with change, grief through loss and adverse childhood experiences.

Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is offered in a series of weekly sessions or more informal check-ins on an ad-hoc basis if the student prefers.

Students are assessed initially to formulate what they require help with and what they would like to prioritise. Goals are then set as outcomes to aim for.

Student and parental permission must be gained before any sessions are delivered. Interventions offered include therapy designed to reduce anxiety & improve low mood, behavioural activation to help children become more physically active & increase opportunities to socially interact, self-harm prevention & suicidal ideation reduction strategies, reducing anger, improving self-esteem & increasing assertiveness, improving sleep hygiene & reducing health anxieties.

Group sessions are also offered weekly to students around themes including improving social skills for students with a diagnosis of Autism, coping with exam anxiety & academic expectancy.

The Mental Wellbeing Worker is part of Unity College’s wider pastoral and support team who work collaboratively as part of a whole school approach towards positive mental health.