TISCUK'S NEW MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE: SUPPORTING DELIVERY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT OF PSHE CURRICULUM
WHAT EVERY TEENAGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT EMOTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS AND MENTAL HEALTH
TISUK Founder & Director Dr Margot Sunderland with teen actor Martin Tandoh discuss the need for a new approach to PSHE mental health with BBC London Radio.
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Jenny Pascoe Senior Inclusion Officer for the Early Intervention and Inclusion Team at Cornwall Council talks about how she intends to use the film and resources in Cornwall schools.
OVERVIEW
A radical rethink in how mental health is taught in secondary schools, 'What every teenager needs to know about emotions, relationships and mental health' is a ground breaking film supporting delivery of mental health component of the PSHE curriculum; educating all, and particularly supporting teenagers with mild to moderate mental health symptoms. A film performed by teenagers for teenagers, it is designed to be watched by whole year groups from Year 7 upwards in small groups alongside support from emotionally available adults. The package of resources includes Lesson Plans and PowerPoints to support delivery.
Who it is for: Secondary school pupils from Year 7 upwards
Duration/format: Film length 60 mins total, in 5 parts. Packages include teaching resources.
Facilitation Requirements: Delivery of the film should be facilitated by a psychologically trained practitioner such as a TISUK Practitioner, School Councillor or equivalent. The film comes with a full 'How to Use' Guide, illustrating best practice delivery of the film, and facilitation of supportive discussions and small group conversations.
WHY THIS RESOURCE IS NEEDED...
A different approach is needed to alleviate the distress of young people, and markedly reduce both CAMHS waiting lists and public health costs.
Standard manualised mental health lessons bought in by schools, can support teenagers who need better strategies to help them manage stress, emotionally regulate, reframe negative thinking patterns or understand the perils of negative modes of self-help e.g. turning to drink to manage grief. But such lessons were never intended to address the distress of teenagers suffering from ongoing panic attacks, phobias, compulsive rituals, intrusive thoughts, depression, social anxiety, not wanting to live anymore, self-harm or complex post-traumatic stress. And yet there are millions of teenagers living difficult lives who are suffering in these ways.
And referring all the teenagers in distress to CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) isn’t the answer either, illusttrated by the shocking statistics:
- Last year, 1.2 million referrals were made to CAMHS.
- Nearly 40,000 children experienced a wait of over 2 years. Almost 40% had their referral closed before accessing support (referral closed before second contact)1
- A quarter of young people try to take their own lives whilst waiting for NHS treatment.2
- In the UK, suicide is the main cause of death in young people under the age of 35. Five teenagers take their own life every day (Papyrus 2024).
So, we believe that there is a missing middle step between the current PSHE mental health resources and referral to CAMHS.
WHAT THE RESOURCE INCLUDES AND HOW TO FACILITATE IT...
Along with support from school counsellors and emotionally available adults (for teenagers lucky enough to have one) this film provides part of that vital middle step to support teenagers with mild to moderate mental health symptoms. Here’s how:
- The film tackles the causes of mental health problems head on. It highlights the intense emotional pain that many teenagers experience.
- The film offers very moving and relatable true stories of pain to recovery – filling a critical gap in how mental health is addressed in many schools.
- The film’s honest portrayal of mental health struggles goes way beyond surface-level, cognitively based discussions, to explore how untold stories of distress can result in mental health problems.
- The film provides valuable insights that teenagers find incredibly useful on the most common mental health problems and how to heal (cutting-edge neuroscience and psychological research).
- The film needs to be facilitated by a therapeutically qualified practitioner (e.g. school counsellor) who knows how to respond to teenagers who ask for help. This can also be a TISUK graduate (we are in over 6000 schools nationwide).
- The practitioner can also run therapeutic groups for those who need it.
- The Government Green Paper 2017 states, “There is evidence that appropriately trained and supported staff such as teachers… teaching assistants can achieve results comparable to those achieved by trained therapists in delivering a number of interventions addressing mild to moderate mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, conduct disorder, substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder)”3
Refs: 1. Children’s mental health services 2022- 23 (2023). March 2024. London, The Children’s Commissioner Report. 2. Young Minds. End the Wait Campaign (2022) 3. Government Green Paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision (December 2017)
VIEWING OPTIONS
Free 1hr PSHE Film Information Briefings
Join TISCUK Director Dr Margot Sunderland for a 1hour free session aimed at informing school and community based staff who would like to know more about the new, cutting edge, deeply moving, mental health film and resources for settings and schools passionate about helping teenagers to live their best lives. The aim of the session is to offer an understanding of the content and how to ustilise this resource in your setting. The session will include an audio-visual presentation introducing you to some of the key componentsof the resource. The session will conclude with an opportunity for Questions and Answers.
TISCUK Online Staff Screening + Live Q&A
Perfect for professionals wanting to preview the film's content before purchasing, followed by a Q&A to discuss delivery.
Screening dates: 3rd Nov 2025, 19th Feb 2026, 4th June 2026
Film-Only Option: Whole Setting Licence
Ideal for schools or organisations who want to show the film independently. Includes:
- Film-only access
- Guidance notes
- 1 x tin of Mental Health resource cards
£449 for 3 months hire (no VAT)
Extra Resource Cards
Additional tins of Mental Health cards: £30 per tin.
Additional tins Helping Teenagers Talk about their Lives cards: £28 per tin .
COMPREHENSHIVE PACKAGES FOR SCHOOLS
Package One: For Schools with a Trained TISUK Practitioner
Vital asset for your students' mental health education with a structured, school/setting-wide approach. Includes:
- Film in 5 parts
- 5 accompanying PowerPoints
- 5 lesson plans
- Guidance webinar and notes for staff
- 2 x tins of Mental Health resource cards (with booklet)
- Access to half-termly support sessions with a TISUK Supervisor
Annual Licence: £895 per school (1st year), £695 per year thereafter
TISUK Practitioners in school will be required to deliver the content and run small groups
Package Two: For Schools New to TISUK
Vital asset for your students' mental health education with a structured, school/setting-wide approach. Includes:
- Film in 5 parts
- 5 accompanying PowerPoints
- 5 lesson plans
- Guidance webinar and notes for staff
- 2 x tins of Mental Health resource cards (with booklet)
- I x tin Helping Teenagers Talk about their Lives (resource cards with booklet)
- Access to half-termly support sessions with a TISUK Supervisor
£995 per school per year
(plus practitioner fees and expenses - based on number of groups/hours, paid directly to the therapeutic practitioner)
Schools must provide or commission a member of staff who is therapeutically trained (qualifications to be submitted to TISUK). Additional fees apply for external therapeutic practitioner.
Discounted rates available for Trusts/Local Authorities and practitioners working with multiple schools, please get in touch to discuss your requirements
If you have any questions please do get in touch via info@traumainformedschools.co.uk or 01752 278477.
Please note: According to our guidance, schools and settings must ensure that any of the above packages are delivered by a therapeutically trained practitioner. If such a practitioner is not available internally, external TISUK-accredited facilitators can be arranged at an additional cost.
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What Every Teenager Needs to Know About Emotions, Relationships and Mental Health Brochure